Bob Dylan: Still Relevant... most of the time

Bob Dylan is easily the most influential writer of his generation. I don't mean song-writer either, but in terms of a person putting words down on paper that get into the atmosphere and alter the way that people view the world. When my students ask me who the greatest American poets are, I always say Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and Bob Dylan.

Dylan's early work is absolutely poetry put to music. I could teach a multitude of literary devices using "Mr. Tambourine Man" alone. In recent years, I think that Dylan's lyrics have become more introspective and observant about life itself, and less about the unique mixing of words that his songs used to rely more upon. In a way, to me his lyrics are more powerful than ever and I admire him more for his blunt wisdom than just about anyone else I've read.

A new Dylan collection, "Tell Tale Signs," was recently released. Among the songs is one of my favorites, "Most of the Time." One thing I think that has been overlooked or under-rated over the years are Dylan's love songs. His romantic tunes like "The Girl From the North Country" or "If Not For You" are simply beautiful. As a matter of fact, I've sent several of his lyrics to my wife, never telling her who the author was, just for the sheer romantic grace of the sentiment. And Dylan's lost-love songs, like "Tangled Up in Blue," "Ballad in Plain D," or "Love Sick" cut so accurately the pain of a broken heart, you almost internally hurt when considering them. A song from this later category is "Most of the Time." I'll reprint the lyrics below.

Most of the time

I'm clear focused all around
Most of the time
I can keep both feet on the ground
I can follow the path
I can read the sign
Stay right with it when the road unwinds
I can handle whatever
I stumble upon
I don't even notice she's gone
Most of the time.

Most of the time it's well understood
Most of the time I wouldn't
change it if I could
I can make it all match up
I can hold my own
I can deal with the situation
right down to the bone
I can survive and I can endure
And I don't even think about her
Most of the time.

Most of the time my head is on straight
Most of the time I'm strong enough not to hate
I don't build up illusion 'til it makes me sick
I ain't afraid of confusion no matter how thick
I can smile in the face of mankind
Don't even remember what her
lips felt like on mine
Most of the time.

Most of the time she ain't even in my mind
I wouldn't know her if I saw her
She's that far behind
Most of the time I can even be sure
If she was ever with me
Or if I was ever with her

Most of the time I'm halfway content
Most of the time I know exactly where it went
I don't cheat on myself I don't run and hide
Hide from the feelings that are buried inside
I don't compromise and I don't pretend
I don't even care if I ever see her again
Most of the time.

What I love so much about this song is the angry "fuck you" of a lot of the lyrics, that is then subdued with "most of the time." He says things like "Most of time she ain't even on my mind. I wouldn't know if I saw her. She's that far behind." Those are angry words. There's a major "eat shit and die" kind of feeling for the broken-hearted in them, which he later follows up with "I don't even care if I ever see her again... most of the time." It's that wonderful turning of that last phrase, which sounds more defiant when it leads off the lines, but is totally fragile when it ends them, that I find to be so brilliant. You know the speaker here, who's shooting off so much verbal venom, would take this girl back if she gave him the chance. We'd ALL do that. We've ALL been there. And it's that painfully (literally!) accurate take on love and relationships that I think is such evidence of Bob Dylan's abilities as a writer and as a chronicler of the human experience. It's not so much poetry any more. It's just dead-on observation and emotion.

So next chance you get, give "Most of the Time" a listen. The song can be found originally on the album "Oh Mercy" and more recently, in different form, on "Tell Tale Signs."