Brilliant article that just happened to pop up first in opening Substack this afternoon. I've never listened much to Dylan but perhaps I wasn't ready in the 70s for his message. I will definitely visit these works as he is right. I have had my eyes opened and felt the hand to guide me these past three years. Ever since I reported my experience of the AZ jab in January 2021 to the MHRA yellow card in April that year I can say things have been shown to me and I have begun to find out who I am. Thank you for this inspiration, one I will definitely share with others!
Yes so am I. It's strange how things have been shown to me, for this is what I feel now. It's taken most of my 70 years but I am getting there. I knew what was right and when I realised the sheer evil of what was going on I had to make my stand, small though it was. It's really changed my outlook.
Thank you for this excellent article on Bob Dylan. I didn't know his whole story. He is truly strong in his faith to take on the music industry and Hollywood. I so admire him and will pray for his continued strength in what is truly the End Days.
Thank you for a lovely post today. I have a loved Dylan's gospel songs ever since I started listening to a lot of Dylan after 2007. (I went into a phase where I discovered the record Modern Times, which I loved so much that I started buying every one of his records, working from the '90s backwards.) The creative period that the critics hated, the 1980/90s, is actually one of my favorites. The book, Bob Dylan Prophet, Mystic, Poet by Seth Rogovoy is an excellent exploration of Dylan's religious and moral roots.
Beautiful & heart-touching, thank you KH. A powerful & inspirational article - I've alway been Spiritual but the past 4 years has opened my eyes & heart to a whole new & deeper level of Spirit & Jesus. Our Creator lives in the TRUTH & the Light of Truth will come to pass in GOD's Diving Time.
Love good ol' buddy Bob! He's had hiz ups an' downs but even as an ol' fart he came out with "Murder Most Foul" 'bout JFK -- it's a good'un--he's seen a lot, knows a lot (an' of course he wuz singin' at all the Civil Rights rallies too!)
Now I'm a bit mystified 'bout his 2022 quote 'bout bein' Christian. Per what I thought I understood, Dylan didn't stay Christian fer that long--my understandin' is that he went from the late 1970's bein' Christian ta explorin' Buddhism in the early 80's, foller'd by Sufism (quel surprise!) ta walkin' it all back quietly an' becomin' Chewish again--'round 1983 (so less'n a decade not bein' a chew but even now he's still always "explorin' " all sorts of faiths, philosophies, beliefs etc....)
In 1983 upon his return ta Judaism he recorded a song 'bout Israel called "Neighborhood Bully" which ticked off ALL the wokesters! (been meanin' ta write 'bout this myself--not his finest work but it's not turrible....): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ETdLfXI6r8
FWIW, both his sons were bar mitzvah'd an' one married a Hasidic girl so in his "spiritual journey" Dylan even tried bein' Orthodox himself!
In 1988 durin' his Orthodox period he studied with Chabad--learned Kabbalah (jewish mysticism) an' wrote 'bout how this in-depth stuff resonated with him spiritually an' poetically (fergit whar I heard that interview).
Now I'm confused cuz I thought he wuz jewish again--just whut I've learned... tho' I'm SURE he took goodness outta all faiths he pursued! (also see: https://religionnews.com/2020/06/23/dylan-album/ )
In any event, per legend in the moosick biz (an' per his own interviews) he made a "deal" with the devil for his career. Now I dunno if it wuz like Robert Johnson "at the crossroads" (that's a'nuther legend!) or less literal--but we gotta take it on face value--he likely did stuff against his moral compass or at least performed in space an' places less than "kosher" if ya git my drift--likely knew all 'bout the cabal / illuminatti, it's in some of his lyrics but he wuz purdy careful...
IMHO Dyan was no longer a boy-wonder post 1975 (with a few noted exceptions). His lyrics, as ya said Karen, were always better an' more thoughtful than the blather that goes fer "moosick" today--
'Tho his voice wuz never purdy--I'm also grateful he stuck ta who he wuz (no auto-tune!) an' tho' he wuz changin' more often than them times (that "are" a changin') he seemed ta foller his own piper!
"Dylan’s religious trajectory has been interesting, to say the least. Born Robert Zimmerman and raised in a tight Jewish community in Hibbing, Minnesota (he spent summers at Herzl Camp, a Zionist camp in Webster, Wisconsin), Dylan became a born again Christian in the 1970s. After releasing a couple of polarizing gospel music albums, he returned to his Jewish roots in the ’80s. In recent decades he has even participated in holiday services at Orthodox Chabad synagogues.")
FWIW--he (an' the late great Leonard Cohen) both performed in Israel in spite'a much backlash...
Thanks for adding so much insight. Being Jewish is without a doubt a highly important part of his life. I've been disciplining myself to keep these Sunday pieces short but there's so much more to the story. He's inspiring for the searching he's done all of his life and didn't care how people interpreted it. In the 60 Minutes interview when he talks about making the deal with you know who, it's very powerful because, as you say, he absolutely knew things, you can see it in his face and hear it in his voice. I also think sometimes he says things just to confuse people or making a point of letting people know that just because they see a public persona of him their assumptions of who he is can only scratch the surface. I can't say what religion he is now, but I'm not sure the label matters as much the music that he's put out there that has uplifted so many people. He comes across as such a curmudgeonly person, and we don't know who he is in his personal life, we just have his music. Which is plenty.
I'm 100% with ya, he's always been more of a poet ta me--the lyrics are so important! Kinda like Lou Reed (if ya like the Velvets), also a serious poet an' neither fella had either "looks" or "a voice" but they imbued such meanin' in their lyrics b/c they were true poets! So yup, I think Dylan's pursuit of faith in all areas is an' always has been who he is--perhaps even as an old fella he's still searchin'? An' the old music--that still shines! I hope he comes out with some more good'uns that reveal stuff--Murder Most Foul about JFK surprised me in a good way. Dylan never shilled for the jabs bad either. His rocky relationship with Joan Baez was well-known but many don't know that Joan was an MKUltra victim--experimented on horribly for years in Rochester, NY. Bob had ta know all about that stuff--so he like many use lyrics I think ta convey what they can do safely... As a father (an' grandpa now) I git bein' a little cautious... this is why (I understand) Kubrick tried ta warn folks but was mum in interviews (to protect his wife an' little Victoria)... unfortunately he let a little too much of the cat outta the bag in Eyes Wide Shut and they did 'im in when he wouldn't make cuts. All three happen ta have been "chews" of conscience--in my ol' neib. downtown NY Lou & Laurie worked a lot on fightin' some of the gentrification that was pushin' out regular renters--gave free concerts--I wuz there an' kin vouch first hand--so many "of conscience" includin' Bob stood for what they believe in an' took heat for it (that song 'bout Israel is singled out as an example that some fans didn't like one bit)--and kept on "searchin' " for answers... I think Bob's still lookin'....
Thank ya much Karen fer shinin' a good light on Bob an' others so inspired! (An' glad you too like rock n' roll--even if Tavistock had their hand in the pie--dang, that wuz good music--not like what goes for moo-sick today, that's fer sure!)
Dear Karen, you amaze me! You do not know how much I needed to hear that Bob Dylan wrote an album about Jesus (I hesitate to call him a Christians as I do not know if he would use that label!). I spent the whole morning listening to the album. As I have grown in faith over the past few years it has been astounding to me how the existence of faith has been pushed to the sidelines in mainstream conversations - like the fact that I had never heard of this side of Bob Dylan. Are there any other artists with faith-inspired albums that have been hidden away that you know of?
This makes me so happy. This is why I write these inspirational pieces more and more these days. The world is so dark and I write about such heavy subjects (necessary to do!) that I feel the need to balance it with some hope and joy. The first artist who came to my mind, and thank you for making me think of him because I am now going to write a piece for Good Friday about this man, is Jelly Roll. You probably haven't heard of him. Here is one of the most powerful songs of and honest call for redemption that I know, which I will be sharing tomorrow. https://youtu.be/FxFNprPOdss?si=QhF1rJaN-YvcnnN3
Over time Dylan's overtly Christian music has gained respect among his fandom and beyond, and all kinds of musicians perform some of these songs these days. Ol' Zimmy has had his ups and downs in life but he'll be 84 years old in May and he's still touring.
One of my favorite albums, I was early 20's when he released it. Not musically as good as his double CD with The Band, "Before The Flood," which may be one of the best of all time. Still, it was hard hitting, and for a Christian, a welcome bridgehead in a broken culture.
Thanks for the look back. Thanks for the Sunday inspiration!
You're welcome! Have you seen the movie The Last Waltz with The Band? I saw it in the theater way back when I was living in London. All that wonderful music, all those amazing artists. The music stood on its own, it didn't need all the flash of today.
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon"(Lit, in Aram, riches). Matthew 6:24
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16,17
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. .Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1John 4:1-3,15
Brilliant article that just happened to pop up first in opening Substack this afternoon. I've never listened much to Dylan but perhaps I wasn't ready in the 70s for his message. I will definitely visit these works as he is right. I have had my eyes opened and felt the hand to guide me these past three years. Ever since I reported my experience of the AZ jab in January 2021 to the MHRA yellow card in April that year I can say things have been shown to me and I have begun to find out who I am. Thank you for this inspiration, one I will definitely share with others!
I'm so glad you found the article. Thank you and God Bless.
Yes so am I. It's strange how things have been shown to me, for this is what I feel now. It's taken most of my 70 years but I am getting there. I knew what was right and when I realised the sheer evil of what was going on I had to make my stand, small though it was. It's really changed my outlook.
I have heard this from so many people. Truly these are days of a great awakening.
It wasn't small to Jehovah!
May Jehovah continue to bless you in your discernment and strength!
Thank you for sharing your music. I love Bob Dylan but I wasn't aware of the meaning behind this album. What else should we listen to?
Maybe I will think of something for next week But all of Dylan's music is worth listening to.
Thank you for this excellent article on Bob Dylan. I didn't know his whole story. He is truly strong in his faith to take on the music industry and Hollywood. I so admire him and will pray for his continued strength in what is truly the End Days.
Thank you for a lovely post today. I have a loved Dylan's gospel songs ever since I started listening to a lot of Dylan after 2007. (I went into a phase where I discovered the record Modern Times, which I loved so much that I started buying every one of his records, working from the '90s backwards.) The creative period that the critics hated, the 1980/90s, is actually one of my favorites. The book, Bob Dylan Prophet, Mystic, Poet by Seth Rogovoy is an excellent exploration of Dylan's religious and moral roots.
I haven't read that book, thanks for letting me know about it.
Beautiful & heart-touching, thank you KH. A powerful & inspirational article - I've alway been Spiritual but the past 4 years has opened my eyes & heart to a whole new & deeper level of Spirit & Jesus. Our Creator lives in the TRUTH & the Light of Truth will come to pass in GOD's Diving Time.
Amen
So enjoyable reading your article.
And I’ve just listened to and sung along to “ Slow Train Coming Home” album. I Loved it. I listened to it all.
I don’t remember hearing the music before but had heard positive things about the album.
My wife teaches music and singing at school. I’ve gotta get her to teach them,” Man gave names to all the animals.”
Thank you so much Karen, again.
Loved hearing about your Dad’s impact.
I'm so glad you listened to the music! Wow first time, that's something wonderful to experience. Sharing it with you wife's students would be amazing.
Love good ol' buddy Bob! He's had hiz ups an' downs but even as an ol' fart he came out with "Murder Most Foul" 'bout JFK -- it's a good'un--he's seen a lot, knows a lot (an' of course he wuz singin' at all the Civil Rights rallies too!)
Now I'm a bit mystified 'bout his 2022 quote 'bout bein' Christian. Per what I thought I understood, Dylan didn't stay Christian fer that long--my understandin' is that he went from the late 1970's bein' Christian ta explorin' Buddhism in the early 80's, foller'd by Sufism (quel surprise!) ta walkin' it all back quietly an' becomin' Chewish again--'round 1983 (so less'n a decade not bein' a chew but even now he's still always "explorin' " all sorts of faiths, philosophies, beliefs etc....)
In 1983 upon his return ta Judaism he recorded a song 'bout Israel called "Neighborhood Bully" which ticked off ALL the wokesters! (been meanin' ta write 'bout this myself--not his finest work but it's not turrible....): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ETdLfXI6r8
FWIW, both his sons were bar mitzvah'd an' one married a Hasidic girl so in his "spiritual journey" Dylan even tried bein' Orthodox himself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBFOQ-ql7yY
also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXcTAHCcmo&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jta.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt
In 1988 durin' his Orthodox period he studied with Chabad--learned Kabbalah (jewish mysticism) an' wrote 'bout how this in-depth stuff resonated with him spiritually an' poetically (fergit whar I heard that interview).
Now I'm confused cuz I thought he wuz jewish again--just whut I've learned... tho' I'm SURE he took goodness outta all faiths he pursued! (also see: https://religionnews.com/2020/06/23/dylan-album/ )
In any event, per legend in the moosick biz (an' per his own interviews) he made a "deal" with the devil for his career. Now I dunno if it wuz like Robert Johnson "at the crossroads" (that's a'nuther legend!) or less literal--but we gotta take it on face value--he likely did stuff against his moral compass or at least performed in space an' places less than "kosher" if ya git my drift--likely knew all 'bout the cabal / illuminatti, it's in some of his lyrics but he wuz purdy careful...
IMHO Dyan was no longer a boy-wonder post 1975 (with a few noted exceptions). His lyrics, as ya said Karen, were always better an' more thoughtful than the blather that goes fer "moosick" today--
'Tho his voice wuz never purdy--I'm also grateful he stuck ta who he wuz (no auto-tune!) an' tho' he wuz changin' more often than them times (that "are" a changin') he seemed ta foller his own piper!
(FWIW https://www.timesofisrael.com/nobel-winner-bob-dylans-5-most-jewish-moments/
"Dylan’s religious trajectory has been interesting, to say the least. Born Robert Zimmerman and raised in a tight Jewish community in Hibbing, Minnesota (he spent summers at Herzl Camp, a Zionist camp in Webster, Wisconsin), Dylan became a born again Christian in the 1970s. After releasing a couple of polarizing gospel music albums, he returned to his Jewish roots in the ’80s. In recent decades he has even participated in holiday services at Orthodox Chabad synagogues.")
FWIW--he (an' the late great Leonard Cohen) both performed in Israel in spite'a much backlash...
Thanks for adding so much insight. Being Jewish is without a doubt a highly important part of his life. I've been disciplining myself to keep these Sunday pieces short but there's so much more to the story. He's inspiring for the searching he's done all of his life and didn't care how people interpreted it. In the 60 Minutes interview when he talks about making the deal with you know who, it's very powerful because, as you say, he absolutely knew things, you can see it in his face and hear it in his voice. I also think sometimes he says things just to confuse people or making a point of letting people know that just because they see a public persona of him their assumptions of who he is can only scratch the surface. I can't say what religion he is now, but I'm not sure the label matters as much the music that he's put out there that has uplifted so many people. He comes across as such a curmudgeonly person, and we don't know who he is in his personal life, we just have his music. Which is plenty.
I'm 100% with ya, he's always been more of a poet ta me--the lyrics are so important! Kinda like Lou Reed (if ya like the Velvets), also a serious poet an' neither fella had either "looks" or "a voice" but they imbued such meanin' in their lyrics b/c they were true poets! So yup, I think Dylan's pursuit of faith in all areas is an' always has been who he is--perhaps even as an old fella he's still searchin'? An' the old music--that still shines! I hope he comes out with some more good'uns that reveal stuff--Murder Most Foul about JFK surprised me in a good way. Dylan never shilled for the jabs bad either. His rocky relationship with Joan Baez was well-known but many don't know that Joan was an MKUltra victim--experimented on horribly for years in Rochester, NY. Bob had ta know all about that stuff--so he like many use lyrics I think ta convey what they can do safely... As a father (an' grandpa now) I git bein' a little cautious... this is why (I understand) Kubrick tried ta warn folks but was mum in interviews (to protect his wife an' little Victoria)... unfortunately he let a little too much of the cat outta the bag in Eyes Wide Shut and they did 'im in when he wouldn't make cuts. All three happen ta have been "chews" of conscience--in my ol' neib. downtown NY Lou & Laurie worked a lot on fightin' some of the gentrification that was pushin' out regular renters--gave free concerts--I wuz there an' kin vouch first hand--so many "of conscience" includin' Bob stood for what they believe in an' took heat for it (that song 'bout Israel is singled out as an example that some fans didn't like one bit)--and kept on "searchin' " for answers... I think Bob's still lookin'....
Thank ya much Karen fer shinin' a good light on Bob an' others so inspired! (An' glad you too like rock n' roll--even if Tavistock had their hand in the pie--dang, that wuz good music--not like what goes for moo-sick today, that's fer sure!)
God Bless , great commentary, thank you
Dear Karen, you amaze me! You do not know how much I needed to hear that Bob Dylan wrote an album about Jesus (I hesitate to call him a Christians as I do not know if he would use that label!). I spent the whole morning listening to the album. As I have grown in faith over the past few years it has been astounding to me how the existence of faith has been pushed to the sidelines in mainstream conversations - like the fact that I had never heard of this side of Bob Dylan. Are there any other artists with faith-inspired albums that have been hidden away that you know of?
This makes me so happy. This is why I write these inspirational pieces more and more these days. The world is so dark and I write about such heavy subjects (necessary to do!) that I feel the need to balance it with some hope and joy. The first artist who came to my mind, and thank you for making me think of him because I am now going to write a piece for Good Friday about this man, is Jelly Roll. You probably haven't heard of him. Here is one of the most powerful songs of and honest call for redemption that I know, which I will be sharing tomorrow. https://youtu.be/FxFNprPOdss?si=QhF1rJaN-YvcnnN3
Ooooh! That song is beautiful. Thank you again! You are right, I'd never heard of Jelly Roll and I can't wait to read your piece on him.
Over time Dylan's overtly Christian music has gained respect among his fandom and beyond, and all kinds of musicians perform some of these songs these days. Ol' Zimmy has had his ups and downs in life but he'll be 84 years old in May and he's still touring.
His music certainly has stood the rest of time. As you say, so many musicians have performed it. And yep, he's still touring!
One of my favorite albums, I was early 20's when he released it. Not musically as good as his double CD with The Band, "Before The Flood," which may be one of the best of all time. Still, it was hard hitting, and for a Christian, a welcome bridgehead in a broken culture.
Thanks for the look back. Thanks for the Sunday inspiration!
You're welcome! Have you seen the movie The Last Waltz with The Band? I saw it in the theater way back when I was living in London. All that wonderful music, all those amazing artists. The music stood on its own, it didn't need all the flash of today.
Oh, yes! Really good rock music. Didn't Scorsese direct that movie?
That's right, he did.
Delightful!
Knowing the man and his times makes it/him interesting and delightful.
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon"(Lit, in Aram, riches). Matthew 6:24
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:16,17
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. .Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 1John 4:1-3,15
Thank you!!
Another mind popper!