All Along the Watchtower- Dylan Series
Bob Dylan Series
Flickr 2017 x 100 Challenge 18/100
All along the watchtower appeared on the 1967 album John Wesley Harding. It was probably made more famous by Hendrix who released the song six months after Dylan and it became a top 20 single.
The song has been described as a masterpiece of understatement. It only consists of three versus and no chorus but it is packed full of imagery, leaving you desperately wanting to know more about the story. And of course there is that haunting harmonica.
One of the most interesting things about this song is the way it has been constructed.
A literature professor suggests it "an example of Dylan's audacity at manipulating chronological time: "at the conclusion of the last verse, it is as if the song bizarrely begins at last, and as if the myth began again"
The song begins in the middle-
“There must be some kind of way out of here,
Said the joker to the thief"
and ends at the beginning
"All along the watchtower,
Princes kept the view,
While all the women came and went —
Barefoot servants too.
Outside in the cold distance,
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching, and The wind began to howl"
I'm going to let you work out what you think it is about!
I am not sure I did the song justice and may be able to do better. If so, I'll do a take two. But since my husband wore a cape and climbed the tower to be a prince (which he is), I should reward him for his effort and post this image.
All Along the Watchtower- Dylan Series
Bob Dylan Series
Flickr 2017 x 100 Challenge 18/100
All along the watchtower appeared on the 1967 album John Wesley Harding. It was probably made more famous by Hendrix who released the song six months after Dylan and it became a top 20 single.
The song has been described as a masterpiece of understatement. It only consists of three versus and no chorus but it is packed full of imagery, leaving you desperately wanting to know more about the story. And of course there is that haunting harmonica.
One of the most interesting things about this song is the way it has been constructed.
A literature professor suggests it "an example of Dylan's audacity at manipulating chronological time: "at the conclusion of the last verse, it is as if the song bizarrely begins at last, and as if the myth began again"
The song begins in the middle-
“There must be some kind of way out of here,
Said the joker to the thief"
and ends at the beginning
"All along the watchtower,
Princes kept the view,
While all the women came and went —
Barefoot servants too.
Outside in the cold distance,
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching, and The wind began to howl"
I'm going to let you work out what you think it is about!
I am not sure I did the song justice and may be able to do better. If so, I'll do a take two. But since my husband wore a cape and climbed the tower to be a prince (which he is), I should reward him for his effort and post this image.