Bob Dylan… ah, what can you say about him? All words seem inadequate to match the power of his words, all songs of praise fall short in front of the melodies he wrote. It is amazing to write songs that reaches out and touches a whole generation, but to write music that talks to generations, that stays relevant in any day and age, well, that is Bob Dylan. Because he was always ‘so much older then’ and he is ‘younger than that now’! So that is my song for tonight – its called My Back Pages, and my favourite part goes,
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I’m younger than that now.
Doesn’t it touch a raw nerve in most of us somewhere deep inside?
(Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Well, find the complete original version from his album Another Side of Bob Dylan below. And the complete lyrics courtesy bobdylan.com is listed too, for what is this song without the words? (What is any Bob Dylan song, for that matter, without his words?!) And as a special treat, a video from YouTube which features Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and of course, Bob himself, singing the song live, recorded during Dylan’s 30th anniversary concert in New York City in October 1992. Clapton and Young do the honours for the guitar solos on this live version.
My Back Pages
Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin’ high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
“We’ll meet on edges, soon,” said I
Proud ‘neath heated brow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I’m younger than that now.
Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
“Rip down all hate,” I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull. I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I’m younger than that now.
Girls’ faces formed the forward path
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I’m younger than that now.
A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
“Equality,” I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I’m younger than that now.
In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I’d become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I’m younger than that now.
Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I’m younger than that now.
Copyright ©1964; renewed 1992 Special Rider Music
Buy the song from Amazon
