That’s right. I said it. Rap. Subterranean Homesick Blues is a rap song. Deal with it.
Oh, and Subterranean Homesick Blues is a great rap song. A great song period. There’s shedloads of info about it on Wikipedia. It’s a good read.
Personally, I love the song for it’s feel and shape, and for the very interesting lyrics. In fact, if I were the sort of pretentious internet blogging types who like to analyze lyrics endlessly and toss out pompous words like “zeitgest”, I would do just that.
Ah, what the hey? Just take these with a grain of salt, as I’m really doing them off the top of my head.
The first four lines of the first verse apparently refer to LSD, at least according to the Wikipedia article.
I believe the next four lines refer to what was once known as the “blue flu”, a phrase I haven’t heard in a long time. Because police were not allowed to strike by law, instead all of the officers would call in sick at the same time, there way of protesting for higher wages.
I believe that the “ducking down the alley” line is a reference to soliciting a male prostitute.
Sadly, no good idea about the man in the coonskin cap.
I believe the first eight lines from verse number two refer to the widespread belief (and possible truth) about the FBI wiretapping pretty much anyone they felt like for whatever reason.
The rest of the verse refers to a handful of different things. The fire hose line is easily a reference to the civil rights movement and the use of fire hoses to dispel peaceful demonstrations. The references to keeping a clean nose and watching the plainclothes likely have more to do with police entrapment than cocaine, and I imagine the ‘No Doz” reference is about amphetamines. Finally, I didn’t realize that the Weathermen took their cue from Dylan and not vice versa, but there you go.
Other than the parking meters possibly being a reference to Cool Hand Luke, I don’t have a good idea as to what most of the third verse is about.
The first part of the fourth verse is sort of a story of life sort of thing, with bitter discontent about some of the realities of being a scholar. The rest deals with the idea that going underground is the best way of life–although that’s said somewhat tongue-in-cheek as well.
Okay, enough of me blathering. Please feel free to add your own opinions. Here’s a link to the famous D.A. Pennebaker film clip
And of course, the lyrics:
Johnny’s in the basement
Mixing up the medicine
I’m on the pavement
Thinking about the government
The man in the 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 alley way
Lookin’ for a new friend
The man in the coon-skin cap
In the big pen
Wants eleven dollar bills
You only got ten
Maggie comes fleet foot
Face full of black soot
Talkin’ that the heat put
Plants in the bed but
The phone’s tapped anyway
Maggie says that 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 try “No Doz”
Better stay away from those
That carry around a fire hose
Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don’t need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows
Get sick, get well
Hang around a ink well
Ring bell, hard to tell
If anything is goin’ to sell
Try hard, get barred
Get back, write braille
Get jailed, jump bail
Join the army, if you fail
Look out kid
You’re gonna get hit
By users, cheaters
Six-time losers
Hang around the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin’ for a new fool
Don’t follow leaders
Watch the parkin’ meters
Ah 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
Twenty 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 wanna be a bum
You better chew gum
The pump don’t work
‘Cause the vandals took the handles
