Dear faste37, jim, and all others who appreciated my analysis.
In my opinion there can be little doubt that Dylan had the Vietnam war
in mind, whatever he may have said afterwards, he wouldn't have
admitted it if someone had confronted him with this interpretation
anyway. It fits perfectly only with the antiwar theme. Can you think
of any woman who would have asked her lover to close his heart for
her? And do you have any doubt what the prevailing opinion about the
song would have been in the sixties had even one person thought of
this interpretation? Somehow that had to be far beyond the frame of
reference of those living in the United States at the time, and maybe
it's no coincidence that it had to wait to be deciphered by someone
who was not born here.
And a couple of things of secondary I didn't include in the analysis
that I think you may find interesting:
"Someone who will die for you *and more*". What more would a lover
ask? The ultimate ideal of romantic love is the self-sacrifice for
one's lover. But there is something more than a soldier is asked to do
in war: to kill, sometimes even innocent women and children
("collateral damage"). Being asked to risk your life for your country
is one thing; being asked to kill women and children, something done
regularly in a war, is another. Many who wouldn't object to the first
would certainly object to the second.
Another point: "Go melt back in the night". This seems to be a direct
reference to another song written for the American flag: "Oh, say can
you see, by the dawn's early light...". But then it was the dawn, by
1964 it was dark...
Also: The album came out on May 2, 1964 (I may be a day off). "By
coincidence", on that same day the largest until then antiwar
demonstration took place at the UN
(http://lists.village.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Resources/Primary/Manifestos/PL_M2d_manifesto.html)
So the antiwar sentiment "was in the air" during the previous few
months, and Dylan, who was so much in tune with his times, was
certainly well aware of it; I would even bet that he knew some of the
participants of the demonstration, and no doubt some they were among
his audience.
So, I am happy I helped you appreciate the song in a fresh light, If
only I could decipher more Dylan songs... But that is not something
you pursue, it just comes to you when you least expect it.
Peace,
Eustace
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "feste37" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Excellent analysis. That this was an anti-war song had never
> occurred to me before, but seems obvious now.
>
> --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Eustace" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
>
> >
> > (From http://www.geocities.com/itaintme_babe/itaintme.html)
> >
> > _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
> >
> > LITERARY CRITICISM
> >
> > IT AIN'T ME, BABE
> >
> > by Bob Dylan
> >
> > Go 'way from my window,
> > Leave at your own chosen speed.
> > I'm not the one you want, babe,
> > I'm not the one you need.
> > You say you're lookin' for someone
> > Who's never weak but always strong,
> > To protect you an' defend you
> > Whether you are right or wrong,
> > Someone to open each and every door,
> >
> > But it ain't me, babe,
> > No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
> > It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.
> >
> > Go lightly from the ledge, babe,
> > Go lightly on the ground.
> > I'm not the one you want, babe,
> > I will only let you down.
> > You say you're lookin' for someone
> > Who will promise never to part,
> > Someone to close his eyes for you,
> > Someone to close his heart,
> > Someone who will die for you an' more,
> >
> > But it ain't me, babe,
> > No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
> > It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.
> >
> > Go melt back in the night,
> > Everything inside is made of stone.
> > There's nothing in here moving
> > An' anyway I'm not alone.
> > You say you're looking for someone
> > Who'll pick you up each time you fall,
> > To gather flowers constantly
> > An' to come each time you call,
> > A lover for your life an' nothing more,
> >
> > But it ain't me, babe,
> > No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
> > It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.
> >
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