From: witchel@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Emmett Jethro Witchel)
Subject: Point Dylan (Neville Bros even) [not that long]
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: 15 Sep 92 12:01:01


	I posted this to rec.music.dylan, and it fell flat.  Still, with
Phil on the net, and other BAND members to follow I figure I have a
WINDOW.  During that WINDOW the novelty of the net will (I hope)
outweigh its poor quality (these days).  For some reason I get a
charge out of the prospect of having a BAND member read my words.
Maybe famous people are more real then the rest of us.  They certainly
reside in more people's heads.

	The discussion was about Dylan's "With God On Our Side" (The Times
They Are a-Changin), and while that song is not currently in the
Dead's rotation, given their recent history, anything is possible.

Charlie> There is an excellent version (IMHO) of this song on the
Charlie> Neville Bros. "Yellow Moon" album and if memory serves, it
Charlie> has this extra verse.

    I can't remember off hand if that verse is there [it is], but
there is one thing that really bugs me about the Neville brother's
representation of this song on this album.

    At the song's end they sing, "Jesus loves me, this I know."

THINGS THAT BUG ME ABOUT THIS LINE 

ONE:
    The addition of this line seems to run contrary to the entire
point of the song, making me wonder why they chose to include the song
if they did not agree with its sharp anti-hypocracy statement.

    A quick plan spike.  I am not saying that liking or identifying
with this song makes you anti-christian.  However (on the most basic
level), the song does critize the use of Christ's name (though I also
grant that it is God not Christ to which Dylan refers) in justifying
war.  To invoke that same name at the end, while not logically
inconsistent, seems screwy.

    To wax linguistic, Christ is the subject of the song -- He is
mentioned.  The Neville brother's line USES Christ.  Again, while that
is not disallowed, it seems odd to be mentioning a concept (and
critizing its usage) and then switch to using that selfsame concept
(though in a context that would exempt it from the original
critisism).

TWO: (and this REALLY bummed me out)

    The Neville Brothers PRINTED this line in their transcription of
the lyrics!  The words are credited to Bob Dylan, yet there appears
this final line WHICH HE DID NOT WRITE (unless someone out there knows
something I do not).

    I realize that the Neville Brothers are quite religious (note
their anti-choice lyrics in the title track of Sons and Daughters (?)
["Pro-choice, no choice.  We're sending our Sons and Daughters to the
slaughter"]), or more specifically religiously Christian, but then why
did they choose to do the song at all?

emmett

PS On the subject of the use/mention distinction, can you think of a
sentence that has 5 "and"s in a row?
(answer below -- keep scrolling)








































No peeking


There was a sign maker for a new franchise of Authur Treacher's Fish
and Chips.  The manager walked out of the store to inspect the sign
maker's handiwork.

    "You need more space between the "Fish" and "and" and "and" and
"Chips."

Say it a couple of times, and you'll start to feel it.
:)

Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead