Dylan, Gallows Humour and New Orleans
Now the rovin' gambler he was very bored
He was tryin' to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61
Highway 61 Revisited. Bob Dylan
The sounds, the lyrics and the music that has accompanied me for the last forty years and more has been that of Dylan. More so than that of my contemporary countrymen, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. From 'The Times They Are A-Changin' to 'Things Have Changed', Dylan has added to my journey. The love, the anger, the protest and the 'gallows humour' (some prefer 'cynical wit') has helped shape my ideology. His religiosity though stopped me becoming a sycophant - a Bobhead who sees and hears no wrong.
On the 12th Sept I received an email from bobdylan.com advertising a ringtone as a promotional aid to Scorsese's 'No Direction Home: Bob Dylan' . "What the fuck!" I thought till I read it. It is no ordinary ringtone for our times. To quote, "......As a special promotion, the good folks at Cingular are releasing an exclusive ringtone which features the first time Bob Dylan tries out the police siren heard on the intro on Highway 61Revisited......"
A week after the imposition of martial law in New Orleans - where mercenaries now patrol the streets and the Army is 'locked and loaded' - Dylan releases a ringtone of a police siren. If that is not gallows humour, then what is. I know I howled, screamed with laughter so loud my neighbours came to see if I was OK. My response to them? Its Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding).
To laugh off disaster and atrocity has been the human response immemorial. To release ones own apprehensions and fears while collectively confirming the humanity of those who still live through laughter is thoroughly human. To recognise and laugh at the humour in disaster which points out consequences and blame shows great compassion. To move on from the shock, laugh in the face of death and change society with a new political perception to what has happened is not disrespectful to those who perish but makes worth out of their deaths to the living.
Since the attack on the Twin Towers, gallows humour has been ostracised from public discourse. For a reason. When the poor laugh together at their predicament they have a habit of empowering themselves. Humour has been missing far to long, especially gallows humour.
Highway 61 of course starts and finishes in New Orleans like the war that has come home to America.
He was tryin' to create a next world war
He found a promoter who nearly fell off the floor
He said I never engaged in this kind of thing before
But yes I think it can be very easily done
We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun
And have it on Highway 61
Highway 61 Revisited. Bob Dylan
The sounds, the lyrics and the music that has accompanied me for the last forty years and more has been that of Dylan. More so than that of my contemporary countrymen, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. From 'The Times They Are A-Changin' to 'Things Have Changed', Dylan has added to my journey. The love, the anger, the protest and the 'gallows humour' (some prefer 'cynical wit') has helped shape my ideology. His religiosity though stopped me becoming a sycophant - a Bobhead who sees and hears no wrong.
On the 12th Sept I received an email from bobdylan.com advertising a ringtone as a promotional aid to Scorsese's 'No Direction Home: Bob Dylan' . "What the fuck!" I thought till I read it. It is no ordinary ringtone for our times. To quote, "......As a special promotion, the good folks at Cingular are releasing an exclusive ringtone which features the first time Bob Dylan tries out the police siren heard on the intro on Highway 61Revisited......"
A week after the imposition of martial law in New Orleans - where mercenaries now patrol the streets and the Army is 'locked and loaded' - Dylan releases a ringtone of a police siren. If that is not gallows humour, then what is. I know I howled, screamed with laughter so loud my neighbours came to see if I was OK. My response to them? Its Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding).
To laugh off disaster and atrocity has been the human response immemorial. To release ones own apprehensions and fears while collectively confirming the humanity of those who still live through laughter is thoroughly human. To recognise and laugh at the humour in disaster which points out consequences and blame shows great compassion. To move on from the shock, laugh in the face of death and change society with a new political perception to what has happened is not disrespectful to those who perish but makes worth out of their deaths to the living.
Since the attack on the Twin Towers, gallows humour has been ostracised from public discourse. For a reason. When the poor laugh together at their predicament they have a habit of empowering themselves. Humour has been missing far to long, especially gallows humour.
Highway 61 of course starts and finishes in New Orleans like the war that has come home to America.
posted by les at 18:00
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