Series of Dreams (1989) – Bob Dylan

I own the above single ‘for press release only’ CD. You could do worse considering Series of Dreams is arguably one of Bob Dylan’s greatest ‘non released’ songs. He left this ‘lost masterpiece’ off his critically acclaimed album Oh Mercy album, much to producer Daniel Lanois’ dismay. During a Sound Opinions interview broadcast on Chicago FM radio, Lanois told Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot that Series of Dreams was his pick for the opening track, but ultimately, the final decision was Dylan’s. Lanois loved that song, Dylan later recalled, “but I didn’t think it fit with the other stuff on the album“.

The song was recorded in 1989 in New Orleans, during a particularly creative ‘comeback’ period for Dylan. It is one of his most enigmatic and evocative songs of surrealistic imagery and to my senses nothing short of astounding. Lanois’ atmospheric production, characterized by its dense soundscapes and echoing effects, perfectly complemented Dylan’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics. Dylan himself described the song as a reflection of the fleeting nature of dreams, where one moment merges into the next without a clear beginning or end. “It’s a series of dreams,” Dylan sings, “Where nothing comes up to the top / Everything stays down where it’s wounded / And comes to a permanent stop.”

Series of Dreams never had a traditional concert inauguration. Unlike many of Dylan’s songs, which debuted live before being recorded, Series of Dreams remained a studio creation for years. It wasn’t until its release on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 in 1991 that the song reached the public ear and that is how I first heard it. Dylan has never performed Series of Dreams live. This absence from his set lists only adds to the song’s mystique, making it a hidden gem in Dylan’s vast catalogue.

[Verse 1]
I was thinking of a series of dreams
Where nothing comes up to the top
Everything stays down where it’s wounded
And comes to a permanent stop
Wasn’t thinking of anything specific
Like in a dream when someone wakes up and screams
Nothing too very scientific
Just thinking of a series of dreams

[Verse 2]
Thinking of a series of dreams
Where the time and the tempo fly
And there’s no exit in any direction
‘Cept the one that you can’t see with your eyes
Wasn’t making any great connection
Wasn’t falling for any intricate scheme
Nothing that would pass inspection
I was just thinking of a series of dreams

Dreams where the umbrella is folded
Down into the path you are hurled
And the cards are no good that you’re holding
Unless they’re from another world

[Verse 3]
In one, the surface was frozen
In another, I witnessed a crime
In one, I was running, and in another
All I seemed to be doing was climbing
Wasn’t looking for any special assistance
And not going to any great extremes
I’d already gone the distance
Just thinking of a series of dreams

Dreams where the umbrella is folded
Down into the path you are hurled
And the cards are no good that you’re holding
Unless they’re from another world

[Outro]
I’d already gone the distance
I was just thinking of a series of dreams
Just thinking of a series of dreams
Just thinking of a series of dreams

Dylan released a music video for the song below that consisted almost entirely of archival footage from the mid-1960s through the early 1990s but included a couple of new shots of a hooded-sweatshirt wearing Dylan wandering around an urban area. I’ll include here a story as reported by the Tampa Bay times when Dylan was picked up by a 24-year-old cop in New Jersey a few years ago.

References:
1. Series of Dreams – Wikipedia

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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand