Jokerman - Hip Hop Fan Reacts To Bob Dylan 

I’m a 60+ year old American man. Your reactions have been chronicling the soundtrack of my life. In the process, you’ve made me analyze lyrics that I’ve sung-along-to my entire life, but never considered their deeper meaning. Your insights are interesting and sometimes profound. There are times when you may mis-analyze, due to a lack of historical or regional context, but even those few missteps are interesting. I hope you’re finding making this channel satisfying, because watching it certainly is.

I love how much Dylan has been on the channel lately, and when I saw this one pop up I clicked on it immediately because I had to know your thoughts on “It’s a shadowy world, skies are slippery gray,” and whether that line would stick out to you. You never disappoint.

Don't know if you're the first youtube "reactioneer" to truly consider a song to the depth it deserves before passing judgement either way - but you're doing an excellent job.👍🏼

"Positively 4th Street", "I Want You" and "Just Like A Women" .. to name a few by Bob.

Another genuine classic from the great man. I honestly believe that no other songwriter can touch him. Your reactions to Bob Dylan are brilliant, Syed. I'm really enjoying your journey down the Dylan rabbit hole. One thing is for sure; you will never want or need to get out.

Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits is producer and guitarist - so clear recognizable. The reaggae icons Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, but Mick Taylor were also guest musicians, but don't remember which tracks. I love the whole album✌and the harmonica!!!

Always Bob. Thanks for this one! I'll always click for more Bob.

Positively 4th street

Great reaction and feeling for the song. Dylan wrestling with the conflict between the spiritual and the secular and as ever, leaving us all to find our own way through it. It’s the duality, the ability to hold the tension between contradictions and make art of it, as well as his astonishing lyricism, which makes Dylan so unique. For something astonishing and different, try his “Brownsville Girls”. Often described as the most cinematic song ever written, it puts images in your head in a way that no one else can.

Bob at the lyrical genius level on this one .. also, one of his best vocals, IMO. #theMaster

Dylan is evocative. He wants you to think x create mental colors for yourself. His ambiguity is legendary. He told Joan Baez, who had painstakingly analyzed a lyric of his that " 100 years from now they'll tell you what it's about, but I don't know what it's about", x would round it out with wry laughter .

I believe the line "you were born with a snake in both fists" is a reference to Samson (of the Samson & Delilah story). So many interesting references in this one song!

Anybody remember the Bob Dylan Old Time Radio Hour... Something like that. It was on Sirius, but they have some here. He would pick a topic, nothing deep, like "Cars" and play anything from Blind Willie McTell, to RUN-DMC if he liked it, and it was about cars. And he would read poetry, quotes, or sometimes just get poetic on his own. It was great! There were some episodes on RU-vid.

Still pushing for Bob Dylans 115th Dream. I reckon you'll love the lyrics

Sly and Robbie providing the great rhythm section and two of my favorite guitarists Mick Taylor and Mark Knopfler on guitars, I think this is Dylan's most underrated album. Love every song especially Sweetheart Like You, License to Kill and Neighborhood Bully.

"resting in the fields far from the turbulent space, half asleep 'neath the stars with a small dog licking your face" Love that imagery.

My final comment, Dylan’s song list is practically bottomless with dozens of choices worthy to stand the test of time. Had he, for example, only written Chimes of Freedom or Hard Rain or Forever Young or Hattie Carrol, etc he would have done more than enough. Thank you for your work and helping to share that which should not be forgotten or overlooked.

Positively 4th Street.

I absolutely *have to* recommend you check out the live performance that Dylan did on Letterman in 1984 - his backing band for that show was this Chicano LA punk band he had randomly recruited and been playing with, and that was the one show they did - and it is AMAZING and LEGENDARY. They do an uptempo “punk” version of this song that just…. It’s one of the very best things he’s ever done. It almost HURTS to hear this studio version because it’s so draggy and such a slog compared to that majestic live version.

Loving the dylan reactions, should check out the punk version of this song he did on letterman in 1984. Thanks

You would love Dignity and Series of Dreams

Love when you cover a Dylan song. I think you'd get a real kick out of positively 4th street

Great again. His 89 album ‘Oh mercy’ even non Dylan fans like a lot. Every song. One of his big comebacks.

Man, how Dylan lights up my mind! 💕

Time to check out “Gotta Serve Somebody” or “Slow Train”!

I've said it for years his imagery is so strong it's like a film coming out of your speakers, amazing album, Man of Peace and I and I, Love your reactions

The line of the riffleman and the preacherman isn't that they are the same, but they seek the same but for opposite reasons. I'm pretty sure that's the meaning

Just discovered your channel, really great breakdown of this song. It's one of my favorite Dylan tracks, you brought out some things I'd never thought of before. One thing to maybe add: the line about nobody wanting to marry your sister, in Genesis, when Abraham went to Egypt he told his wife to tell everyone she was just his sister because she was very beautiful and he was worried other men would try and k*ll him to get her. The pharaoh ended up taking her as his consort, but was told, I think in a dream or by one of his wise-men, that she was really the wife of Abraham and terrible things would start to happen in Egypt if he didn't return her to Abraham. I don't know what Dylan could mean with this in the context of the song, but maybe that's where the imagery comes from. Once again, great video!

This song/album reminds me of being with my not yet husband in our early days, Late 80s. We constantly played it. This and the “ Street Legal” album. Both great, so many great Dylan albums out there. The song called “New Pony” has a cool vibe I think you would like. Also “Gotta Serve Somebody” , “Call Letter Blues” is so good too. One of my favorite Dylan Songs is “ Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands”

Sweetheart like you off the same album is awesome too

You have some great insights into the lyrics! I have listened to this for decades and you have given me a new outlook on a song I have loved forever...

I've been following your Dylan journey and throughly appreciating it. You often cause me to return to Dylan songs I've known for ever and consider the lyrics again. I'm in my 40s, and my parents loved Dylan, so I grew up with his music and this was a song I remember very clearly dancing around to when my parents played it (on vinyl of course) when I was a young child. Always loved it. As I got older I explored all the different Dylan eras and despite neither being Christian nor religious, I find really wonderful tracks among this Christian period of his career. I would recommend two more songs from this era - 'Trouble' and 'Property Of Jesus' (despite its title, that track is a banger).

I love the way you break down a song, more than reaction it is analysis at the same time.

Keeping one step ahead of the persecutor within.. his duality again..

Dammit. Been waiting for you and notify didn't go off. Jokerman; I promise you will love this. Aaagh, can't wait. Proceed with speed...Syed!

Excellent reaction. Infidels, is one of Dylans best albums and a classic rock & roll album. His albums, Slow train coming, and Saved, show him at his highest level of creativity and spiritual anointing!!

The reference in the first verse to the person who was born with a snake in both of his fists, is a reference to Hercules in Greek mythology. Within the first two verses, you have a reference to a Greek mythological hero, Christ, walking on the water, And two books of the law in the Old Testament. Three distinct religious/mythological traditions coming together very quickly in one song.

I've been enjoying your reaction videos for quite some time. Thanks for doing them! They're very well done & nice job with your interpretations, especially on the Bob Dylan content. I've been a huge Dylan fan since I was very young. (My parents had his first Greatest Hits album. I remember wearing out the first song on side 2 of the LP; picking up the needle and dropping it back down to hear 'Mr. Tambourine Man' over and over again!) Anyway, I made a list of songs for you to listen to and maybe do reactions to in the future. The first one is 'Visions of Johanna', which is one of his early, brilliant classics. The rest I've purposely chosen from his later catalog. They were chosen because I really enjoy them musically, and would like you to enjoy them as well. They were also chosen because I've either analyzed them (to the best of my ability!) or am currently in the process of analyzing them, and would really like to hear your opinion! Aside from 'Visions of Johanna' (mentioned just above), they are: Man In The Long Black Coat Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum Honest With Me Narrow Way Ain't Talkin' Crossing the Rubicon Many people think these later songs don't compare to his early writing. All I can say is that personally, I love all of it, old and new! Like I did in my above mention of Mr. Tambourine Man, when I was 6 years old (and I'll be 60 in a few months), I find myself going back to all of Dylan's stuff, over and over again. In closing, here's a quote from the late Leven Helm from 'The Band' in an interview he gave a year or two before his passing: "We're fortunate to be alive at the same time as Bob Dylan."

Delighted you're doing so much Dylan 😁 You'd love Blind Willie McTell I think (I'll stop talking about it now). Have you considered reacting to a full album, like Highway 61 Revisited or Blood on the Tracks?

Who is the "Jokerman?" Is he God? I don't know. Author and English literature lecturer Aiden Day addressed that question in his book "Jokerman: Reading the Lyrics of Bob Dylan" (1988). I'm not sure his analysis is any more clarifying than Dylan's lyrics but it may be In any event, Dylan's thought-provoking lyrics are a wonder and a challenge. You are blazing new ground on RU-vid with your intelligent efforts to interpret the master's lyrics.

This one and "Series Of Dreams" always go together on my mixes! Thanks for another fun reaction!

Not only Dylan but Mark Knopfler on guitar and Sly Dunbar and Robbie Skakespeare - both well known reggae artists.

He took possession of his fame. He wouldn't let it define his existence.

There was leonard cohen & his bobness & thats IT ! no one has ever come close as a solo artist.

Great track. Great album. If you want to do another "throwaway" track that Dylan never released but is a true gem, try Mama You've Been on My Mind. Some of my favorite lyrics Dylan has ever done. First verse : Perhaps it's the color of the sun cut flat And covering the crossroads I'm standing at Or maybe it's the weather or something like that But mama, you been on my mind

I am not sure there is any way to truly interpret Dylan but you do as good a job as anyone I have heard. Very thoughtful on your part. How about doing “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall” by Dylan?

Great song.the official video is tops.👍✌️🙏

Jokerman, mystery tramp, jack of hearts and other examples I can't remember right now. Dylan has always been the star in his own show.

Currently my favorite Dylan song. Somehow he became a singer..

Oh mercy will blow you away . The last 6songs on the album is finest writing you will ever hear.

Haven't done hard rain yet....please do his live version in 1994 in Tokyo with a full Japanese orchestra. INCREDIBLE song he wrote at age 21. Will make you weep but at the same time inspiring you to always fight to stand. Thanx for these great dylan reactions

Dylan is Dylan, sometimes self reflective, sometimes reflecting social conditions, sometimes seemingly just stringing things together for the sheer joy of their sound together. Almost all of it good. If you like Dylan I’ll recommend you to Sixto Rodriquez, subject of the Academy Award winning documentary “Searching For Sugarman”. Great story and an equally great songwriter, often reflecting the grit of his life on the streets of Detroit. Try “Crucify Your Mind” (the ordinal studio version).

He was one of the first musicians that wrote autobiographical songs,.

Cool analysis.

Bob Dylan for ever 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🎸

I kinda love you Syed because you just love Dylan so much! I do feel you've been touched by his genius and beauty.

Nice job!

One of my all time favorite Dylan songs AND albums. This one, along with Blood on the Tracks and Highway 61 Revisited all tie for first.

Artists can spend a lifetime writing one sublime line, yet Dylan can pack 10 in 1 song.

Most remarkable when you've just listened to Pressing On.

I always thought it was about the Antichrist. Every verse fits.

Really great song from Bob Dylan, I thought you might have noticed Mark Knopfler on beautiful clean electric guitar.

Love this song.

Couldn't imagine this song without Mark Knopfler.

Keep it up man

I just dig that you’re diggin’ it.

Syed, excellent choices so far with Dylan and on your channel in general. However, for this reaction, it would have been so much better if you had reacted to the "Bob Dylan - Jokerman (Official HD Video)" That video has the lyrics and the official video adds so much more to the experience. It is one of the finest combinations of video and song of the Rock era. Do check it out and consider doing a 2nd reaction specifically to the official video, because of the visual details that Dylan presents. They are as important as anything in the audio only version. Since that video has the lyrics added, you do not need a separate lyric sheet.

Sodom and Gomorah - Lot's sister is in the story. She turned into a pillar of salt for looking back

Bob’s voice fits his songs!

you have the best bob dylan reactions

The rhyming scheme is really interesting in the verses. I didn't really notice it until I learned to play the song. And the phrasing - try singing that line that starts 'Night sticks, water cannons...'.

I thought the line about staying one step ahead of his persecutor was more telling, easily as reflexive. Great reaction. 👍

Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler classic duet!!

Middle of the road

Awesome album and reaction

Video that goes to this song gives good insight and imagery

You gotta do "idiot wind" and "black diamond bay".

Great song and album some more great songs on it

I always liked. Union Sundown off this album . My favorite Dylan song is Tangled Up In Blue

No time to think.

Minoan Snake Goddess holds a snake in each hand.

Bob Dylan is a brilliant singer - Check Blind Willie McTell.

Freedom just around the corner from you With the truth so far off what good would it do That's the phrase in that song I am interested in what others think I always loved that turn of phrase

Where Dire Straits’, Sly & Robbie’s, and Dylan’s paths all cross. 💫

Listen to Last Thoughts of Woody Guthrie, She's Your Lover Now, Highlands, Angelina... so many

My mother had an 8 track of Bob that was one of the 3 tapes we owned when I was a kid. They came with the station wagon my mother bought. The other two were ABBA and Gordon Lightfoot. Bob got played the most. Love this music. But now it's time for some TOOL. My suggestion is "the pot". React to tool and the tool army will come to watch you.

So what do you make of the middle of verse 5: night sticks, water cannons, molotov cocktails & rocks behind every curtail?

Post 60s Dylan lovein

Ups! He didn't really became an "Infidel". He just changed his format of writing, so to speak, leaving aside the style of directly proselitizing with his songs. The term secular is kind of ambiguous because it doesn't really tells us what he thinks about some issues or position in life, is he really Secular in the sense of deffending secularism, or a non-religious view? This is viewed as a return to secular music mainly because of the creative approach, which I personally enjoy more, although I enjoy some of his proselitizing or more direct songs in the message - or ideas he's putting forward. But ideas can be expressed in many ways.

I think you might like Dylan’s ‘Ain’t Talkin’. A tale of a man’s spiritual journey in the violent landscape of life. A man who is looking for redemption although he’s tried to live a good life. That’s my interpretation anyway, you may hear it differently. The song was released around 2005 on the album “Modern Times. There is something haunting about it, but still hopeful. Seems like Dylan is looking back over a long life. At times it Reminds me of a Bach fugue. I would like to get others take on this little known track.

I'd say his best

I don't know if you can, but can you react to Bob's "License to Kill"?

I’ve read that Bob Dylan didn’t like the finished product of this song. This from song facts: Bob Dylan is not a big fan of this song, or the Infidels album in general. Dylan told Song Facts: "That's a song that got away from me. Lots of songs on that album got away from me. They just did." Dylan added: "They were better before they were tampered with. Of course, it was me tampering with them. Yeah. That could have been a good song. It could've been."

Back when Whites were fighting integration one of the White arguments was would you want one of them to marry your sister? I think this line is a throwback to that time.

Some sounds just like pianoman

A couple quick bits of info on the album that may help your appreciation . The title is a deliberate misspelling of Gunslinger outlaw John Hardin. Everything he says about the legendary figure is a lie. The descriptions of St. Augustine are filled w obvious historical malaprops. The music feels very comfortable and alive and yet Bobs telling the stories of the old west. The tales are parables and are timeless. Yet Along the Watchtower is buried deep in an album that feels like he’s traveling the old west trails. Dear Landlord is reminiscent of his last personal hero - woody Guthrie author of This land is your Land.

You must see the video of this song.

You didn’t give the Talking Heads enough of a chance. David Byrne has been one of the most creative artists for as long as I have listened to music. Being on the autism spectrum did not hold him back. Listen to “Life During Wartime.” Appropriate now in light of Ukraine. I’m a new subscriber. Humor me. :)

Love just about any song of Dylan’s. Hey, you need to listen and break down Gary Numan’s “I Dream of Wires”. It’s a futuristic song about how machines will take over the world, plus it’s a great song. Thanks

Watch the video about Dylan choosing his guitar players: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yzEQFBDeWQo.html