Bob Dylan's happy songs
don freeman
terrible pop songs to the terrible pop songs of the '60s. Someone made
the point that no one puts out happy songs anymore.
I suppose they have a point, though the only pop song I've bought
recently was Chumbawamba's "Tubthumper" and it was a pretty happy song.
But what about Bob Dylan? I know some people hear a lot of humour in
Time Out of Mind but can anyone remember Bob's last happy song? Would
any of his songs qualify as happy songs?
WS Crispy
Plenty o happy songs, Mr. Freeman. Off the top o my head: Handy Dandy,
Ugliest Girl in the World, Silvio (basically), I'll Remember You, Never
Gonna Be the Same Again, In the Summertime, Saved, Mozambique, On a
Night Like This, Something There Is About You, Forever Young, You Angel
You, Never Say Goodbye, When I Paint My Masterpiece, If Not For You,
Winterlude, New Morning, One More Weekend, The Man In Me, Father of
Night, Woogie Boogie, Wigwam, To Be Alone With You, Peggy Day, Country
Pie, Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You, Down Along the Cove, I'll Be
Your Baby Tonight, Mr. Tambourine Man (mostly), I Shall Be Free No. 10,
When the Ship Comes In (sorta).
We been listening to the same man, Mr. Freeman?
--
ws crispy
Joe Pollock
>Recently there was a very long thread comparing this generations
>terrible pop songs to the terrible pop songs of the '60s. Someone made
>the point that no one puts out happy songs anymore.
>
>I suppose they have a point, though the only pop song I've bought
>recently was Chumbawamba's "Tubthumper" and it was a pretty happy song.
>
>But what about Bob Dylan? I know some people hear a lot of humour in
>Time Out of Mind but can anyone remember Bob's last happy song? Would
>any of his songs qualify as happy songs?
How about "Its Alright Ma (Im only Bleding)"? I have the Halloween
Masque bootleg in which he states "Yes it is a very funny song" But I
know it isn't so. :)
Joe
"Thirty Dollars Pays your rent, on Bleecker Street" -Paul Simon
Wolfds
pretty depressing song. Here's one that ought to cheer you up." (Paraphrase).
He then proceeded to play the fun-filled It's all over Now, Baby Blue.
IMO, while they are certainly fewer in number, Dylan does have some "happy"
songs. On a Night Like This and New Morning rank among them (they come
immediately to mind). There are more, too. Just rarer.
Dave
Lloyd Fonvielle
WS Crispy wrote:
> Plenty o happy songs, Mr. Freeman. Off the top o my head: Handy Dandy,
> Ugliest Girl in the World, Silvio (basically) . . .
Silvio? Does the thought of finding out things only dead men know make you
happy? Sounds a little nerve-wracking to me.
Kevin B. O'Reilly
>
> Plenty o happy songs,
> When I Paint My Masterpiece
I don't think of this as a happy song. I think it's about the artist's
delusion that the act of creation will change his life for the better,
when the ugly reality is (perhaps) a masterpiece in art does not make a
masterpiece of life.
--
Kevin B. O'Reilly
<kb...@concentric.net>
Pete Oppel
<< Someone made
the point that no one puts out happy songs anymore. >>
I suggest you check out the works of Terry Allen and the Austin Lounge
Lizards. They always bring a smile to my face.
BobbyD1947
the point that no one puts out happy songs anymore.
I suppose they have a point, though the only pop song I've bought
recently was Chumbawamba's "Tubthumper" and it was a pretty happy song.
But what about Bob Dylan? I know some people hear a lot of humour in
Time Out of Mind but can anyone remember Bob's last happy song? Would
any of his songs qualify as happy songs?
>>
I don't know who made that statement, but the last thing that bothers me about
today's music is it's lack of "happy" themes. I consider I Am A Rock to be one
of the greatest songs ever recorded, but it's written from the point of view of
a person in the depths of loneliness and despair. No, what disgusts me the most
about today's "unhappy" music is its victimhood, its self-obsession, its
finger-pointing. "So and so did such and such to me, blah blah blah".
Robert D.
don freeman
victimhood, its self-obsession, its finger-pointing. "So and so did >
such and such to me, blah blah blah".
Excellent point that the problem with modern music isn't the lack of
happy songs. I hate the self pitying attitude so prevalent in much
modern music of the last two decades. But I've always considered
finger-pointing songs to be part of the solution, not part of the
problem. Bob Dylan used to write good finger pointing songs. I wish
people would still write them.
Frank Lepkowski
pretty happy to me are "Down along the Cove," "I'll be Your Baby Tonight,"
"Quinn the Eskimo," "Please Mrs. Henry," "Million Dollar Bash," "On a Night
Like This," "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You." Most recent happy
song (cover, of course): "Froggy Went a-Courtin'."
And for my money, his #1 happiest song: "Saved": "I've been saved, by the
blood of the lamb, and I'm so glad (how glad?) so glad..." I believe him.
Frank Lepkowski
don freeman wrote in message <3780CB39...@home.com>...
Ricky Cobb
>I'll Remember You, Never Gonna Be the Same Again,
Okay, you've got a long list and I don't have the time or
inclination to analyze all your choices, but:
What is so damn happy about "I'll Remember You" and "Never
Gonna Be the Same Again"?? Both of those songs have always
struck me as quite bittersweet. While I'm the first to
admit that one might affix any different number of
interpretations on either song, I've always looked at
each as being about love lost. Care to share your theories
on these two and why you feel they are "happy" songs?
Ricky
**** Posted from RemarQ - http://www.remarq.com - Discussions Start Here (tm) ****
Bartstew
>happy songs.
When I first mentioned "happy" songs earlier on this board I may not have
been clear enough. I was not talking about a saccharine sound, as like the
Partridge Family, but rather just a positive mood in the music. That is,
something other than the endless hard-boiled, hard-core, depressing, and/or
deranged. Dylan had plenty such positive, encouraging, empowering moods in his
works. And he even had some straightout "happy" songs!
~ ~ ~ Bart
Gloria S Chase
Chew on that,
Brian J. Chase
thomas hawk
feel damn good....jumbled lyrics and all
d
-d
don freeman wrote:
>
Someone made
> the point that no one puts out happy songs anymore.
>
Lloyd Fonvielle
thomas hawk wrote:
> To me, The HAPPIEST Bob Dylan song is SANTA FE....it has always made me
> feel damn good....jumbled lyrics and all
"Santa Fe"! Dear, dear, dear, dear "Santa Fe"! Makes me happy just
thinking about it. Must run play it immediately.
Joe_Cox
I'm going to try and address the deeper issue to this post.
Many times I've tried to defend Dylan to people who said
that he was just too depressing; didn't I think he was too
dark and depressed/depressing? And what I say to them, and
what I say to anyone who listens, is that Bob Dylan tells
the TRUTH. It might be dark, it might be painful and full
of heartbreak, but I trust it as a much closer vision of
the truth than that which any other musican can or has
provided. Bob sings sad songs because it's a sad world. And
I believe that just maybe I'm a better person for
recognizing that, maybe getting a little catharsis through
Bob's music, and keepin' on keepin' on. If it's happiness
you want, there are any of a number of musicians, good and
bad, who can sing happy songs because of their happy multi-
million dollar lives, but that's not the world I live in.
Granted, neither is Bob's, but it's a little closer to my
neighborhood.
All the Best,
Joe
Who likes Bob "Depressing" Dylan just the way he is and
will never complain about sad songs
"Happiness is a Warm Gun"- Lennon/McCartney
John Davies
don freeman <dfr...@home.com> wrote in message
news:3780CB39...@home.com...
> Recently there was a very long thread comparing this generations
> terrible pop songs to the terrible pop songs of the '60s. Someone made
> the point that no one puts out happy songs anymore.
>
> I suppose they have a point, though the only pop song I've bought
> recently was Chumbawamba's "Tubthumper" and it was a pretty happy song.
>
Louise Thomas
>
> Silvio? Does the thought of finding out things only dead men know make you
> happy? Sounds a little nerve-wracking to me.
I was thinking about that line the other day "find out something only
dead men know." and i thought that it might be referring to heaven. Dead
men know what it's like to be in heaven - not all i'll grant you - but
when in an optermistic mood, this line can be taken as happy to the
point of euphoric if you get to find out what it's like to be in heaven
and all....just a thought.
Cara
--
"for i am runnin in a fair race
with no racetrack but the night
an no competition but the dawn."
KSRKJR
"Love Minus Zero". I think those are pretty happy. the same way You're no
good is happy. I know he didn't write that. Precious Angel seems very happy to
me. Master of War is an upbeat one....kidding. But seriously. Nobody Cept You
pops in there.
I must say "I'll remember you" is NOT a happy song...least this listener
doesn't think so.
Ken
(its soooo hot In RI I'm typing this @ like 430am! I can't sleep)
Matthew Jennings
humble opinion, is that she's released too many albums, and many of her
songs are filler. Also in concert she tends to preach. What's Dylan's
best political song? My vote goes to "Masters of War."
Matt J. (mhje...@yahoo.com)
jac...@my-deja.com
th...@tig.com.au wrote:
> Lloyd Fonvielle wrote:
>
> >
> > Silvio? Does the thought of finding out things only dead men know
make you
> > happy? Sounds a little nerve-wracking to me.
>
> I was thinking about that line the other day "find out something only
> dead men know." and i thought that it might be referring to heaven.
Dead
> men know what it's like to be in heaven - not all i'll grant you - but
> when in an optermistic mood, this line can be taken as happy to the
> point of euphoric if you get to find out what it's like to be in
heaven
> and all....just a thought.
Not heaven, Brooklyn--as in Thomas Wolfe's collection of
short stories, Only the Dead Know Brooklyn.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
ebro...@my-deja.com
Lloyd Fonvielle <navi...@compuserve.com> wrote:
>
>
> WS Crispy wrote:
>
> > Plenty o happy songs, Mr. Freeman. Off the top o my head: Handy
Dandy,
>
> Silvio? Does the thought of finding out things only dead men know
make you
> happy? Sounds a little nerve-wracking to me.
"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know
nothing..." (Ecclesiastes 9:4, RSV)
Stacy Garner
album.
Michael Anderson
>terrible pop songs to the terrible pop songs of the '60s. Someone made
>the point that no one puts out happy songs anymore.
>
>I suppose they have a point, though the only pop song I've bought
>recently was Chumbawamba's "Tubthumper" and it was a pretty happy song.
>
>But what about Bob Dylan? I know some people hear a lot of humour in
>any of his songs qualify as happy songs?
Two words come to mind: "Wiggle Wiggle"
Tumulty
>any of his songs qualify as happy songs? >>
DeSiRe was my sister's favorite albumas well as mine when we were teenagers. I
can still remember the look on my father's face (My god, I'm raising morons)
when we announced Mozambique as our preferred
holiday destination. We were serious. He was worried. He explained the
situation in Mozambique and told us to have another listen to the song. We
were embarrassed. Years later we would laugh like animals over it. Ah, but we
were so much thinner then, we're
I remain,
TuMuLTY
Lloyd Fonvielle
jac...@my-deja.com wrote:
> In article <378234...@tig.com.au>,
> th...@tig.com.au wrote:
> > Lloyd Fonvielle wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Silvio? Does the thought of finding out things only dead men know
> make you
> > > happy? Sounds a little nerve-wracking to me.
> >
> > I was thinking about that line the other day "find out something only
> > dead men know." and i thought that it might be referring to heaven.
> Dead
> > men know what it's like to be in heaven - not all i'll grant you - but
> > when in an optermistic mood, this line can be taken as happy to the
> > point of euphoric if you get to find out what it's like to be in
> heaven
> > and all....just a thought.
>
> Not heaven, Brooklyn--as in Thomas Wolfe's collection of
> short stories, Only the Dead Know Brooklyn.
"Silvio" explained at last! It's about Brooklyn!
WS Crispy
What chew tryin to say, Tumultuous One? That during the recording
sessions Dylan knew Mozambique to be tearing itself apart and he was
gonna sing a facetious song about it??
No. The troubles in Mozambique started at least a year after Desire was
released. So- tis a truly happy song after all.
And if your favorite album was Desire you wouldn't say "I can still
remember the look on my father's face". You would say "I still can
remember the look on my father's face".
I so far remain,
ws crispy
nate
says...
manuscript nitemare of cut throat high & low & behold the 23
prophesying blind allegiance to law fox, monthly cupid &
the intoxicating ghosts of dogma . . . nay & may the boat-
men in bathrobes be banished forever & anointed into the
shelves of alive hell, the unimaginative sleep, repitition 27
without change & fat sheriffs who watch for doom in the
mattress . . . hallaluyah & bossman of the hobos cometh
& ordaining the spiritual gypsy davy camp now being infil- 30
traded by foreign dictator, the pink FBI & the interrogating
unknown failures of peacetime as holy & silver & blessed
with the texture of kaleidoscope & the sandal girl . . . to
dream of dancing pillhead virgins & wandering apollo at 34
the pipe organ/ unscientific ramblers & the pretty things 35
lucky & lifting their lips & handing down looks & regards
from the shoulders of adam & eve's minstrel peekaboo . . .
passing on the chance to bludgeon the tough spirits & the
deed holders into fishlike buffoons & yanking ye erratic
purpose . . . surrendering to persuasion, the crime against 40
people, that be ranked alongside murder & while doctors,
teachers, bankers & sewer cleaners fight for their rights, 42
they must now be horribly generous . . . & into the march
now where tab hunter leads with his thunderbird/ pearl
bailey stomps him against a buick & where poverty, a per- 45
fection of neptune's unused clients, plays hide & seek &
escaping into the who goes there? & now's not the time to
act silly, so wear your big boots & jump on the garbage
clowns, the hourly rate & the enema men & where junior
senators & goblins rip off tops of question marks & their 50
wives make pies & go now & throw some pies in the face &
ride the blinds & into aretha's religous thighs & movement 52
find ye your nymph of no conscience & bombing out your
young sensitive dignity just to see once & for all if there
are holes & music in the universe & watch her tame the sea 55
horse/ aretha, pegged by choir boys & other pearls of
mamas as too gloomy a much of witchy & dont you know
no happy songs 58
...from The Annotation Project's files on Tarantula.
- nate