DougOnDylan

Ring Them Bells

2011-05-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckkHB3Y2DcI&feature=player_embedded

Here is a song where Bob Dylan clearly expresses his Calvinistic understanding of the Scriptures and demonstrates a sophistcated understanding of "the choosen few, who will judge the many, when the game is through."

"Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?" I Cor. 6:2

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth"
2 Thessalonians 2:13

"There are several things here which deserve special attention. First, the fact that we are expressly told that God's elect are "chosen to salvation": Language could not be more explicit. How summarily do these words dispose of the sophistries and equivocations of all who would make election refer to nothing but external privileges or rank in service! It is to "salvation" itself that God has chosen us. ...Instead of shrinking back in horror from the doctrine of predestination, the believer, when he sees this blessed truth as it is unfolded in the Word, discovers a ground for gratitude and thanksgiving such as nothing else affords, save the unspeakable gift of the Redeemer Himself."
AW PINK

We have further confirmation that Dylan has personally embraced this Biblical view of God's Sovereignty in the great Bob Dylan Song "Every Grain of Sand" from 1981. In this autobiographical song we hear

“Onward in my journey I come to understand
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand.”

So this is something that he came to understand, only “onward in his journey.” And what a journey it has been! The song talks about

“I can see the Master’s hand
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand”

In other words, down to the minutest detail of our lives and in all creation, there is not the slightest thing that is not in the hand -- or under the ultimate control -- of the Master. Another way to say this is with the concluding verse:

“I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand”

Bob Dylan protests in China, in his own way

2011-04-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

This is a good article on the great concert Dylan gave in Beijing on April 6, 2011:

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/religion-faith041311/religion-faith041311/

I have found a very clear recording of this exceptional concert and I noted carefully as the very last modified line in the openning number puts it: "He is gonna put his best FRIEND forward.... and Stop...Being...Influenced....By.........Fools."

Sean Wilentz says Bob Dylan is still a Christian

2010-09-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Sean Wilentz appeared last night on the Colbert Repor talking about his new book Bob Dylan in America. You can view the interesting interview here:

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/359128/september-14-2010/sean-wilentz

Wilentz will quickly tell you that he himself is an atheist, as both he and Christopher Ricks are anxious to point out their atheism in the following discussion: Move the slider quickly in the following link to: 22:45-24:35. Here they both say they are "almost persuaded to become a Christian" by some of Dylan's songs, but they remain atheists....they do have to keep their day jobs in academia after all.

http://philoctetes.org/Past_Programs/The_Inventions_of_Bob_Dylan (22:45-24:35)

So that is what makes Wilentz's testimony to Colbert -- that Dylan was converted to Christianity, and remains, a Christian -- so valuable. He tells Colbert to listen to the songs.....as Dylan himself says...."it is all in the songs."

So here we have a Princeton historian, a very knowledgable expert on the subject of Bob Dylan because he just completed a full length book on the subject, answering once and for all the question... "Is Bob Dylan still a Christian?"

With with testimony of these expert witnesses....I rest my case.

Great Cover by Chrisse Hynde: Property of Jesus

2010-09-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

Dylan the mysterious ‘true believer’

2009-12-26T06:35:00.000-08:00

A good article discussing the mysterious ‘true believer’.

http://www.getreligion.org/?p=23513

Slow Sleigh Comin'

2009-12-12T05:41:00.000-08:00

Slow Sleigh Comin'

The following interesting and thoughtful reflections comes from County Cork, Ireland where they were written by Markus Prieur, who host a website called Not Dark Yet. Markus explains the purpose of his website as follows:

It is my contention, that Bob Dylan believes what he sings in those songs, and that the biblical viewpoints conveyed on stage are his own. I assume, that Bob has experienced, like countless other believers, his Lord and Saviour as the Good Shepherd, who cares for his sheep, and who is looking out for them, even when they go astray in their own ways.

Bob did not initiate his relationship with Jesus. God did that decades ago and the results were obvious. It was not Bob, but his Lord, who began the good work in him. And it is not Bob, but his Lord, who will be the one fulfilling his promise to be faithful to complete this good work. Bob keeps on "hanging in the balance of a perfect finished plan", as he keeps on "hanging on to a solid rock".

Markus is more than a casual fan, he has attended 57 performances of what he contends is “the greatest living artist, and whose voice still is the finest instrument in music history.”

http://www.notdarkyet.org/slowsleighcoming.html

Dylan's Christmas Album Reviewed by Baptist Minister

2009-11-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

Defiant praise for the effort from someone is understands "What is Happen' Here."

http://tinyurl.com/yetznqd

Bob Dylan discusses his new Christmas Album

2009-11-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

http://streetnewspapers.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/sns-exclusive-bob-dylan-interview/

The most significant revelation comes in the following exchange:

BF: You really give a heroic performance of O’ LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM The way you do it reminds me a little of an Irish rebel song. There’s something almost defiant in the way you sing, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” I don’t want to put you on the spot, but you sure deliver that song like a true believer.

BD: Well, I am a true believer.

2009-11-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

So Bob Dylan has been opening his shows on the current tour with the song "Change my Way of Thinking" and it has some interesting lyrics. Check it out here:

Click on the link to listen to or right click to download this song:

http://integrity.net/music/091004change.mp3

They are the modified lyrics from the Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan you can hear them as the last song on the following link. But they need some interpretation. What is the Welcome Table that is referred to? What is this thing about jumping on a Monkey's back? After reflecting on the lyrics I am ready to offer an interpretation:

htttp://www.gottaservesomebody.com/jukebox/jukebox.html

Change my way of thinking

Title and first line of song

Metanoia (from the Greek μετάνοια, metanoia, changing one's mind) repentance and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged.

Make myself a different set of rules

New Worldview, New code of ethics after conversion.

I'm gonna change my way of thinking

Repeated for emphasis

Make myself a different set of rules

Gonna put my best foot forward

Turning away from the Dark Side to following the Lord.

Stop bein' influenced by fools

Changing my advisors.

Gonna sit at the welcome table

I'm as hungry as a horse

There is a Negro Spiritual that is called and references "The Welcome Table" The place you go when you first arrive in heaven. It is Widespread and much-collected. Sung by both Blacks and Whites (the Carter Family and others). Also known as "Down to the River of Jordan." In the Cleveland Index of Spirituals, it is catalogued under the name "Some of These Days," which is the title in Grissom, "Negro Sings a New Heaven," and "Some o' Dese Days," Johnson, "Green Pastures Spirituals." Here is verse four:

4. I'm a gonna eat at the welcome table
O yes, I'm gonna eat at the welcome table
Some of these days, halleluiah
Sitting at the welcome table
I'm gonna eat at the welcome table (2x)
Some of these days.

I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse

This is a man desperate to experience the good things offered at the Welcome Table

I'm gonna revitalize my thinking

Not only changing advisors, but revitalizing my whole way of thinking about things.

I'm gonna let the law take its course

This describes the "different set of rules."

Jesus is calling

He is going to come back. He is going to be coming a callin'

He's coming back to gather His jewels

Jesus has some precious items on earth to collect

Jesus is coming

Now the focus in back on his return

He's coming back to gather His jewels

The jewels are the "chosen few" referenced in Ring Them Bells:

Ring them bells for the blind and the deaf,
Ring them bells for all of us who are left,
Ring them bells for the chosen few
Who will judge the many when the game is through.
Ring them bells, for the time that flies,
For the child that cries,
When innocence dies.

Well, we live by the Golden Rule

The reality on earth is that the Biblical golden rule has been turned upside down.

Whoever got the gold, rules

The sun is shining

Ain't but one train on this track

This is a somewhat oblique/poetic reference to the "One Way" to Heaven

Reminds us of the Cover of the Slow Train Coming Album

The sun is shining

Ain't but one train on this track

I'm stepping out of the dark woods

I was in the darkness, but I am coming into the light.

Trying to jump on a monkey's back

Is this a funny throwaway line like: Saddle me up my big white goose?

Or more likely a reference to the difficulty
of jumpin' this one train bound for glory

Yes, I'm all dressed up

Are we changing to another subject now?

Goin' to the country dance

Dressed up for the country dance? What does this have to do with jumpin' the train bound for glory? I thought this was a metaphysical song about God and man and law?

We need to remember that these lyrics were rewritten as part of a contribution Dylan made to put his stamp of approval on the cover album known as "The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan." So the orginal context of these lyrics is smack dab in the middle of a fine collection of Gospel numbers. So I think we need to look in a Gospel direction if we are going to ascertain the significance of these modified lyrics.

I said I'm all dressed up

Possibly a reference to the sinners garb being removed so that he can be fit for heaven.
Zech 3:3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments."

Goin' to the country dance

The Wedding supper of the Lamb can be compared to a country dance.

Every day you got to pray for guidance

Good advice

Every day you got to give yourself a chance

You only have a chance if you are receiving some kind of divine guidance

There are storms on the ocean

This is a troubled world...the sea is a famous for it...remember the Edmund Fitzgerald?

Storms out on the mountain too

You can't escape this fallen world even up on the mountain

Storms on the ocean

repeat for emphasis

Storms out on the mountain too

Dylan has given eloquent and repeated testimony to his understanding of the fallen state of the world in songs like Everything is Broken but none better than in the 1981 Trouble where he declared to a chaotic and repetitious rhythm: “Since the beginning of the universe man's been cursed by trouble.” The universality of this fallen state is there beautifully described:

Trouble in the water, trouble in the air,
Go all the way to the other side of the world, you'll find trouble there.
Revolution even ain't no solution for trouble.

There is no way that man on his own can repair his fallen state:

Nightclubs of the broken-hearted, stadiums of the damned,
Legislature, perverted nature, doors that are rudely slammed.
Look into infinity, all you see is trouble.

Oh Lord

Oh, so this whole song is all a prayer..I get it.

You know I have no friend without you

Jesus what a friend for sinners...

I'll tell you something

Something I've learned, I will share

Things you never had you'll never miss

Don't try something just to try it. You won't miss it if you don't try it.
So for example if you don't smoke, don't start because if you do and quit you might miss it. Cocaine or Heroin -- same deal.

I'll tell you something

repeat for emphasis

Things you never had you'll never miss

This is the opposite of the message given by the serpent to Eve.

"When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" So "try it you'll like it," if not you can always put this Genie back in the bottle. But the speaker in the song warns...don't even try things that you might miss after you try to stop.
Take it from me the singer.. I have paid my dues on this one.

Tell you something else, a brave man will kill you with a sword

A coward with a kiss

Watch out! There are lots of Judas' out there; they will kill you with an unexpected weapon... of all things...a kiss.