"Some people don't get it; they don't have a clue..." Bob Dylan NYC 11/21/21 - To Be Alone With You
Artur Artist presents "The Casper Collection"
Published at : 03 Jan 2022
Dylan's passionate reworking of "To Be Alone With You" turns a straightforward love song from 1969's Nashville Skyline into something more complicated:
A bit mystical, perhaps?
And, dare I say, a tad creepy?
"To be alone with you, even for just an hour, in a castle high, in an ivory tower..." - Lovely.
"I'll hound you to death, that's just what I'll do..." - Is that a promise or a threat? Sounds kind of "stalky."
Then that last mysterious verse: "What happened to me, darling?/What was it ya saw?/ Did I kill somebody?/Did I escape the law?/ Ya know, my heart's in my mouth / My eyes are still blue..."
The last line could be a throw-away - or, Bob bringing it all back home with a nod to Hank Williams. As in, "Why don't you love me like you used to do?/ Why do you treat me like a worn-out shoe?/ My hair is still curly and my eyes are still blue/ Why don't you love me like you used to do?"
My opinion for what it's worth.
But, no matter. Whatever you take from it, the song is yet another powerful performance from an outstanding tour. May we all have that much focus and energy when we're 80 - and have as much fun as Dylan certainly seems to be on stage!
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