[Verse 9]
Now they asked me to read a poem
At the sorority sisters home
Ah got knocked down and my head was swimmin’
I wound up with the Dean of Women
Yippee! I’m a poet, and I know it
Hope I don’t blow it
On June 14th this year, I wrote an article on Dylan’s Ring Them Bells and fellow blogger aficionado Nancy at The Sicilian Storyteller responded, ‘I have great memories of teaching a modified version of this song to our church’s Children’s Choir. Luckily for me the pastor at the time was a Dylan fan!‘ Her comment rejigged my memory of when I as Division leader led my team to sing for Music Night today’s featured track – ‘I Shall Be Free No 10’. I always considered it Dylan’s funniest lyricism and wordplay in a song. What flabbergasted me was when I searched No. 10 in my music library project I couldn’t find it. Like yesterday’s Tom Petty’s track – I Won’t Back Down I had (nearly unforgivably so) let it slip beneath the cracks.
A lot of people think that Bob Dylan’s 1965 masterpiece Subterranean Homesick Blues may well have been the first ever ‘Rap‘ song, but one could argue that I Shall Be Free No. 10 which precedes it, exhibits predominant features of the rap genre including the following:
– Dylan’s rhythmic spoken delivery set to a consistent beat or rhythm,
– How it features an ‘improvisational feel’, clever wordplay, cultural references, and a stream-of-consciousness style, elements that are central to many rap lyrics, and
– social and political commentary, and Dylan’s song, though humorous and absurdist, touches on contemporary issues and critiques, similar to how many rap songs address societal themes.
Nestled in the middle of his album Another Side of Bob Dylan (which was one of the first I procured in my Dylan journey) I Shall Be Free No. 10 as alluded to above is a delightful blend of humor, social commentary, and what can only be described as proto-rap. It is the whimsical sequel to Dylan’s earlier song I Shall Be Free from his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. While its predecessor was a more straightforward folk tune, “No. 10” dives headfirst into a rambling, free-associative monologue that showcases Dylan’s knack for improvisation.
Recorded in just one session on June 9, 1964, this track captures the spontaneity and wit that characterized much of Dylan’s early work. It has garnered a cult following among Dylan aficionados such as yours truly who appreciate its offbeat charm and sharp humor.
[Verse 1]
I’m just average, common too
I’m just like him, and the same as you
I’m everybody’s brother and son
I ain’t different than anyone
Ain’t no use a-talk to me
It’s just the same as talkin’ to you
[Verse 2]
I was shadow boxing early in the day
I figured I was ready for Cassius Clay
I said “Fee, fie, fo, fum, Cassius Clay, here I come
26, 27, 28, 29, I’m gonna’ make your face look just like mine
Five, four, three, two, one, Cassius Clay you’d better run
99, 100, 101, 102, your ma won’t even recognize you
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, gonna knock him clean right out of his spleen”
[Verse 3]
Well, I don’t know, but I’ve been told
The streets of heaven are lined with gold
I ask ya’ how things could get much worse
If the Russians happen to get up there first
Wowee! Pretty scary!
[Verse 4]
Now, I’m liberal, but to a degree
I want everybody to be free
But if you think I’ll let Barry Goldwater
Move in next door and marry my daughter
You must think I’m crazy!
I wouldn’t let him do it for all the farms in Cuba
[Verse 5]
Well, I set my monkey on the log
And ordered him to do the Dog
He wagged his tail and shook his head
And he went and did the Cat instead
He’s a weird monkey, very funky
[Verse 6]
I sat with my high-heeled sneakers on
Waitin’ to play tennis in the noonday sun
I had my white shorts rolled up past my waist
And my wig-hat was fallin’ in my face
But they wouldn’t let me on the tennis court
[Verse 7]
I got a woman, she’s so mean
She sticks my boots in the washing machine
Sticks me with buckshot when I’m nude
Puts bubblegum in my food
She’s funny, wants my money, calls me “honey”
[Verse 8]
Now I got a friend who spends his life
Stabbin’ my picture with a Bowie knife
Dreams of stranglin’ me with a scarf
When my name comes up he pretends to barf
I got a million friends!
[Verse 9]
Now they asked me to read a poem
At the sorority sisters home
Ah got knocked down and my head was swimmin’
I wound up with the Dean of Women
Yippee! I’m a poet, and I know it
Hope I don’t blow it
[Verse 10]
I’m gonna grow my hair down to my feet so strange
So I look like a walking mountain range
And I’m gonna’ ride into Omaha on a horse
Out to the country club and the golf course
Carryin’ The New York Times, shoot a few holes, blow their minds
[Verse 11]
Now you’re probably wonderin’ by now
Just what this song is all about
What’s probably got you baffled more
Is what this thing here is for:
(plays song’s riff)
It’s nothin’
It’s sumpin’ I learned over in England!
References:
1. I Shall Be Free No. 10 – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Sometimes it’s hard to believe this is the same Bob Dylan that released Tangled Up In Blue…and I don’t mean that bad…it’s just so different because it’s more folk.
Kinda like going from I Want To Hold Your Hand to Strawberry Fields. It’s cool to track artists development.
Yeh, I get where you are coming from, but it’s hard to compare ‘anything’ let alone ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ with ‘I Shall Be Free No. 10’. Although I understand you are not making that comparison rather the point about ‘artistic development’ in each group / artist timeline. And it’s a good point.
First time I heard that song. Wow! Based on the last verse, I kind of think Dylan himself didn’t quite know what it is about. From “Another Side of Bob Dylan,” I only knew “All I Really Want to Do”, “Black Cow Blues”, “Chimes of Freedom”, “My Back Pages” and “It Ain’t Me Babe.”
I think ‘Chimes of Freedom’ was one of my first Dylan songs that I absolutely adored as well as ‘My Back Pages’. My flame has now dimmed on those two songs. ‘All I Really..’ I still love as well ‘Shall Be Free No. 10’. I hope you liked the latter, it being your first listen.