Jokerman by Bob Dylan

What can be said about Bob Dylan’s “Jokerman” that has not been said already? As one does ultimately tend to wonder, and I hesitantly admit to as much. I know little about the song origin, could it be from a 1983 record that went by the name of “Infidels?” as “Empire Burlesque” sounds incorrect in my mind; and that is a record from 1985, no? This song has a nice little tropical Disco beat and a dorky 1980’s bass line, and is that the dweeb from Dire Straits that I hear all up on the lead guitar bits?

“Keeping one step ahead from the bisexual pirate within…”

Not exactly the correct lyric there, but similar. The fun thing about Dylan is that he does not sing in clear English, and the listener is left to make up his or her own lyrics. This is a lyrically brilliant cut that makes Christianity seem totally awesome, and perhaps it is? I will leave that for you to decide, but I do believe that this record was the very tail-end of Bob’s fascination with the imagery and the deep spirituality of the Christian faith. It wasn’t easy to write a lyrically substantial inspired Pop Ballad in the 80’s, but we must give Dylan mad kudos for making it come to fruition, magically somehow.

It is a fantastically groovy little number that creates lovely images in my noodle…It’s like being a Christian Scientist or something, man! Some deeply meditative shit indeed, and the harmonica touches kick poodle. I interpret this song as an endless array of adventure sagas as appropriated with a bizarre religious fervor that is very much unique to Dylan of the time frame, it was simply where he was at...and it was a fairly interesting place in some respects. Sure, he’s been better elsewhere, but “Jokerman” happens to be one of his better individual cuts, in my opinion.



Kind regards,

Mozart Breath