Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast

Henry welcomes award winning, critically acclaimed author of "Olive Days" and dear friend, Jessica Elisheva Emerson to talk about a beloved, signature track off of the fan favorite album Street Legal -1978’s “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)!"

Listen to the song, and follow along with the lyrics:

Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)

Written by: Bob Dylan

Señor, señor, do you know where we’re headin’?
Lincoln County Road or Armageddon?
Seems like I been down this way before
Is there any truth in that, señor?

Señor, señor, do you know where she is hidin’?
How long are we gonna be ridin’?
How long must I keep my eyes glued to the door?
Will there be any comfort there, señor?

There’s a wicked wind still blowin’ on that upper deck
There’s an iron cross still hangin' down from around her neck
There’s a marchin’ band still playin’ in that vacant lot
Where she held me in her arms one time and said, “Forget me not”

Señor, señor, I can see that painted wagon
I can smell the tail of the dragon
Can’t stand the suspense anymore
Can you tell me who to contact here, señor?

Well, the last thing I remember before I stripped and kneeled
Was that trainload of fools bogged down in a magnetic field
A gypsy with a broken flag and a flashing ring
Said, “Son, this ain’t a dream no more, it’s the real thing”

Señor, señor, you know their hearts is as hard as leather
Well, give me a minute, let me get it together
I just gotta pick myself up off the floor
I’m ready when you are, señor

Señor, señor, let’s disconnect these cables
Overturn these tables
This place don’t make sense to me no more
Can you tell me what we’re waiting for, señor?

Copyright © 1978 by Special Rider Music

Visit https://www.elishevaemerson.com/ for more information on where to buy Olive Days.

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If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

My paper has been accepted to the World of Bob Dylan 2025! See you in Tulsa, OK - July 24-28, 2025!

https://dylan.utulsa.edu/register-for-the-world-of-bob-dylan-2025/

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Check out the video of this over at Substack or Youtube

You ever notice how when you love something there’s always someone who loves to tell you how much they don’t like that thing. As a Swiftie, I experience this all the time. People who don’t like Taylor Swift LOVE telling Swifties they don’t like her, why they don’t like her and how much they don’t like her. As a Dylan fan, for every 4 people telling me how much they love Bob like me, there’s always one who has to point out “Oh yeah, great song writer but his voice is terrible.” The latest version of this is folks who not only didn’t like A Complete Unknown but outright refuse to se it or dismiss its existence because Todd Hayne’s 2007 film, I’m Not There, existed first. Early this week, an article dropped with a little quote from Cate Blanchett, star of I’m Not There, praising the film. Last Friday, on the holiday of Purim, I was dressed in what I think was a pretty spot-on Chalamet-esque Bob Dylan costume (specifically from the last scene of A Complete Unknown. At a Purim party, someone felt the need to tell me why they refuse to see ACU because of I’m Not There. Check out the video for the full story and rant. And for the love of Bob, can we please stop yucking other people’s yums?

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If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time.

Henry welcomes fellow Chicagoland area Dylan fan, Brendan McCarthy to SoE HQ (in person!) to talk about one of Dylan's earliest recordings, "Rambler, Gambler" officially released in 2005 on the No Direction Home soundtrack.

Listen to the song, and follow along with the lyrics:

Rambler, Gambler

I’m a rambler, I’m a gambler
I’m a long way from my home
If the people don’t like me
They can leave me alone

Come sit down beside me
Come sit down right here
Come sit down, love, I want you
Love you boldly, so dear

When you get to Wyoming
A letter you’ll see
If you get into trouble
Just you write and tell me

For I once had a lover
Her age was sixteen
She’s a flower of velvet and the rose of Celine

Her parents was against me
Now she is the same
If I writ on your book, love
Just you blot out my name

Oh there’s changes in the ocean
There’s changes in the sea
There’s changes in my true love
Ain’t no change in me
 

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If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Remember when Bob Dylan figures out Jesse's mystery tuning in A Complete Unknown? Turns out it's not such a mystery. Here we unpack what kind of open tuning was used and try to demonstrate how it was done.Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack. Email us at [email protected] Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time. 

Henry welcomes a fellow midwestern boy and 80's-Bob defender, Matt Simonson to talk about "Man Of Peace" from Dylan's 1983 album, Infidels.

Follow along with the lyrics:

Man of Peace

Written by: Bob Dylan

Look out your window, baby, there’s a scene you’d like to catch
The band is playing “Dixie,” a man got his hand outstretched
Could be the Führer
Could be the local priest
You know sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace

He got a sweet gift of gab, he got a harmonious tongue
He knows every song of love that ever has been sung
Good intentions can be evil
Both hands can be full of grease
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace

Well, first he’s in the background, then he’s in the front
Both eyes are looking like they’re on a rabbit hunt
Nobody can see through him
No, not even the Chief of Police
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace

Well, he catch you when you’re hoping for a glimpse of the sun
Catch you when your troubles feel like they weigh a ton
He could be standing next to you
The person that you’d notice least
I hear that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace

Well, he can be fascinating, he can be dull
He can ride down Niagara Falls in the barrels of your skull
I can smell something cooking
I can tell there’s going to be a feast
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace

He’s a great humanitarian, he’s a great philanthropist
He knows just where to touch you, honey, and how you like to be kissed
He’ll put both his arms around you
You can feel the tender touch of the beast
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace

Well, the howling wolf will howl tonight, the king snake will crawl
Trees that’ve stood for a thousand years suddenly will fall
Wanna get married? Do it now
Tomorrow all activity will cease
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace

Somewhere Mama’s weeping for her blue-eyed boy
She’s holding them little white shoes and that little broken toy
And he’s following a star
The same one them three men followed from the East
I hear that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace

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If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time.

Henry welcomes Chicagoan and Pod Dylan legend, Omar Uddin to talk about "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" from Dylan's 1963 album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

Follow along here:

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

Written by: Bob Dylan

It ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don’t matter, anyhow
An’ it ain’t no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don’t know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I’ll be gone
You’re the reason I’m trav’lin’ on
Don’t think twice, it’s all right

It ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
An’ it ain’t no use in turnin’ on your light, babe
I’m on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was somethin’ you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin’ anyway
So don’t think twice, it’s all right

It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain’t no use in callin’ out my name, gal
I can’t hear you anymore
I’m a-thinkin’ and a-wond’rin’ all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I’m told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don’t think twice, it’s all right

I’m walkin’ down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I’m bound, I can’t tell
But goodbye’s too good a word, gal
So I’ll just say fare thee well
I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don’t mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don’t think twice, it’s all right
 

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Timothee Chalamet while performing Song To Woody does something very subtle and interesting. Check out this brief breakdown! Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack. Email us at [email protected] Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time.

Henry welcomes Twin Cities musician, Peter Hayward to talk and sing about "Early Roman Kings," from Dylan's 2012 album Tempest.

Check out Peter's amazing music and follow him here: https://linktr.ee/peterhayward 

Early Roman Kings

Written by: Bob Dylan

All the early Roman Kings in their sharkskin suits
Bowties and buttons, high top boots
Driving the spikes in, blazing the rails
Nailed in their coffins in top hats and tails
Fly away little bird, fly away, flap your wings
Fly by night like the early Roman Kings

All the early Roman Kings in the early, early morn’
Coming down the mountain, distributing the corn
Speeding through the forest, racing down the track
You try to get away, they drag you back
Tomorrow is Friday, we’ll see what it brings
Everybody’s talking ‘bout the early Roman Kings

They’re peddlers and they’re meddlers, they buy and they sell
They destroyed your city, they’ll destroy you as well
They’re lecherous and treacherous, hell bent for leather
Each of them bigger than all men put together
Sluggers and muggers wearing fancy gold rings
All the women going crazy for the early Roman Kings

I'll dress up your wounds with a blood clotted rag
I ain’t afraid to make love to a bitch or a hag
If you see me coming and you’re standing there
Wave your handkerchief in the air
I ain’t dead yet, my bell still rings
I keep my fingers crossed like the early Roman Kings

I'll strip you of life, strip you of breath
Ship you down to the house of death
One day you will ask for me
There’ll be no one else that you’ll want to see
Bring down my fiddle, tune up my strings
Gonna break it wide open like the early Roman Kings

I was up on black mountain the day Detroit fell
They killed them all off and they sent them to hell
Ding Dong Daddy, you’re coming up short
Gonna put you on trial in a Sicilian court
I’ve had my fun, I’ve had my flings
Gonna shake ‘em all down like the early Roman Kings
 

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If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

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On Tuesday, December 3. Michael Smith and I flew down to Orlando, FL from Chicago, IL for a press and guild screening of the new James Mangold film about Bob Dylan. It was an amazing experience. Immediately after the film, Michael and I went to the AMC theatre bar and talked for almost 2 hours about the film. Unfortunately I only hit record about halfway through our conversation, so you will be joining us mid-convo. First you’ll hear the 45 second spoiler free reaction and then we’ll transition to the full conversation. Please be aware this is a FULL SPOILER REVIEW. If you haven’t seen the film yet, I highly recommend you turn this off now, and wait until after you see it. You have been warned! Enjoy!

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Glover Smith invited me to fly to Orlando, FL from Chicago to attend a Press and Guild Screening of James Mangold's film A Complete Unknown which is being released on December 25. Although it was a long way to travel and expensive, it was worth it. This is a 45 second SPOILER-FREE (so that means NO SPOILERS) reaction. Enjoy and go see this film!

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time.

Henry welcomes fellow Bob Dylan Podcaster, Erin Callahan to talk about "False Prophet," the second track off of Dylan's 2020 album Rough & Rowdy Ways.

Follow along with the lyrics below.

Check out Erin's amazing substack and podcast on https://thefm.club/dylan/ and follow Erin on Instagram and Twitter

False Prophet

Written by: Bob Dylan

Another day without end - another ship going out
Another day of anger - bitterness and doubt
I know how it happened - I saw it begin
I opened my heart to the world and the world came in

Hello Mary Lou - Hello Miss Pearl
My fleet footed guides from the underworld
No stars in the sky shine brighter than you
You girls mean business and I do too

I’m the enemy of treason - the enemy of strife
I’m the enemy of the unlived meaningless life
I ain’t no false prophet - I just know what I know
I go where only the lonely can go

I’m first among equals - second to none
I’m last of the best - you can bury the rest
Bury ‘em naked with their silver and gold
Put ‘em six feet under and then pray for their souls

What are you lookin’ at - there’s nothing to see
Just a cool breeze encircling me
Let’s walk in the garden - so far and so wide
We can sit in the shade by the fountain side

I’ve searched the world over for the Holy Grail
I sing songs of love - I sing songs of betrayal
Don’t care what I drink - don’t care what I eat
I climbed a mountain of swords on my bare feet

You don’t know me darlin’ - you never would guess
I’m nothing like my ghostly appearance would suggest
I ain’t no false prophet - I just said what I said
I’m here to bring vengeance on somebody’s head

Put out your hand - there’s nothin’ to hold
Open your mouth - I’ll stuff it with gold
Oh you poor Devil - look up if you will
The City of God is there on the hill

Hello stranger - Hello and goodbye
You rule the land but so do I
You lusty old mule - you got a poisoned brain
I’m gonna marry you to a ball and chain

You know darlin’ the kind of life that I live
When your smile meets my smile - something’s got to give
I ain’t no false prophet - I’m nobody’s bride
Can’t remember when I was born and I forgot when I died
 

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time. Henry welcomes legendary rock star, Ezra Furman to talk about 1989's stand-out track from Oh Mercy, "Ring Them Bells."

Follow along with the lyrics below. Please stick around, after the credits for a  special full performance of Ring Them Bells by Ezra Furman, recorded originally for the https://dylanfansforharris.com/ livestream. 

Check out https://www.ezrafurman.com/ for tour and music info. Follow Ezra on Instagram and on Twitter @ezrafurman

Ring Them Bells

Written by: Bob Dylan

Ring them bells, ye heathen
From the city that dreams
Ring them bells from the sanctuaries
’Cross the valleys and streams
For they’re deep and they’re wide
And the world’s on its side
And time is running backwards
And so is the bride

Ring them bells St. Peter
Where the four winds blow
Ring them bells with an iron hand
So the people will know
Oh it’s rush hour now
On the wheel and the plow
And the sun is going down
Upon the sacred cow

Ring them bells Sweet Martha
For the poor man’s son
Ring them bells so the world will know
That God is one
Oh the shepherd is asleep
Where the willows weep
And the mountains are filled
With lost sheep

Ring them bells for the blind and the deaf
Ring them bells for all of us who are left
Ring them bells for the chosen few
Who will judge the many when the game is through
Ring them bells, for the time that flies
For the child that cries
When innocence dies

Ring them bells St. Catherine
From the top of the room
Ring them from the fortress
For the lilies that bloom
Oh the lines are long
And the fighting is strong
And they’re breaking down the distance
Between right and wrong
 

 

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If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time.

Henry welcomes David Lizerbram, co-host of Rock Docs Podcast, to talk about Bob Dylan's song, "Under The Red Sky," from the 1990 album, Under The Red Sky. 

Listen to Under The Red Sky

Follow along with the lyrics:

Under the Red Sky

Written by: Bob Dylan

There was a little boy and there was a little girl
And they lived in an alley under the red sky
There was a little boy and there was a little girl
And they lived in an alley under the red sky

There was an old man and he lived in the moon
One summer’s day he came passing by
There was an old man and he lived in the moon
And one day he came passing by

Someday little girl, everything for you is gonna be new
Someday little girl, you’ll have a diamond as big as your shoe

Let the wind blow low, let the wind blow high
One day the little boy and the little girl were both baked in a pie
Let the wind blow low, let the wind blow high
One day the little boy and the little girl were both baked in a pie

This is the key to the kingdom and this is the town
This is the blind horse that leads you around

Let the bird sing, let the bird fly
One day the man in the moon went home and the river went dry
Let the bird sing, let the bird fly
The man in the moon went home and the river went dry

Thank you to my guest David Lizerbram, co-host of the podcast Rock Docs!

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Bob Dylan - Outlaw Music Festival field report - September 6, 2024. Somerset, Wisconsin. Somerset amphitheater

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If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Henry answers some prompts on the Dylan Fans For Harris Livestream with a very special Mic Drop!Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack. Email us at [email protected] Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time.

Henry welcomes Adam Selzer to the show to talk about Bob Dylan's song, "Lenny Bruce," from the 1981 album, Shot Of Love. 

Listen to Lenny Bruce

Follow along with the lyrics here: 

Lenny Bruce

Written by: Bob Dylan

Lenny Bruce is dead but his ghost lives on and on
Never did get any Golden Globe award, never made it to Synanon
He was an outlaw, that’s for sure
More of an outlaw than you ever were
Lenny Bruce is gone but his spirit’s livin’ on and on

Maybe he had some problems, maybe some things that he couldn’t work out
But he sure was funny and he sure told the truth and he knew what he was talkin’ about
Never robbed any churches nor cut off any babies’ heads
He just took the folks in high places and he shined a light in their beds
He’s on some other shore, he didn’t wanna live anymore

Lenny Bruce is dead but he didn’t commit any crime
He just had the insight to rip off the lid before its time
I rode with him in a taxi once
Only for a mile and a half, seemed like it took a couple of months
Lenny Bruce moved on and like the ones that killed him, gone

They said that he was sick ’cause he didn’t play by the rules
He just showed the wise men of his day to be nothing more than fools
They stamped him and they labeled him like they do with pants and shirts
He fought a war on a battlefield where every victory hurts
Lenny Bruce was bad, he was the brother that you never had

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Here is a short field report from the Outlaw Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl on July 31, 2024.

Spoiler Alert - HENRY MET TONY GARNIER!

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If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast, where we explore the man and the music one song at a time.

Henry welcomes Christopher Vanni to the show to talk about Bob Dylan's North Country Blues from the 1964 album, The Times They Are A-Changin'. 

Listen to North Country Blues

and follow along with the lyrics:

North Country Blues

WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN

Come gather ’round friends

And I’ll tell you a tale

Of when the red iron pits ran plenty

But the cardboard filled windows

And old men on the benches

Tell you now that the whole town is empty

In the north end of town

My own children are grown

But I was raised on the other

In the wee hours of youth

My mother took sick

And I was brought up by my brother

The iron ore poured

As the years passed the door

The drag lines an’ the shovels they was a-humming

’Til one day my brother

Failed to come home

The same as my father before him

Well a long winter’s wait

From the window I watched

My friends they couldn’t have been kinder And my schooling was cut

As I quit in the spring

To marry John Thomas, a miner

Oh the years passed again

And the givin’ was good

With the lunch bucket filled every season

What with three babies born

The work was cut down

To a half a day’s shift with no reason

Then the shaft was soon shut

And more work was cut

And the fire in the air, it felt frozen

’Til a man come to speak

And he said in one week

That number eleven was closin’

They complained in the East

They are paying too high

They say that your ore ain’t worth digging

That it’s much cheaper down

In the South American towns

Where the miners work almost for nothing

So the mining gates locked

And the red iron rotted

And the room smelled heavy from drinking

Where the sad, silent song

Made the hour twice as long

As I waited for the sun to go sinking

I lived by the window

As he talked to himself

This silence of tongues it was building

Then one morning’s wake

The bed it was bare

And I’s left alone with three children

The summer is gone

The ground’s turning cold

The stores one by one they’re a-foldin’

My children will go

As soon as they grow

Well, there ain’t nothing here now to hold them

 

Follow Christopher Vanni @Vanni621 and check out his substack - https://christopherv.substack.com/

 

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.

Welcome to Songs of Experience: A Bob Dylan Podcast where we explore the man and the music one song at a time. 

In this episode, I take the show on the road to the home of my dear friend Roberta Rakove, to talk about the 1970 song, The Man In Me from the album New Morning.

You can follow Roberta @roberta_rakove on twitter.

Follow  @songsofbob, @henrybernstein.bsky.social

If you would like to support hosting my  podcasts, please check out my Patreon where for $5 I will give you a shout out on the podcast of your choice.  Thank you to, Rob Kelly, Roberta Rakove, Matt Simonson, Josh Taff, and Christopher Vanni. For $10, in addition to the shout-out I'll send you a surprise piece of vintage Bob Dylan merch! Thank you to Kaitie Cerovec who is already enjoying her merch! Thank you to Mark Godfrey and Peter White over on Substack.

Email us at [email protected]

Subscribe: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Substack.