For many devoted listeners, including myself, Bob Dylan’s enduring appeal lies within the labyrinthine corridors of his lyrics, rich with metaphor and poetic imagery. His songs often feel like puzzles, inviting us to delve into layers of meaning, a journey that has captivated audiences for decades. When asked to explain my lifelong fascination with Dylan’s music, the answer is simple: metaphor. It’s the metaphorical language that elevates his songwriting, offering flights of fancy and profound insights. “All the world’s a stage,” I might say, encapsulating the essence of his lyrical genius.
But then there’s “Gotta Serve Somebody.” Released as the opening track on 1979’s “Slow Train Coming,” this song presents a stark contrast to Dylan’s typical metaphorical richness. In fact, it stands out for its almost complete absence of metaphor. There’s no wind carrying answers, no stage for the world to act upon. Instead, we are presented with a direct, unwavering statement: “You gotta serve somebody.” The answer isn’t blowing in the wind; it’s right here, delivered without nuance or ambiguity.
For a listener drawn to Dylan’s work precisely for its metaphorical depth, “Gotta Serve Somebody” can feel jarring. It deviates significantly from the artistic elements that have defined his most compelling work. Beyond the stylistic shift, there’s also the matter of the song’s central message, one that doesn’t resonate with everyone. Personally, while respecting the beliefs of others, the sentiment of “serving” a deity as presented in the song feels disconnected from my own worldview. My philosophy leans more towards serving family, community, and striving to be a decent human being in a broader sense.
Living in a society where religious institutions still wield considerable influence, the directness of Dylan’s religious declaration in “Gotta Serve Somebody” feels somewhat uncomfortable. It’s a stance that seems to preclude discussion, demanding acceptance rather than inviting contemplation. However, setting aside personal disagreements with the song’s message, a more fundamental issue arises: stripping Dylan’s music of metaphor, and indeed, of its complex musicality, leaves something arguably quite ordinary. Remove the intricate chord progressions, the captivating melodies, and the lyrical puzzles, and what remains? With “Gotta Serve Somebody,” the answer, for some, might be: a rather average song.
Despite these critical observations, “Gotta Serve Somebody” achieved significant commercial and critical success. It surprisingly won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1979 and even became a hit single. This widespread acclaim is, frankly, perplexing to some who find the song musically and lyrically underwhelming compared to Dylan’s vast and varied catalog.
While not sharing Dylan’s apparent newfound religious conviction at the time, and identifying as an atheist, there’s an attempt to understand the thematic roots of the song. The biblical reference to “No man can serve two masters” from St. Matthew is clearly echoed, though the song seems to selectively draw from religious texts, perhaps overlooking the complexities and contradictions within them.
Dylan’s commitment to “Gotta Serve Somebody” after its release was undeniable. He performed it as the opening song for over 100 shows between 1979 and 1981, effectively using his concerts as a platform to preach his message. While some critics have harshly judged the song, even Rolling Stone readers reportedly voting it among Dylan’s worst, a more balanced perspective might simply categorize it as musically unremarkable and lyrically simplistic. The song’s energy seems to come more from the backing track than from any compelling foreground element.
The core problem lies in the very nature of religious belief, as expressed in the song. Faith, by definition, often transcends argument and debate. “Gotta Serve Somebody” presents a statement of belief, not an exploration of faith through metaphor or narrative. The metaphorical richness that often characterizes Dylan’s work is reduced to the rather straightforward “God is the Light,” a concept that lacks the multi-layered depth of lines like “All the world’s a stage.”
Musically, the song structure is also quite simple. It’s set in A minor and heavily relies on that chord throughout the verses. The chorus offers a slight variation, moving to D major and briefly touching on E before returning to A minor. While competent, the musical arrangement doesn’t offer the innovative chord changes or melodic surprises that are hallmarks of Dylan’s more celebrated songs.
Listening to “Gotta Serve Somebody” repeatedly reveals a sense of monotony. The backing track is pleasant enough, but it cries out for dynamic lyrics to elevate it. The chorus, however, is predictable,循环ing without any real development. This repetitive nature evokes a comparison to Talking Heads’ song “Heaven,” which ironically describes heaven as “a place where nothing ever happens.” Dylan’s song, perhaps unintentionally, captures this sense of static perfection, forgetting that music, especially on earth, thrives on dynamism and change.
David Byrne’s lyrics in “Heaven” highlight this very point:
When this kiss is over it will start again. It will not be any different, it will be exactly the same. It’s hard to imagine that nothing at all could be so exciting, could be so much fun.
Heaven, Heaven is a place, place where nothing, nothing ever happens…
Both “Heaven” and “Gotta Serve Somebody” were released in the same year, 1979, sparking an intriguing, if speculative, thought: could there be a dialogue between these songs? Byrne’s “Heaven” satirizes the idea of unchanging perfection as ultimately boring. It’s almost as if Dylan, in “Gotta Serve Somebody,” took this concept of static perfection and applied it to his song’s structure and message, perhaps missing the inherent irony.
The verses of “Gotta Serve Somebody” list various earthly roles and achievements:
You may be an ambassador to England or France You may like to gamble, you might like to dance You may be the heavyweight champion of the world You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
These lines set up an expectation of some insightful commentary or twist. But the resolution is simply, “You have to serve somebody.” This repetition is hammered home in the chorus, which repeats the core message seven times:
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed You’re gonna have to serve somebody Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
While Dylan undoubtedly has the right to express his beliefs, the sheer repetition of this rather simplistic chorus, delivered seven times, feels almost confrontational. Preaching, to be effective, needs to be engaging, thought-provoking, or at least musically interesting. Verses like:
You might be a rock ’n’ roll addict prancing on the stage You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief
While aiming for a broad reach, these verses feel somewhat cliché and lack the lyrical nuance typically associated with Dylan.
In conclusion, while respecting Dylan’s artistic freedom and recognizing the song’s commercial success, “Gotta Serve Somebody” remains a perplexing entry in his otherwise richly metaphorical and musically inventive catalog. It stands as a starkly direct statement of belief, devoid of the lyrical and musical complexities that usually define Bob Dylan’s most compelling work. Compared to the nuanced faith expressed in “I Believe in You” or the ironic contemplation of “Heaven,” “Gotta Serve Somebody” ultimately feels like a missed opportunity to explore profound themes with the depth and artistry Dylan is so clearly capable of.
