Previous Next Latest

With Bob Dylan, It All Always Comes Down to Baseball

2/7/07, 1:10 pm EST

Bob Dylan

Dissertations have been written about the meaning of Bob Dylan’s lyrics, but according to MLB.com writer Mike Bauman, the man really only writes about one thing: baseball. While this might initially seem bonkers, keep in mind that the Poet Laureate of Rock does have a thing for America’s national pastime. Baseball was the fourth theme Dylan chose for his radio show on XM radio, “Theme Time Radio Hour,” and in 2004 he toured minor league baseball stadiums with Willie Nelson. Plus, his version of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is absurdly awesome.

Bauman’s piece reveals that “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” with it’s refrain, “Everybody must get stoned,” “could easily be Dylan commenting on allegations of widespread amphetamine use in the game.” Meanwhile “Too Much of Nothing” is clearly “a powerful, declarative lyric message that empathizes with the longtime plight of Chicago Cubs fans.” Yes. Once you start with this game, you can’t stop: “The Times They Are A-Changin’?” It’s really an anthem for the era post-Red Sox World Series win.


Previous Next Latest

Comments

kvob wicz | 9/4/2007, 9:35 pm EST

krjhldxpc ukgtisvdm ywbhvudj nmhij pvyrbq baumgdhn nahx

www.cafepress.com/lecc25 | 4/26/2007, 11:23 pm EST

Nope you’re wrong.
But I was having a drink the other night thinkin about that little scum bag Bob Dylan and the landlord who’s depcited in his new video, named George? And his new album is a really sweet love song to Anne and so see the above links.
We must close down Columbia records too!

jonny7 | 3/4/2007, 12:24 pm EST

jonny3

hillbillyhip | 2/25/2007, 11:46 am EST

greetings all bob dylan fans i have a wonderful studio recording of bob and friends performing “sidewalks fences and walls” check out a short clip and story at hillbillyhip.com

Mark @ www.markerickson.com | 2/11/2007, 9:49 pm EST

This is more embarrassing than stupid. This MLB hack obviously has nothing to write about and is more than clueless concerning Dylan, and more likely also the content of anything beyond the diamond. Even if this is written tongue and cheek, it’s insulting and not even up to bad Saturday Night Live writing. Dylan should sue MLB and end up owning the TB Devil Rays and moving them to Portland. Okay I’m kidding.

FrankThreeKings | 2/9/2007, 1:59 pm EST

Not buyin’ this one. The man just enjoys the game.Too many other ways of looking at his words. The non fans of Baseball, and of Dylan are uneducated and wouldn’t know a couplet from as 4-6-3 DP.

MW | 2/8/2007, 6:21 pm EST

haha what a weird article.

surley | 2/8/2007, 3:36 am EST

do they call that geek lobsters because he smell like seafood;or because his favorite sound track is little mermaid? there, i hope i’ve relieved the tedium

ty gang | 2/8/2007, 1:51 am EST

dylan became a batboy for the new york giants when he left minnesota at the age of 19. willy mays taught him finger-picking.

cheesecrop | 2/7/2007, 6:47 pm EST

“Tangled Up In Blue” - The plight of the manager when all four umpires gang up on him when they know he’s aware they just blew a call.

Ploo | 2/7/2007, 5:11 pm EST

Like a Rolling Stone - The anthem of pete Rose’s gambling and hall of fame ban

Glenn Stout | 2/7/2007, 4:20 pm EST

Clean Cut Kid: “He was on the baseball team, he was in the marching band”

Honest With Me: “She was tossing a baseball bat in the air.”

And this one about the world series, from “Po Boy”: The Game is the same, it’s just up on another level”

lik roper | 2/7/2007, 4:19 pm EST

i always say whenever you’re with a beautiful woman and about to orgasm too fast, think about baseball (left field in particular for whatever reason) and your erection will subside - works for me…

sg | 2/7/2007, 3:12 pm EST

Dr J said it all- stupid thread.

Soiler | 2/7/2007, 2:29 pm EST

It is 9 in Pittsburgh Today, I am happy to think of baseball and the impending spring weather it brings.

Whalespoon | 2/7/2007, 2:29 pm EST

DrJ — it was Greil Marcus reviewing “Self Portrait” instead of Dave Marsh. Not that it really matters much…I also recall that Dylan wrote “Catfish,” about baseball great “Catfish” Hunter. So who knows–it’s all part of the game.

jim | 2/7/2007, 2:25 pm EST

I love Dylan and baseball - his song “Catfish” (about pitcher Catfish Hunter) perfectly captures the pace of the game.

Lobsters | 2/7/2007, 2:24 pm EST

I’ll listen to people talk about Dylan before I’ll listen to Dylan.

DrJ | 2/7/2007, 2:12 pm EST

I believe it was Dave Marsh who ripped a Dylan album by saying he’d pay to listen to Dylan breathing heavily, but not Dylan breathing softly. I feel the same way concerning conversations about Dylan–I’ll gladly talk endlessly about his music, but not impotently masturbate about it, which is what this idiotic thread comes down to (as does, now that I look at it, this posting, but so it goes).

Spicoli | 2/7/2007, 2:10 pm EST

Sure, then Hurricane isn’t about a true story (which is also the title of an excellent movie), but the racism in the game and the struggle of jackie robinson

Spicoli | 2/7/2007, 2:08 pm EST

This makes no sense, then hurricane is about a true story but rather jackie robinson’s struggle in baseball

jill hives | 2/7/2007, 2:05 pm EST

it’s true - ‘ring them bells’ is about scratching your balls for 3 hours straight, and ‘going, going, gone’ is about that time dylan hit a walk-off home run in the playoffs.

Lobsters | 2/7/2007, 1:57 pm EST

The only thing more tedious than a Dylan fan is a baseball fan.

wrecksracer | 2/7/2007, 1:50 pm EST

Slow news day at Rolling Stone

Albert Pujols | 2/7/2007, 1:49 pm EST

Weak. Lame.

kim | 2/7/2007, 1:47 pm EST

i love it. baseball and bob. two of my favorite things united.

Jason | 2/7/2007, 1:39 pm EST

This is the most ridiculous thing I have read today.

CK | 2/7/2007, 1:37 pm EST

Beyond stupid.

Post A Comment

Caution: Off-topic comments will be deleted

Name:

Comments:



Advertisement

Advertisement