If you were to ask me what captivates me most about Bob Dylan’s vast musical catalog, my answer would be simple: the metaphor. For over five decades, Dylan’s music has been a constant companion, and it’s the metaphorical richness of his lyrics that has always drawn me in.
Metaphor, in my view, is the lifeblood of language, especially in songwriting. It grants us the freedom to soar beyond the literal, to explore deeper meanings and connect with music on an emotional and intellectual level. While folk music often flirts with metaphor, Dylan elevated it to a central pillar of rock music – until, perhaps, “Gotta Serve Somebody.”
Usually, I might simply say, “All the world’s a stage,” and leave it at that, confident that encapsulates Dylan’s genius. But with “Gotta Serve Somebody,” we encounter something starkly different. Here, metaphor is not just absent; it’s actively rejected. The answers aren’t blowing in the wind, shrouded in poetic ambiguity. There’s no wind at all. The world isn’t a stage for symbolic play; it is simply what it is. In “Gotta Serve Somebody,” the message is direct, unwavering, and devoid of metaphorical layering.
This directness is precisely why, while “Gotta Serve Somebody” might resonate with some, it misses the mark for me. It sidesteps the very essence of what I cherish in Dylan’s work – the intricate dance of language and imagery.
Beyond the stylistic shift, I must also confess a fundamental disagreement with the song’s core sentiment. My personal philosophy, perhaps simplistic but sincerely held, is one of live and let live. I believe in respecting the beliefs of others, as long as those beliefs don’t infringe upon my own freedom and way of life.
Living in England, however, this ideal is often challenged. The presence of Bishops in the House of Lords, influencing legislation on deeply personal matters like divorce, end-of-life choices, and even Sunday trading laws, feels like a tangible manifestation of religious interference. But that’s a broader societal issue. In the context of this song, my stance is clear: I do not serve the Lord espoused in “Gotta Serve Somebody.” If I dedicate my service to anyone, it is to my family, my community, and humanity at large. I strive to be a decent person, guided by empathy and reason.
So, while my personal disagreement with the song’s message is undeniable, my critique runs deeper. Strip away the metaphor from Dylan, remove the innovative chord progressions and captivating melodies that are his hallmarks, and what remains? In the case of “Gotta Serve Somebody,” I argue, we are left with a rather ordinary piece of songwriting.
“Gotta Serve Somebody” emerged as the opening track of Dylan’s 1979 album, Slow Train Coming. In a move that I still find perplexing, the song garnered significant acclaim, even winning the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1979. It even achieved commercial success as a single. To me, this widespread adoration remains somewhat incomprehensible.
Although I identify as an atheist, and therefore stand outside the Christian faith, I have made genuine efforts to understand the dominant religion in my country. I am familiar with biblical teachings, including the verse “No man can serve two masters” from St. Matthew. I am also aware of the Old Testament and its complex moral codes, though at this juncture in his career, Dylan seemed to be selectively drawing from scripture, overlooking aspects like Leviticus, which are nonetheless integral to Christian theology.
Dylan’s commitment to “Gotta Serve Somebody” after its release was undeniable. He positioned it as the opening song for every single one of his concerts – over 100 shows – between 1979 and 1981. This wasn’t just performance; it felt like outright preaching. Indeed, the song’s essence seems to be little more than a sermon set to a rather unremarkable backing track. While I might not echo Rolling Stone readers in ranking it as the second-worst Dylan song ever recorded – that feels a bit harsh – I would contend that it is, at best, a very pedestrian song. It ambles along pleasantly enough, attempting to compensate for its lyrical and melodic shortcomings with a somewhat busy instrumental arrangement, but ultimately falls short.
The core issue, in my estimation, lies in the very nature of religious dogma. Faith, by its definition, often requires the suspension of critical inquiry. You don’t argue belief; you simply embrace it. Consequently, “Gotta Serve Somebody” lacks the inherent tension and ambiguity that fuels compelling songwriting. Beyond the simple declaration that “God is the Light,” there’s little metaphorical depth to explore. No matter how many times I revisit it, I invariably find myself yearning for the nuanced complexity of lines like, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
Musically, “Gotta Serve Somebody” is rooted in A minor, largely circling around that chord throughout the four-line verses. The chorus offers a brief shift to D major, before returning to A minor and then quickly navigating through E, D, and back to A minor. There’s nothing particularly striking or inventive in this chord progression.
Upon repeated listens, what truly stands out is the overwhelming sense of monotony. The backing track possesses a certain pleasantness, creating a smooth, inoffensive soundscape. However, it cries out for lyrics of exceptional dynamism and originality to elevate it. But the chorus is devoid of surprise; the melody is adequate but repetitive, circling back on itself without any real development or resolution.
The song that comes to mind most strongly is Talking Heads’ “Heaven.” Specifically, the lyric, “Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.” It’s as if Dylan took this notion to heart and decided to write a song embodying it, seemingly missing the ironic undertones that David Byrne intended.
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…
That’s David Byrne’s sardonic take on eternity. Intriguingly, both “Heaven” and “Gotta Serve Somebody” were released in the same year, 1979. One wonders if either artist was aware of the other’s work before crafting their respective responses to the concept of the eternal and the mundane.
Byrne’s “Heaven” cleverly suggests that because Heaven is defined by perfection, and perfection is immutable, it must inevitably be static and, ultimately, boring. Eternal perfection, by its very nature, precludes change or surprise. It’s the perfect, unchanging circle.
It’s almost as if Dylan absorbed this idea and embraced it as a guiding principle for “Gotta Serve Somebody.” In Dylan’s song, indeed, nothing much does happen. But this stasis is arguably a flaw, particularly because the song is ostensibly set in the dynamic, ever-changing realm of earthly existence.
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
My immediate response is, “Yes… and?” The “so what?” is delivered with unwavering certainty: “You have to serve somebody,” and that’s the definitive, unyielding answer. As Byrne wryly observes, “Say it once, say it again.”
And that’s precisely what Dylan does with the chorus:
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
Okay, Bob, message received. While I profoundly disagree with your premise, I unequivocally defend your right to express it. However, my choice is to tune out after a while, especially when you present the same rather simplistic chorus not once, not twice, but seven times. Seven times, Bob! To repeat the same chorus seven times, particularly one as unremarkable as this, takes a certain audacity – “You’ve got a lot of nerve,” Bob.
The fundamental challenge with preaching, Bob, as you well know, is that it must be compelling. Speaking to the already converted is one thing, but if you genuinely intended to sway hearts and minds with “Gotta Serve Somebody,” I question your strategy. Did you truly believe verses like this would resonate and convert?
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
If I continue dissecting this song further, I risk becoming as monotonous as the song itself. So, I will conclude here, but with a crucial final point.
Lest anyone misinterpret my critique as stemming from an all-consuming atheism that automatically rejects any music with religious themes, let me clarify. This is not the case. I have actively participated in numerous performances of religious music, from Bach’s B Minor Mass to playing the church organ during religious services, including at the Christian weddings of two of my daughters. Religious association in music doesn’t inherently bother me. My issue with “Gotta Serve Somebody” is that it feels devoid of nuance, offering little more than a blunt statement of unwavering belief.
Contrast it with the sincere vulnerability and searching faith of Dylan’s own “I Believe in You,” or even the ironic contemplation of spirituality in David Byrne’s “Heaven.” These songs explore complex emotional and intellectual landscapes. “Gotta Serve Somebody,” in comparison, feels like a sermon delivered with a musical accompaniment, lacking the metaphorical richness and lyrical depth that I, and many others, have come to expect and cherish from Bob Dylan.
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