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 20^th 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 30^th 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.