Subterranean Homesick Blues (1965) – Bob Dylan

Subterranean Homesick Blues is the pinnacle as far as counter-establishment songs are concerned. A lot of people think that this masterpiece may well have been the first ever song which exhibited 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.
Subterranean Homesick Blues is in my top 10 Bob Dylan songs from this decade’s output.

The title for the song refers to a nostalgia for the Beat generation. In 1958, Jack Kerouac wrote The Subterraneans – a semi-autobiographical work documenting the lives of urban youth in the Beat generation. For this, the contemporaneous Beat poet Allen Ginsberg referred to the beat poets as “Subterraneans” to highlight the underground nature of their illicit activities. The documentary about Dylan’s 1965 England Tour, Don’t Look Back, opens with the music video below for the song where Allen Ginsberg can be seen standing in the background.

[Verse 1]
Johnny’s in the basement, mixin’ up the medicine
I’m on the pavement, thinkin’ about the government
The man in a trench coat, badge out, laid off
Says he’s got a bad cough, wants to get it paid off
Look out kid, it’s somethin’ you did
God knows when, but you’re doin’ it again
You better duck down the alleyway, looking for a new friend
The man in the coon-skin cap in a pig pen
Wants 11 dollar bills – you only got 10

[Verse 2]
Maggie comes fleet foot, face full of black soot
Talkin’ that the heat put plants in the bed, but
Phone’s tapped anyway
Maggie says the many say
They must bust in early May
Orders from the D.A
Look out kid, don’t matter what you did
Walk on your tip toes, don’t tie no bows
Better stay away from those that carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose, watch the plainclothes
You don’t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows

[Verse 3]
Oh, get sick, get well, hang around a ink well
Hang bail, hard to tell if anything is gonna sell
Try hard, get barred, get back, ride rail
Get jailed, jump bail, join the Army if you fail
Look out kid, you’re gonna get hit
By losers, cheaters, six-time users
Hanging ’round the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool’s looking for a new fool
Don’t follow leaders, a-watch the parking meters

[Verse 4]
Oh, get born, keep warm
Short pants, romance
Learn to dance, get dressed
Get blessed, try to be a success
Please her, please him, buy gifts
Don’t steal, don’t lift
20 years of schoolin’ and they put you on the day shift
Look out kid, they keep it all hid
Better jump down a manhole, light yourself a candle
Don’t wear sandals, try to avoid the scandals
Don’t want to be a bum, you better chew gum
The pump don’t work ’cause the vandals took the handles

Subterranean Homesick Blues was recorded on January 14, 1965, and released as a single by Columbia Records. It is the first track on the album Bringing It All Back Home, released some two weeks later. It was Dylan’s first Top 40 hit in the United States, peaking at number 39 on the Billboard. It also entered the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. It is ranked 187th on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. John Lennon was reported to find the song so captivating that he did not know how he would be able to write a song that could compete with it.

One of Dylan’s first electric recordings, Subterranean Homesick Blues is also notable for its innovative music video which is often considered one of the earliest examples of a promotional video, and holds a significant place in cultural history. This low-budget, minimalist approach influenced countless musicians and directors, showing that storytelling and creativity could trump flashy production. I recently wrote how the Argentine Rock singer songwriter Andres Calamaro in his fantastic song – Te Quiero Igual (I Love You Just the Same) did a pretty sweet Bob Dylan tribute using the signage imagery in his own video.
The cue cards were written by Donovan, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Neuwirth and Dylan himself. The clip was shot in an alley close to the Savoy Hotel in London. The Savoy Hotel has retained much of its exterior as it was in 1965, and the alley used in the film has been identified as the Savoy Steps.

References:
1. Subterranean Homesick Blues – Wikipedia
2. Subterranean Homesick Blues – Genius

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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