Mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds

Bob Dylan is a force to be reckoned with. His fierce stare and his brooding brow in the photographs of him in the early and middle 1960's communicated the disenchantment the younger generation had with the world they were inheriting. He was a poet. He was a prophet. He spoke words that felt like truth to the younger generation and even to those among the older establishment. His music inspired John Lennon to write lyrics with social commentary, instead of pop songs gushing about girls. Many other artists moved to writing music with meaning. Dylan was ground zero. As Bruce Springsteen once said, "Elvis taught us to move our bodies and Dylan taught us to use our minds." The moving groove of rock music married with thoughtful lyrics became a powerful weapon in the arsenal of the social revolution of the 1960's.

I'm certain my commentary is not new, nor is it universally accepted. Be that as it may Bob Dylan's songs have been covered by many artists. I have already written about Jimi Hendrix's cover of Dylan's All Along The Watchtower. Today my thoughts turn to the west coast band The Byrds who covered Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man.

According to Wikipedia

The song has a bright, expansive melody and has become famous in particular for its surrealistic imagery, influenced by artists as diverse as French poet Arthur Rimbaud and Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. The lyrics call on the title character to play a song and the narrator will follow. Interpretations of the lyrics have included a paean to drugs such as LSD, a call to the singer's muse, a reflection of the audience's demands on the singer, and religious interpretations. Dylan sings the song in four verses, of which The Byrds used only the second for their recording. Dylan's and The Byrds' versions have appeared on various lists ranking the greatest songs of all time, including an appearance by both on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 best songs ever. Both versions also received Grammy Hall of Fame Awards.

The Byrd's version of Mr. Tambourine Man went to number one on the Billboard charts in 1965. The Los Angeles band is considered to be influential in beginning the sub-genre within rock music known as folk rock. 

Give it a listen.  http://youtu.be/06rGW0AQGiY

"Mr. Tambourine Man"

by Robert Zimmerman (a.k.a. Bob Dylan)


Hey Mister Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm goin' to
Hey Mister Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning, I'll come followin' you

Take me for a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can't feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'

I'm ready to go anywhere I'm ready for to fade
On to my own parade 

cast your dancin' spell my way
I promise to go under it

Hey Mister Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm goin' to
Hey Mister Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning, I'll come followin' you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you listen to the ethereal sound of The Byrds interpretation, and knowing what the 1960's were like, it's easy to see why some think this song is about drugs, like the hallucinogen LSD or marijuana. Bob Dylan has denied the song is about drugs, but rather about a large tambourine which one of his session players brought to a recording session. That was this inspiration that got the song started. Dylan wrote while touring cross country. He visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Some have suggested the hypnotic influence of music in New Orleans may have contributed to the song's imagery. 

What is certain is The Byrds fixated on only one verse of Dylan's four verses for their recording. Compare the lyrics to Dylan's original version to what The Byrds released. I've removed the chorus repetitions.

Chorus:

Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you

Though I know that evenin’s empire has returned into sand
Vanished from my hand
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping
My weariness amazes me, I’m branded on my feet
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street’s too dead for dreaming

chorus

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin’ ship
My senses have been stripped, my hands can’t feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin’
I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it

chorus

Though you might hear laughin’, spinnin’, swingin’ madly across the sun
It’s not aimed at anyone, it’s just escapin’ on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin’
And if you hear vague traces of skippin’ reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it’s just a ragged clown behind
I wouldn’t pay it any mind
It’s just a shadow you’re seein’ that he’s chasing

chorus

Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow

chorus 

Copyright © 1964, 1965 by Warner Bros. Inc.; renewed 1992, 1993 by Special Rider Music

My interpretation veers away from drugs. Knowing that Dylan writes imagery here and not so much a coherent ballad narrative to follow, I think the song is simply what it seems. It's about the power of music to transport us from our tiredness and our worries for a time to go to a place of dreams and imagination. Perhaps Dylan pictures himself the restless man whose travels have wearied him, but he's not sleeping. Perhaps that night at Mardi Gras led to an all night venture into hanging out at music hot spots. As the night ebbed away and the dawn approached a new day, the tired and sleepless Dylan only wants to continue the dance with music. Perhaps The rhythm of the tambourine jingling as he plays his guitars is enough to keep him in that happy place where the troubles of the world are kept at bay.

The overall feeling of the words is that the singer wants to be taken away by the music. The trip isn't one led on foot as much as it is an internal journey. The wandering boot heels of the singer communication following the music where it takes him. 

I'm sure we all can identify with the desire to be taken away from the cares of the world. Karl Marx is quoted to have said, "Religion is the opiate of the masses." It has become a bit of a sound byte for critics of religion. The full quote from Karl Marx is: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people".

If Marx is right, then religion is a means to avoid the troubles of a heartless world. Marx worked to improve life in his world through political socialism. Jesus Christ is transforming the world through holy community.

I know that some adherents to Christianity are so other worldly they are of no earthly good. They want to leave this world of trouble, not work to transform it. They want to hide in safety until the storm passes, rather than rise in the authority of the creator and calm the storm. But most of the Christians I know are not like that at all. Instead they are the first in line to run to the side of those who are devastated by hurricane, flood, tornado, fire and earthquake. 

The Untied Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is often the first organization on site, ready to help displaced families and individuals, setting up refuge and emergency services in tandem with the Red Cross. Often UMCOR is still on site helping people recover years after the government resources have moved on. Far from using religion as escapism, these loving and courageous people run headlong into the jaws of devastation and poverty. 

They are under the spell of a different drummer than the tambourine man, or any musician for that matter. Their hearts dance to the love of God. They follow not the trance induced rhythm of music. They follow the author of life and the savior of all souls. 

Like the singer, they have a similar happy surrendering to the One they follow. They too are "ready to go anywhere." as the follow Jesus, they are led to places and experiences they would not likely choose for themselves. And they are ready to fade into their own individual journey led by the Lord Jesus.

After feeding five thousand or so hungry people with bread from heaven and after giving a blind man sight by His healing power, Jesus took His disciples aside and instructed them about he kingdom of God. He told them that He must die, but on the third day rise from the grave. Peter was especially unwilling to hear Jesus' words. Jesus had to rebuke Peter. 

“You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Mk 8:33b)

Then Jesus turned to all His followers there and told them that they too must carry a cross. If we are going to help save the world, we are going to have to sacrifice ourselves to the cause.

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (Mk 8:34b-37)

Jesus clearly is not call for escapism from the troubles of life, but rather He offers power for living well and victoriously in the face of all mortal life throws in our path. Because we have this grace, His powerful love propelling us, we are not only living in victory for ourselves, we are bringing Christ and His victory to others. It begins by helping fulfill basic needs. While we serve, we do so with the love of Jesus. We share the same compassion he exerted when he laid hands upon the blind or broke bread with the outcast.

We follow in submission to the mission of Christ to transform the world through loving and holy communities dedicated to sharing hope, bringing health and welcoming holiness. As we share in the good nature of Christ, we are under His spell, to use Dylan's lyric, and we promise to follow where He leads. He leads us to the hurting and helpless. He leads us to the ivory towers of government and industry to advocate for those who have no voice. He leads us to greet strangers with respect and care. He leads us to work toward a world where there is trouble no more for anyone. His grace will accomplish it.

Lord, free your church from hiding behind religion. Make us courageous and a vital transformative presence in Your world. Help us to follow You wherever You lead. Amen