Thoughts on Tangled Up in Blue

I’ve read many articles that claim Blood on the Tracks is Dylan’s best album, that Tangled Up in Blue is his best song. Once I might have, if not agreed, at least not dismissed such claims out-of-hand. But I was so much dumber then, I’m smarter than that now (slightly).

That’s not to say BOOT and TUIB are not Wayne and Garth worthy. BOOT is certainly top ten, and TUIB, I don’t know, top twenty-five. Obviously TUIB is, while not in the same league as say, Hard Rain, or Times, or Ballad of a Thin Man. an excellent work.

Dylan seems to find TUIB fascinating. He’s reworked it over the years Whitman Leaves of Grass style, tinkering with both the words and music. Let’s delve into the details.

Telling a Story

Dylan has told us many a great story in song. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,  Frankie Lee and Judas Priest, Isis, Brownsville Girl. It’s no surprise he does. He grew up on cowboy ballads. As a young man he sang many seafarer’s tales. And of course he knows more than his share of folk ballads.

TUIB tells a story too, but Dylan does it in a way that is unique. First, he must have been reading The Sun Also Rises or something, because the whole thing is very Hemingway, consisting mostly of short lines and one or two syllable words. Also, in several versions he changes the narration from the first person – I was lying in bed – to third – She was lying in bed – or even He was lying in bed. He also purposely juggles the sequence of events. Scenes in later verses seems like they belong earlier (or vice versa). It doesn’t make a lot of sense to be trying to tell a story and at the same time purposely confusing the person and event timeline. But it works. The listen can’t help but ruminate, turning it over in her head. It’s a brain teaser. A nice trick.

Dylan said the general idea was inspired by an art teacher he was studying at the time, Norman Raeben.

While he was writing the songs for Blood on the Tracks, Dylan had taken up painting classes with the New York artist Norman Raeben. By all accounts, Raeben was a taskmaster, but he imparted in his students a sense both that life itself was the art, with their creations being merely the by-product of that experience, and, significantly for Dylan, that past, present, and future could all coexist in their work. “He put my mind and my hand and my eye together, in a way that allowed me to do consciously what I unconsciously felt,” Dylan told Rolling Stone in 1978, of Raeben’s influence on his songwriting approach.

From <https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/bob-dylans-first-day-with-tangled-up-in-blue>

For what it’s worth, Dylan prefers the version on Real Live.

“On Real Live it’s more like it should have been” said Dylan. “I was never really happy with it. I guess I was just trying to make it like a painting where you can see the different parts but then you also see the whole of it. With that particular song, that’s what I was trying to do…with the concept of time, and the way characters change from the first person to the third person, and you’re never quite sure if the third person is talking or the first person is talking. But as you look at the whole thing it really doesn’t matter. On Real Live, the imagery is better and more the way I would have liked it than on the original recording.”

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/bob-dylans-first-day-with-tangled-up-in-blue

Now who am I to question Bob Dylan, but I can’t say I agree that the one on Real Live is superior to the released version. Personally, I prefer the deleted lines about the topless bar, working as a cook in the great north woods, the bit about the 13th century poet, the café at night, the carpenter’s wives, and heading to another joint. Maybe that’s just me.

Just What Is the Story?

Most of the time it’s not too tough to follow the story line of a ballad. Example, The Ballad of Tom Dooley. Tom meets woman, Tom kills woman, poor Tom is hanged. Simple, if gruesome. TUIB is a different beast. Due to the shifting pronouns and mixed-up timelines, the details of the story being told are up for debate, although really, the details don’t matter much. Here’s my take, although you can say it just as good.

Our narrator is lying in bed, thinking about the one that got away, which was apparently a traumatic event that occurred some time ago. This scene seems to be a flashforward.

In the following verses we go back in time, to some point when he used to live with this woman and her man, now her ex. The guy seems to have gone way off the rails – “dealing with slaves” – and our hero has stepped in to rescue the woman, perhaps doing it in a way he somewhat regrets, using “a little too much force.”

After that episode, the narrator bums around the country, ending up working as a cook in Louisiana. But as luck would have it, he finds her again, working in a topless bar. They reconnect both physically and spiritually – indicated by their mutual admiration of a “13th century poet”.  Alas, they split up “one sad night” for some untold reason. Still, there’s hope. They agree to meet again “on the avenue”.

More time passes. But this angel never “escaped his mind”. He decides to get out of bed (first stanza) and return to the fight, because he realizes he must “got to get [back] to her somehow”. Finally, Dylan hints that the song is autobiographical – who else but Robert Zimmerman would be “still on the road/heading for another joint.” The song ends with an upbeat flourish, as our hero leaves on his noble quest, to get his woman back.

Painting a Picture

The title is pretty special. What an image – tangled up in blue. It really nails the state of the narrator’s mind. He’s tangled in the color blue, or perhaps the blues.

Dylan said that in this song he was trying to paint a picture in words, and indeed, the title brings some famous paintings to mind. To me, the first that come to mind are those form Picasso’s Blue Period. but also Van Gogh and Munch.

References

Dylan seems so immersed in American roots music that it might be impossible for him to write without dropping in a few references to other songs. I’ve always wondered if he does it on purpose or rather it’s something that he does unconsciously. It’s probably a little of both.

“Those old songs are my lexicon and prayer book,” Bob Dylan said in 1997, after the release of his album “Time Out of Mind” which was his first album of original material in seven years. Dylan said “All my beliefs come out of those old songs, literally, anything from `Let Me Rest on that Peaceful Mountain’ to `Keep on the Sunny Side.’ You can find all my philosophy in those old songs. I believe in a God of time and space, but if people ask me about that, my impulse is to point them back toward those songs. I believe in Hank Williams singing `I Saw the Light.’ I’ve seen the light, too”. Also somewhere in 1997, Dylan gave another interview about American roots music-like the songs of Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers, some of these songs were on his set lists. “That’s my religion,” he said. “I don’t adhere to rabbis, preachers, evangelists .I’ve learned more from the songs than I’ve learned from any of this kind of entity.”

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/28/arts/pop-jazz-a-wiser-voice-blowin-in-the-autumn-wind.html

There are fewer references than usual in TUIB (and in BOTT in general). The song does starts with a familiar phrase ,”early one morning“, which can be found in many blues songs. It’s possible Dylan had Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil Blues’ in mind.

There’s also the phrase “rain falling on my shoes.” The disheartening experience of walking in wet shoes is often used to good effect in popular songs. Eddie Rabbit used that feeling in Kentucky Rain, which was made famous by Elvis. See the King walking in wet shoes below.

There’s also “carpenters’ wives”, which is most likely a reference to Child Ballad 243, Dameon Lover.

Versions

As mentioned above, Dylan has tinkered with this song a lot. Below are what I consider the most significant versions.

Dylan recorded a version of BOOT in New York, although it was never released. Some listeners still prefer this much bootlegged recording, including the esteemed Alex Ross of the New Yorker. I couldn’t disagree more, but maybe that’s just me. This take of TUIB is a minute longer than the official version. To me, it lacks the vigor and urgency the lyrics require. It’s a little sleepy.

Early one mornin' the sun was shinin'
He was layin' in bed
Wonderin' if she changed at all
If her hair was still red
Her folks they said their lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like mama's homemade dress
Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough
An' he was standin' on the side of the road
Rain fallin' on his shoes
Headin' out for the old east coast
Lord knows he's paid some dues, gettin' through
Tangled up in blue.

She was married when they first met
Soon to be divorced
He helped her out of a jam i guess
But he used a little too much force
And he drove that car as far as he could
Abandoned it out west
And they split up on a sad dark night
Both agreeing it was best
An' she turned around to look at him
As he was walkin' away
She said "This ain't the end
We'll meet again some day on the avenue"
Tangled up in blue.

He had a job in the great north woods
Workin' as a cook for a spell
But he never did like it all that much
An' one day the ax just fell
So he drifted down to L.A.
Where he reckoned to try his luck
Workin' for a while in an airplane plant
Loadin' cargo onto a truck
But all the while he was alone
The past was close behind
He seen a lot of women
But she never escaped his mind an' he just grew
Tangled up in blue.

She was workin' in a topless place
And I stopped in for a beer
I just kept lookin' at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear
An' later on as the crowd thinned out
I's about to do the same
She was standin' there in back of my chair
Said to me, "What's your name?"
I muttered somethin' underneath my breath
She studied the lines on my face
I must admit I felt a little uneasy
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe
Tangled up in blue.

She lit a burner on the stove
An' offered me a pipe
"Thought you'd never say hello", she said
"You look like the silent type"
Then she opened up a book of poems 
An' handed it to me
Written by an Italian poet
From the thirteenth century
An' every one of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin' coal
Pourin' off of every page
Like it was written in my soul from me to you
Tangled up in blue.

He was always in a hurry
Too busy or too stoned
An' everything that she ever planned
Just had to be postponed
She thought they were successful
She thought they were blessed
With objects an' material things
But I never was impressed
And when it all came crashin' down
I became withdrawn
The only thing I knew how to do
Was keep on keepin' on like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue.

So now I'm goin' back again
Got to get to her somehow
All the people we used to know
They're an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians
Some are doctors' wives
Don't know how it all got started
Don't know what they're doin' with their lives
But me I'm still on the road
Heading for another joint
We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point of view
Tangled up in blue.  
    

At the suggestion of his brother, Dylan re-recorded most of BOOT in Minneapolis. TUIB shed about a minute of run time and gained a more propulsive rhythm. The result is clearly superior.

Early one mornin’ the sun was shinin’
I was layin’ in bed
Wond’rin’ if she’d changed at all
If her hair was still red
Her folks they said our lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama’s homemade dress
Papa’s bankbook wasn’t big enough
And I was standin’ on the side of the road
Rain fallin’ on my shoes
Heading out for the East Coast
Lord knows I’ve paid some dues gettin’ through
Tangled up in blue

She was married when we first met
Soon to be divorced
I helped her out of a jam, I guess
But I used a little too much force
We drove that car as far as we could
Abandoned it out West
Split up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at me
As I was walkin’ away
I heard her say over my shoulder
“We’ll meet again someday on the avenue”
Tangled up in blue

I had a job in the great north woods
Working as a cook for a spell
But I never did like it all that much
And one day the ax just fell
So I drifted down to New Orleans
Where I happened to be employed
Workin’ for a while on a fishin’ boat
Right outside of Delacroix
But all the while I was alone
The past was close behind
I seen a lot of women
But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew
Tangled up in blue

She was workin’ in a topless place
And I stopped in for a beer
I just kept lookin’ at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear
And later on as the crowd thinned out
I’s just about to do the same
She was standing there in back of my chair
Said to me, “Don’t I know your name?”
I muttered somethin’ underneath my breath
She studied the lines on my face
I must admit I felt a little uneasy
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe
Tangled up in blue

She lit a burner on the stove
And offered me a pipe
“I thought you’d never say hello,” she said
“You look like the silent type”
Then she opened up a book of poems
And handed it to me
Written by an Italian poet
From the thirteenth century
And every one of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin’ coal
Pourin’ off of every page
Like it was written in my soul from me to you
Tangled up in blue

I lived with them on Montague Street
In a basement down the stairs
There was music in the cafés at night
And revolution in the air
Then he started into dealing with slaves
And something inside of him died
She had to sell everything she owned
And froze up inside
And when finally the bottom fell out
I became withdrawn
The only thing I knew how to do
Was to keep on keepin’ on like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue

So now I’m goin’ back again
I got to get to her somehow
All the people we used to know
They’re an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians
Some are carpenters’ wives
Don’t know how it all got started
I don’t know what they’re doin’ with their lives
But me, I’m still on the road
Headin’ for another joint
We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point of view
Tangled up in blue

Dylan performed a solo version during the Rolling Thunder tour. The performance below was included in the god-awful Renaldo and Clara. It’s good, although the video itself is the most interesting element. In this version “she” is layin’ in bed, not “I” as in the official version, or “he” as in later versions.

Early one mornin' the sun was shinin'
She was layin' in bed
Wonderin' if she'd changed at all
If her hair was still red
Her folks they said their lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama's homemade dress
Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough
An' he was standin' on the side of the road
Rain fallin' on his shoes
Heading out for the East Coast
Lord knows I've paid some dues gettin' through
Tangled up in blue

She was married when they first met
Soon to be divorced
He helped her out of a jam, i guess
But he used a little too much force
An' he drove that car as far as they could
Abandoned it out west
Splitting up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at him
As he was walkin' away
Sayin' over his shoulder
"We'll meet again someday on the avenue"
Tangled up in blue

He had a job in Santa Fe
Working in an old hotel
But he never did like it all that much
An' one day just went to hell
So he drifted down to New Orleans
Lucky not to be destroyed
Where he got him a job on a fishin' boat
Dock downside Delacroix
But all the while he was alone 
The past was close behind
He's seen a lot of women 
But she never escaped his mind an' he just grew 
Tangled up in blue

She was workin' in a topless place 
An' I stopped in for a beer
I just kept lookin' at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear
An' later on when the crowd thinned out
I's just about to do the same
She was standin' there right beside my chair
Said, "Don't tell me, let me guess your name"
I muttered somethin' underneath my breath
She studied the lines on my face 
I must admit I felt a little uneasy 
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe
Tangled up in blue

I lived with them on Montague Street
In a basement down the stairs
There was music in the cafés at night
An' revolution in the air
Then he started into dealin' with slaves
An' somethin' inside of 'em died
She had to sell everythin' she owned
An' froze up inside
An' when it all came crashing down
I became withdrawn
The only thing I knew how to do
Was keep on keepin' on like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue

So now I'm goin' on back again
I got to get to them somehow
All the faces we used to know
They're an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians
Some are truck driver's wives
Don't know how it all got started
Don't know what they're doin' with their lives
But me I'm still on the road
Headin' for another joint
We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point of view
Tangled up in blue

By 1978 Dylan had gone hard-core Christian. Like many of his classics, TUIB got the gospel treatment. Not bad.

Early one mornin’ the sun was shinin’
He was layin’ in bed
Wond’rin’ if she’d changed at all
If her hair was still red
Her folks they said their lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama’s homemade dress
Papa’s bankbook wasn’t big enough
And he was standin’ on the side of the road
Rain fallin’ on his shoes
Heading out for the East Coast
Lord knows he paid some dues gettin’ through
Tangled up in blue

She was married when they first met
Soon to be divorced
He helped her out of a jam, I guess
But he used a little too much force
They drove that car as far as they could
Abandoned it out West
Split up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at me
As he was walkin’ away
He heard her say over her shoulder
“We’ll meet again someday on the avenue”
Tangled up in blue

He had a job in the great north woods
Working as a cook for a spell
But he never did like it all that much
And one day the ax just fell
So he drifted down to New Orleans
Lucky not to be destroyed
Where he got him a job on a fishin’ boat
Right outside of Delacroix
But all the while he was alone
The past was close behind
he seen a lot of women
But she never escaped his mind, and he just grew
Tangled up in blue

She was workin’ in a topless place
And I stopped in for a beer
Well, I just kept lookin’ at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear
And later when the crowd thinned out
I’s just about to do the same
She was standing there in back of my chair
Said to me, “Don’t I know your name?”
I muttered somethin’ underneath my breath
She studied the lines on my face
I must admit I felt a little uneasy
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe
Tangled up in blue

She lit a burner on the stove
And offered me a pipe
“I thought you’d never say hello,” she said
“You look like the silent type”
Then she opened up a book of poems
And showed it to me
Written by an Italian poet
From the thirteenth century
And every one of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin’ coal
Pourin’ off of every page
Like it was written in my soul from me to you
Tangled up in blue

I lived with them on Montague Street
In a basement down the stairs
There was music in the cafés at night
And revolution in the air
Til he started into dealing with slaves
And something inside of him died
Well she had to sell everything she owned
And froze up inside
And when it all came crashing down
I became withdrawn
The only thing I knew how to do
Was to keep on keepin’ on like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue

So now I’m goin’ on back again
I got to get to her somehow
All the people we used to know
They’re an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians
Some are carpenters’ wives
Don’t know how it all got started
I don’t know what they’re doin’ with their lives
But me I’m still on the road
Headin’ for another joint
We always did feel the same
We just saw it from a different point of view
Tangled up in blue

As mentioned above, many folks, including Dylan, prefer the Real Live version. Not me. But I do like it.

Early one mornin' the sun was shinin',
He was layin' in bed
Wond'rin' if she'd changed at all
If her hair was still red.
Her folks they said that their lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama's homemade dress
Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough.
And he was standin' on the side of the road
Rain fallin' on his shoes
Heading out for the lone East Coast
Radio blastin' the news straight on through,
Tangled up in blue.

She was married when they first met,
to a man four times her age.
He left her penniless, in the state of regret,
it was time to bust out of the cage.
They drove that car as far as they could,
abandoned it out west.
splitting up on a dark, sad night,
both agreeing that it was best.
And she turned around to look at him
as he was walking away.
She said I wish I could tell you all the things
that I never learned how to say.
He said thats alright babe I love you too,
but we were tangled up in blue.

He had a steady job and a pretty face,
and everything seemed to fit.
One day he could just feel the waste,
he put it all down and split.
And he drifted down to New Orleans,
where they treated him like a boy.
He nearly went mad in Baton Rouge,
he nearly drowned in Delacroix.
And all the while he was alone,
the past was close behind.
he had one too many lovers then,
and none of them were too refined,
all except for you,
but you were tangled up in blue.

She was working in the blinding light,
and I stopped in for a drink.
I just kept looking at her face so white,
I didn't know what to think.
Later on as when crowd thinned out,
I was getting ready to leave.
She was standing there, beside my chair,
saying "What's that you got up your sleeve?"
I said "nothing baby, and that's for sure"
She leaned down into my face.
I could feel the heat and the pulse of her
as she bent down to tie the laces
of my shoe,
Tangled up in blue.

I lived with them on Montague street
in a basement down the stairs.
There was snow all winter and no heat,
revolution was in the air.
Then one day all his slaves ran free,
and something inside of him died.
The only thing I could do was be me,
and get on that train and ride.
And when it all came crashing down,
I was already south.
I didn't know whether the world was flat or round,
I had the worst taste in my mouth,
that I ever knew,
Tangled up in blue.

Now I'm going back again,
maybe tomorrow, maybe next year.
I've got to find someone among the women and men
whose destiny is unclear.
Some are ministers of illusion,
some are masters of the trade.
All under strong delusion,
all of their beds unmade.
Me I'm still heading toward the sun,
trying to stay out of the joints.
We always did love the very same one.
We just saw her from a different point
of view,
Tangled up in blue.

The 1984 Newcastle version below is more unrestrained. I love the passion, especially the vocal. He howls like a wounded dog. This is really something special.

Early one mornin' the sun was shinin',
He was layin' in bed
Wond'rin' if she'd changed at all
If her hair was still red.
Her folks they said that their lives together
Sure was gonna be rough
They never did like Mama's homemade dress
Papa's bankbook wasn't big enough.
And he was standin' on the side of the road
Rain fallin' on his shoes
Heading out for the lone East Coast
Radio playing the news blasting right on through,
Tangled up in blue.

She was married when they first met,
to a man four times her age.
He left her penniless, in the state of regret,
it was time to bust out of the cage.
They drove that car as far as they could,
abandoned it out west.
splitting up on a dark, sad night,
both agreeing that it was best.
And she turned around to look at him
as he was walking away.
She said I wish I could tell you all the things
that I never learned how to say.
He said that's alright babe I love you too,
but we were tangled up in blue.

He had a steady job and a pretty face,
and everything seemed to fit.
One day he could just feel the waste,
he put it all down and split.
And he drifted down to New Orleans,
where they treated him like a boy.
He nearly went mad in Baton Rouge,
he nearly drowned in Delacroix.
And all the time he was alone,
the past was close behind.
he had one too many lovers then,
and none of them were too refined,
all except for you,
but you were tangled up in blue.

She was working in the blinding light,
and I stopped in for a drink.
I just kept looking at her face so white,
I didn't know what to think.
Later on as the crowd thinned out,
I was getting ready to leave.
She was standing there, right beside my chair,
saying "What's that you got up your sleeve?"
I said "nothing baby, and that's for sure"
She leaned down into my face.
I could feel the heat and the pulse of her
as she bent down to tie the laces
of my shoe,
Tangled up in blue.

I lived with them on Montague Street
in a basement down the stairs.
There was snow all winter and no heat,
revolution was in the air.
Then one day all his slaves ran free,
and something inside of him died.
The only thing I could do was be me,
and get on that train and ride.
And when it all came crashing down,
I was already south.
I didn't know whether the world was flat or round,
I had the worst taste in my mouth,
that I ever knew,
Tangled up in blue.

Now I'm going back again,
maybe tomorrow, maybe next year.
I've got to find someone among the women and men
whose destiny is unclear.
Some are masters of illusion,
some are ministers of the trade.
All under strong delusion,
all of their beds unmade.
Me I'm heading toward the sun,
trying to stay out of the joints.
We always did love the very same one.
We just saw her from a different point
of view,
Tangled up in blue.

Dylan performed TUIB many times during the Never Ending Tour. I saw a number of these shows. This arrangement always got an energetic response from the crowd. Dylan was really into guitar solos. He also frequently ran his words together machine gun style, and then added pauses to keep the rhythm. It works. I hope they don’t delete this video, it’s so good.

Early one morning, the sun was shining
he was laying in bed
wondering if she changed at all
if her hair was still red
her folks they said that their lives together
sure was gonna be rough
they never did like mama’s homemade dress
papa’s bankbook wasn’t big enough
and he was standing on the side of the road
rain falling on his shoes
heading out for the east coast
lord knows he's paid some dues
getting through
tangled up in blue

She was married when they first met
Soon to be divorced
He helped her out of a jam, I guess
But he used a little too much force
They drove that car as far as we could
Abandoned it out West
Split up on a dark sad night
Both agreeing it was best
She turned around to look at me
As she was walkin’ away
Saying over her shoulder
“We’ll meet again someday on the avenue”
Tangled up in blue

Had a job in the great north woods
Working as a cook for a spell
Never liked it all that much
one day the ax just fell
drifted down to New Orleans
Lucky to be employed
Got him a job on a fishin’ boat
as his mind was being destroyed (?)
But all the while he was alone
The past was close behind
He seen a lot of women
But you know she never did escaped my mind, and he just grew
Tangled up in blue

She was workin’ in a topless place
And I stopped in for a beer
I just kept lookin’ at the side of her face
In the spotlight so clear
And later on as the crowd thinned out
I’s just about to do the same
She was standing there in back of my chair
Said to me, “Don’t I know your name?”
I muttered somethin’ underneath my breath
She studied the lines on my face
I must admit I felt a little uneasy
When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe
Tangled up in blue

She lit a burner on the stove
And offered me a pipe
“I thought you’d never say hello,” she said
“You look like the silent type”
Then she opened up a book of poems
And handed it to me
Written by some Italian poet
From the thirteenth century
And every one of them words rang true
And glowed like burnin’ coal
Pourin’ off of every page
Like it was written in my soul from me to you
Tangled up in blue

I lived with them on Montague Street
In a basement down the stairs
There was music in the cafés at night
And revolution was in the air
Then he started into dealing with slaves
And something inside of him died
She had to sell everything she owned
She froze up inside
And when finally the bottom fell out
I became withdrawn
The only thing I knew how to do
Was to keep on keepin’ on like a bird that flew
Tangled up in blue

So now I’m goin’ back again
Get to her somehow
All the people we used to know
They’re an illusion to me now
Some are mathematicians
Some are truck drivers' wives
Don’t know how it all got started
I don’t know what they’re doin’ with their lives
But me, I’m still on the road
Headin’ for another joint
We always felt the same
We just saw it from a different point of view
Tangled up in blue

Wrap-Up

TUIB, while I wouldn’t call it one of Dylan’s very best, is definitely right up there. While it doesn’t have the social importance of say, The Times They Are A-Changin’, the inventiveness of Ballad of a Thin Man, or the poetics of A Hard Rain Is A-Gonna Fall, it’s still a landmark song. It’s the only song I know where Dylan experiments with shifting pronouns and a mixed-up event timeline. Perhaps there are others, but none leap to mind. Beyond all that, it’s just a hell of a song, and the many different performance styles and lyric variations are all interesting.

Further Reading

PopMatters article. I can’t say I agree with much of this article, but that’s ok, everybody doesn’t have to agree with me.

The New Yorker’s esteem music contributor Alex Ross’s take on Blood on the Tracks. I don’t agree with much of what he says either (I’m sensing a trend here). Ross writes, specifically about Idiot Wind: “Many Dylanists will disagree with me—the second “Blood” [meaning the official version] has eloquent defenders—but to my ears the later version, recorded with six pick-up musicians in Minnesota, cuts out much of the complexity.”

An interview with the guitarist on the Minneapolis sessions. Finally, somebody that agrees with me.

The influence of Joni Mitchell.