Monday, April 7, 2014

Pilgrimage of poems: Quite clear, no doubt, somehow

Technically, today’s entry for National Poetry Month is a song. You know—poetry plus music. But Bob Dylan has to be one of the most powerful poets of the second half of the 20th Century. He certainly influenced most of popular songwriters—indeed, considerable parts of pop culture in general—since the 1960s.

Besides—I’m the boss of this blog; I get to choose what I include by way of poetry.

And “My Back Pages” is pretty much my personal anthem. It’s on my gym playlist, and I’ve been known to frighten other treadmillers by singing along when it comes around.

When I first heard The Byrds sing it I doubt I’d have understood what the refrain could possibly signify; it was just deep, you know? It was Dylan. But now it’s etched in my cortex. Here’s the full version:

Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin’ high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
“We’ll meet on edges, soon,” said I
Proud ’neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
“Rip down all hate,” I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull. I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

Girls’ faces formed the forward path
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
“Equality,” I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I’d become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now

And here’s a great performance of it by Dylan, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Roger McGuinn and Tom Petty, from the 1992 Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary concert. This is the one I listen to at the gym, and I love it, even though Clapton muffs the refrain in the verse he sings.




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