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Watchtower


All Along The Watchtower / John Wesley Harding / 1968
Date:    Wed, 3 May 1995 08:56:46 GMT
From:    eddie@edlis.org (Ed Ricardo)
Subject: Re: All Along The Watchtower [Was: patchwork quilt]

freer@cix.compulink.co.uk (Tim Anderson) adds:
>> Most people read Isaiah when they get interested in this song. Isaiah
>> 20 if my memory serves, to get you started, but read around.
>Isaiah 21 more likely

All  Along   The  Watchtower  is  clearly  a  song  of  some
importance to  Bob Dylan.  It appears on a staggering number
of Dylan  albums, certainly  more than one hundred. And even
for those  who restrict  their exposure  to Dylan's  work on
legitimate releases  -- the so-called beginners' samplers --
it is  found on  John Wesley  Harding (1967),  Greatest Hits
Volume 2  (1971),  Before  The  Flood  (1974),  Masterpieces
(1978), Live  At Budokan  (1978), Biograph (1985), Dylan And
The Dead  (1989), and  by Neil Young on The 30th Anniversary
Concert Celebration (1993). And then there are the non-album
releases...

It is  a song  with lyrics of no great length. It feels like
it was  once longer  and got  pared down, though there is no
real evidence for that.

Others may  wish to  post on the variety of significances of
this song -- not long ago we had a thread on its relation to
the University  of Minnesota  campus --  but I  shall simply
expand on  my comment  that Isaiah  is worth reading to gain
some insight  into the significance of the song. I suggested
starting at  Isaiah 20  and reading  around,  Tim  suggests,
"Isaiah 21  more likely",  I had  taken for  granted  people
would read in that direction.

Various correspondents  in e-mail have asked me to say more,
though I  have no  knowledge of  the relevant  religions and
their literature I am happy to give my amateur readings...

I include  Isaiah 20  because Isaiah himself was told by God
to go  about naked  and barefoot,  which he  did. This was a
sign  that  the  Emperor  of  Assyria  will  lead  away  the
prisoners he  captures in  Egypt and  Sudan, they  will walk
barefoot and  naked, bringing  shame on  Egypt. And  that is
what the  chapter Isaiah  is all about, Judah -- the land of
the Jews  -- is  threatened by  Assyria. Isaiah,  an  eighth
century B.C.  prophet, sees  that the  real  threat  is  not
Assyria but  Judah's own sin and disobedience to God, a lack
of trust  in him.  God refers  to Isaiah as his servant, and
the theme  of the  Servant of  the  Lord  is  a  strong  one
throughout. Isaiah  calls us  to a life of righteousness and
justice, warning us that failure to listen to God will bring
certain doom  and destruction. The consequences of rejecting
the Lord  are disaster,  confusion and trouble in everything
we do. (Deuteronomy 28:20)

You think  maybe Isaiah  influenced Mr  Dylan  at  all?  Any
familiar themes  here? :-)  Anyway Isaiah  20 gets  us  some
"barefoot servants too" wandering about naked.

In Isaiah 21 we turn to a vision of the fall of Babylon. All
you Bob  Marley fans will know the role of Babylon, the most
beautiful kingdom  of all  which the Lord will destroy as he
did Sodom  and Gomorrah,  making it  a  place  where  desert
animals live.  The people of Judah were in exile in Babylon.
Its towers  will echo  with the cries of hyenas and jackals.
Its disaster  arrives like  a whirlwind  sweeping across the
desert, but  read the  chapter if you want a full picture of
the vision. The vision alone gave as much pain as a woman in
labour experiences,  if you want something to measure it by!
That wind  of destruction  is described  elsewhere too,  for
example in  Jeremiah  51:1.  And  the  fall  of  Babylon  in
Revelation 18  mentions the  strong wine  of  immoral  lust,
sexual immorality, and businessmen of the world growing rich
from unrestrained  lust... "While  all the  women  came  and
went."

An illustration  also given in Isaiah 13 is a description of
the howling  in pain when the Lord's destruction arrives. In
Isaiah 14  where God destroys the Philistines, they too howl
and cry  for help.  In Isaiah  16 we hear the howling of the
people of  the land  of Moab  in its  hopeless situation. In
Isaiah 23  we have  sailors  who  howl  with  grief  at  the
destruction of  Tyre. It is God's doing and he did it to put
an end  to their  pride. It  was the Baylonians who were his
instrument here,  and they devastated it so much that it was
overrun by  wild animals.  We also  find the  princes  here,
namely merchant  princes of Tyre, and we are talking serious
mercantile wealth, the ancient equivalent of Sony main board
directors. And  earlier we had the princes of Zoan in Isaiah
19, where  God  punishing  Egypt  is  described,  and  those
princes are fools. And the princes of Jerusalem, the city of
sin in Isaiah 1, they are friends of thieves, taking bribes,
turning from  orphans,  ignoring  the  plight  of  widows...
"Princes kept the view."

Note also  the poor forgotten prostitute in this section who
plays a  harp and sings. By Isaiah 24 there is no more happy
singing over  wine, no one enjoys its taste any more, people
shout in  the streets  because there is no wine. In the city
everything is  in chaos,  there is  too much confusion. This
will happen  in every  nation all over the world. Might this
theme strike  a chord  with our  man Bob?  Wine,  drink  and
drunkenness come  up a  lot in Isaiah. In Isaiah 28 we get a
vivid picture of prophets staggering around in confusion too
drunk to  get their message across clearly. Hmmmmmm. Lots of
vomit all  over the  place, that  kind of  scene. Arrogance.
Earlier (Isaiah  5) evil was discussed. The example of those
who are  doomed was of those who get up and then immediately
start  drinking,   spending  long  evenings  getting  drunk,
playing harps, tambourines and flutes, with no understanding
of what  the Lord is doing. In Isaiah 19 we see how Egypt is
in confusion,  doing everything  wrong,  staggering  like  a
drunk slipping  on his own vomit. And in Isaiah 34 where God
is punishing  his enemies  we see  the day of vengeance with
its  line   of  confusion   and  chaos.  "There's  too  much
confusion."

In Isaiah 10 the Emperor of Assyria takes the credit for his
military successes, not realising he is merely an instrument
of the  Lord, like  a saw  or a  club is the instrument of a
man. Missing  the real power causing things to happen, "None
of them  along the  line know  what any  of it  is worth." A
theme of  wine as  the blood  of Christ is here too (Matthew
26:28),  drinking   sacramental  wine   without   a   proper
consideration for its meaning.

A banquet  is taking place when the disaster strikes Babylon
in  Isaiah   21,  the   guests  are   eating  and  drinking.
"Businessmen, they drink my wine".

From the  watchtower a  sentry reports  two  men  coming  on
horseback. This  is not good news. They tell us that Babylon
has fallen.

Moving on,  by Isaiah  25 God is preparing a banquet of rich
food and fine wine on Mount Zion. Sorrow will be removed. He
will destroy  death forever.  That is,  if you  trust in the
Lord then  you will  be saved.  Familiar themes  in Judaism,
Christianity, America and Dylan, yes?

In Isaiah  30 God  descibes the  dangerous  country  of  the
southern desert  where lions  live... lions  that  growl  in
Isaiah 5,  carrying what  they have  killed and  guarding it
fiercely. "Outside  in the  distance, a  wildcat did growl."
Many people have commented that the substitution of wildcats
for lions  and the like gives the song an American sheen, so
the lyrics have a threefold application, to God, to America,
and to Bob Dylan.

And when  we get the description of God coming to rescue his
people, the people of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, from
east to  west everyone fears him and he arrives like a great
strong wind! "The wind began to howl!".

Isaiah 61 describes the deliverance, where the people of the
Lord will  be so  well off  they will  have servants, hiring
foreigners for labouring tasks, ploughing the earth, tending
the animals, tending the vineyards. "Plowmen dig my earth."

In Isaiah  62 the  promise of  no longer  being enslaved  to
others is  made, their  grain is  no longer  to be  food for
their enemies, foreigners will no longer drink their wine.

Etc etc etc...



The structure of the song itself is unusual.

It is  common for  people to comment that the song is rather
circular, and  could start  differently from  how Bob  Dylan
performs it, it could start with the title:

All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance, a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.

"There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief
"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth,
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."

"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke,
"There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke.
But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate,
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."


Then the  two riders  are the  joker and  the  thief.  Dylan
himself could  be both  of these characters? Probably not in
this context.  The joker  could be  Death, the  thief  Time?
Probably  not.  Two  thieves  were  crucified  with  Christ.
(Matthew 27)  Might the two riders we see be  Bob Dylan and Jesus  (edited 24.02.2003 kea)
Christ, chatting together? Christ himself comes to those who
do not  awake, do not turn from their sins, like a thief, in
the message  to Sardis  (Revelation 3:3)  and  also  at  the
assembly of  Armageddon (Revelation 16:15-16). If you knew a
thief was  coming to  your house  you would be certain to be
awake, yes? (Matthew 36)

Anyway I  hope I  have scratched the surface of the Biblical
elements in this one song, set some discussion in motion, so
much more could be said. And do bear in mind this is how Bob
Dylan writes BEFORE he has his born-again phase!

Lot's to discuss for such a short song. I think Mr Dylan has
given a  very profound presentation of his own inklings that
Jesus was  coming to meet him. I have met many concert goers
who are  bored with  this song  and think  it has been over-
played as  a trusty crowd pleaser. But you and I, we've been
through that,  and this  is not our fate, so let us not talk
falsely now, the hour is getting late... :-)

For many  of you  he will  be playing  this song  in a venue
nearby soon.  Go and relisten. Watch especially his eyes. He
ain't kidding  and this  is not  filler, it  is  essence  of
Dylan.

Now take it away with your ideas...

Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 17:19:07 GMT From: Tim Anderson (freer@CIX.COMPULINK.CO.UK) Subject: Re: All Along The Watchtower [Was: patchwork quilt] > I include Isaiah 20 because Isaiah himself was told by God > to go about naked and barefoot, which he did. This was a OK! Fair point. NB "I've made shoes for everyone, even you, while I still go barefoot." Shoes protect and make comfortable but disguise the truth, the real texture of the ground. In "I and I," the singer is barefoot from choice; the prisoners OTOH have truth forced upon them. Truth and pain are inextricably linked. Maybe the servants are barefoot because they live closer to reality than their masters? Or perhaps it was just a hot day :-) > You think maybe Isaiah influenced Mr Dylan at all? Any > familiar themes here? :-) Anyway Isaiah 20 gets us some Maybe one reason Bob Dylan relates well to the Old Testament prophets is that he, like them, is a misfit, and one who uses his unique perspective to reveal truth to conformists who cannot see what is really going on. "Something is happening but you don't know what it is." Consider the four character-types in verse 1 of All along the Watchtower: joker thief businessmen plowmen Notice that two of these are outsiders, and two are conformists. The conformists are getting on with life but "none of them know what any of it is worth". The misfits, by contrast, who are driven to "get out of here," see more clearly: "let us not talk falsely now." What is a joker? one who through humour and madness enables conformists to see and confront reality that they cannot otherwise see or face. This is precisely the role of the (good) court jester or Shakespeare's fools. cf. Lenny Bruce, "he sure was funny and he sure told the truth." This was also the role of the prophets, to be the ones who both knew and told the truth to those who were in power - a dangerous activity, as prophets down the ages always discover. > (Matthew 27) Might the two riders we see be Bob Dylan and Jesus (edited) > Christ, chatting together? Christ himself comes to those who > do not awake, do not turn from their sins, like a thief, in > the message to Sardis (Revelation 3:3) and also at the > assembly of Armageddon (Revelation 16:15-16). you will have to work harder to convince me of this! I am not happy about identifying the "two riders"; I think Bob may have just picked up from Isaiah 21 that the "cavalry is coming, horsemen two by two" (verse 8). They are the signs of impending doom - or not necessary doom, but the collapse of the present age to be replaced by something different, wild and dangerous. > For many of you he will be playing this song in a venue > nearby soon. Go and relisten. Watch especially his eyes. He > ain't kidding and this is not filler, it is essence of > Dylan. I believe you! Sorry for rather a rambling post, just thinking aloud really :-) Tim
Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 18:44:43 GMT From: Rory Brennan (rory@ANNAP.INFI.NET) Subject: Re: All Along The Watchtower [Was: patchwork quilt] > I include Isaiah 20 because Isaiah himself was told by God > to go about naked and barefoot, which he did. This was a OK! Fair point. NB "I've made shoes for everyone, even you, while I still go barefoot." Shoes protect and make comfortable but disguise the truth, the real texture of the ground. In "I and I," the singer is barefoot from choice; the prisoners OTOH have truth forced upon them. Truth and pain are inextricably linked. Maybe the servants are barefoot because they live closer to reality than their masters? Or perhaps it was just a hot day :-) Some further explanation for barefoot/shoeless comes from Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant's book, Dictionary of Symbols: "Ruth 4:7 ' Now this was the manner in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbour: and this a was a testimony in Israel.' in Jerusalem Bible the commentators observe:"to put one's foot on a field, or to throw a sandal on to it is to take possession of it. The sandal becomes the symbol for right of ownership. By taking it off and handing it to the purchaser the owner transfers the right to him" In Islam a visitor must take off his shoes when he crosses the threshold of his host's house, showing thereby that he has no thought of claiming it or attempting to obtain possession of it. In western tradition, shoes have a funderary significance - a dying person is about to take his leave. The shoes at the bedside show that the person is no longer well enough to walk: they are the sign of death. In clasical antiquity shoes were the mark of a free man: slaves went barefoot. Shoes are the sign that the individual is his or her own master, self sufficient and responsible for his or her actions. Shoes also symbolize travel. Shoes partake of FOOT's threefold symbolism: Freudians regard them as phallic, Diel as a symbol of the soul, and in our opinion, they are as much a point of contact between the body and the earth, perhaps a symbol of the principle of reality." Thus it appears to me that the servants in AATWT were barefoot precisely because of their servant status Rory Brennan
Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 15:15:22 GMT From: eddie@edlis.org (Ed Ricardo) Subject: Re: All Along The Watchtower [Was: patchwork quilt] Tim Anderson (freer@cix.compulink.co.uk) wrote: : > (Matthew 27) Might the two riders we see be Bob Dylan and Jesus (edited) : > Christ, chatting together? Christ himself comes to those who : > do not awake, do not turn from their sins, like a thief, in : > the message to Sardis (Revelation 3:3) and also at the : > assembly of Armageddon (Revelation 16:15-16). : you will have to work harder to convince me of this! I am not happy about : identifying the "two riders"; I think Bob may have just picked up from : Isaiah 21 that the "cavalry is coming, horsemen two by two" (verse 8). : They are the signs of impending doom - or not necessary doom, but the : collapse of the present age to be replaced by something different, wild : and dangerous. : Tim I agree with Tim. There is nothing in All Along The Watchtower which need have anything at all to do with Christ. The song fits comfortably into a wholly Jewish perspective. You can populate it with allusions to the New Testament and to Christ, but that is nothing more than speculation without evidence, imposing a foreshadowing of Dylan's own religious quest which may have no substance. All Dylan's albums may have Christ in attendance, in some he is mentioned by name, but where he is alluded to, that is tricky. Like chasing ghosts. The two riders may well just be the two riders we see in Isaiah. YVMV. Your Visions May Vary. :-) When next you are looking into Mr Dylan's face and he is singing All Along The Watchtower, see whom you recognise on those horses? But stay alert, those horses were moving at some speed at Brixton, I could not go in to a court of law and swear I saw Bob Dylan and Jesus Christ on them, it all happened too quickly! ;-) But everyone saw Isaiah standing on that stage, no doubt about that...
Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 07:58:55 GMT From: Andrew Muir (Andrew@ZIMMY.DEMON.CO.UK) Subject: Re: The Thief is Dylan In your message dated Wednesday 3, May 1995 NAte wrote : > >>....[]...Senor is Christ. > >I agree...[deletia]..... > >jokerman is Christ > >the joker & the thief are dylan & christ > >the man in the long black coat is the devil > >mr. jones is brian jones > >etc etc etc > > is it just me? > > i get vaguely annoyed when i see these things. there is no doubt that > the lyrics are wonderfully written in a way that this facet can be seen. > in many cases throughout his work there are obvious attempts to clothe > a song character thusly. however, it doesnt mean that these characters > couldnt also just be different characters given the trappings of some of > humanity's most powerful mythic creatures and figures. hey, the opportunity > is there, why not use it? i would if i could. wouldnt you? > > the JWH album is one my favorites, precisely because of all the references. > but these are parables, fables, legends recast to suit his needs - very > cleverly done. and if they also work in their original language, so much > the better. > > hope this doesnt vaguely annoy anyone. this is just coming from someone > who hasnt bought into the religion thing, but nonetheless finds dylan to be > an immensely powerful force in his life on this planet. > > > - nate Good points, Nate, for example it makes much more sense to me that the theif in All Along The Watchtower is the theif who was crucified next to Christ...making Christ the Joker in both All Along The Watchtower and Jokerman. This would also be consistent with Christ/Joker symbolism in many other areas. Now I read that other people say Dylan is the Theif...well each to his own, I've thought my way for over 18 years now & still see All Along The Watchtower's lyrics as being quite straightforward in this regard, I am about as far from a biblical scholar as you can be but anyone acquainted with poetic and artistic traditions in Western (not in the cowboy sense) mythology hearing a combination of "the joke and the theif" has got to think of the crucifixion of Christ, surely? -- Andrew Muir