(Personal reflections
inspired by Bob Dylan songs)
Song: “Forever Young”
Album: Planet Waves
Release Date: January 1974
Seemingly coincidental occurrences just keep piling up in this The Year of the Blueprint. This time around it was a musical mind-meld with my wife, Nancy. I’d started the week listening to Bob Dylan’s most recent album of original songs, 2012’s Tempest, with the usual intention of writing something related to it (the title track being a strong contender for a Blueprint choice, along with “Roll on John”). By Tuesday afternoon’s drive home from work however, I’d concluded that I was going to need more time with Tempest. Fortunately, I had a backup plan, seeing as one of Dylan’s most heartfelt songs, “Forever Young” had been playing in my head for weeks. As quick as you can say ‘cd switch’ I had its host album, Planet Waves, emanating through my car speakers, and for the remainder of the week I homed in on all things “Forever Young”.
Anyhow, I usually keep my evolving thoughts to myself as I’m formulating them, even from Nancy. I think it’s a creative process thing; a fear of writer’s block if you prematurely reveal your subject matter until its finalized. As has been the case for virtually every entry to date, no problem there. And so, you can imagine that I would be momentarily speechless when Nancy told me not soon after I made the disc switcheroo that she’d written a personal note to our son, Peter with the lyrics to “Forever Young” in it. Nancy had done this once before, for our daughter Charlotte as she was spreading her wings, moving into her own rental pad for the first time. Now it was Peter’s turn. But it had been four years since Nancy had written that letter to Charlotte, and so “Forever Young” had not been front and center in our daily spousal exchanges in quite some time. A memorable coincidence for sure (or perhaps more than that).
Nancy and I disagree on one major aspect to “Forever Young”. She likes the Rod Stewart cover version. I, of course, prefer the original ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frj2CLGldC4 ). One thing that irks me about Stewarts cover: He and his cowriters, Jimmy Cregan and Kevin Savigar, mess quite a bit with the original lyrics (in their version, Cregan and Savigar are bookended between Bob Dylan and Stewart in credit order). In the annals of music covers, how often does this happen? Nancy insists the meaning is made clearer, and there certainly is truth to this (it’s Stewart & friends lyrics that Nancy wrote to Charlotte and Peter). Rod Stewart aims for simplicity and sentimentality. Perhaps it was his intention to open this Bob Dylan song to a broader audience, which clearly worked for Nancy. At its core, Dylan’s version (he not prone to sentimentality) aims for something a bit deeper and in turn somewhat more difficult to grasp. And yet, there’s a little voice gnawing at me: I can’t help but think that Rod Stewart was also in some ways trying to ‘rewrite’ history.
Regardless, I’d like to focus on the commonality of Nancy and my love for this song, which is that both versions were written with sons and daughters in mind. Indeed, no matter how you slice it “Forever Young” has universal parental appeal. I will add here my slice to the Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart and Nancy Steeves pie. I’ll to do this by breaking up the original version into its three stanzas, following up each with my own commentary, both personal and universal – along with a little Dylanology sprinkled in for you Bob Dylan fans.
Here’s stanza number one:
“May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young”
One term that people tend to use a lot these days when someone in their lives is graced with good fortune is “how lucky you are”. I’m much more inclined to say, “you are blessed’. Luck sounds random, does it not? On the other hand, if you are blessed, it means you followed your true path and made something work within that context. Wishes coming true go hand in hand. What is it to be blessed? Daughter Charlotte, being patient enough over the course of days in the rain forest to finally catch a rare sighting of a family of resplendent quetzals fluttering overhead in the wilds of Panama. That’s blessed. Our son Peter’s understanding of honesty and true friendship and an uncanny ability to see b.s. the moment he hears it. Again, blessed.
The next set of lines are deep. “May you always do for others” can have you contemplating that helping others is core to a healthy life; that giving of oneself is what makes you truly happy. Think of the alternative…. selfishness. Anyone with children advises them to avoid that vice. Dylan simply flips this sort of advice on its head: Positive vs negative reinforcement in lyrical form. The real deep line, however, is the follow-up “and let others do for you”. It may be as simple as letting someone pay for the meal out at a nice restaurant, or as heavy as knowing when to be humble, admitting when you need guidance. There are those who tend to think that if they allow these things to happen they will forever be indebted to those who ‘did for them’. ‘Let it be’ I say to my son and daughter. All of us will have our time to lead and to guide. To get there you first need to learn the right way to follow.
This feeds into that 3rd part of the first stanza about ladders, stars, and rungs, with the rungs being the most thought-provoking of these metaphors. In other words, earn your keep every step of the way. Pay attention to the details as you forge along your path. Listen more than talk. Don’t step on others as you blaze that trail. I’m reminded of a line in Bob Dylan’s “Foot of Pride”, which goes “You know what they say about bein’ nice to the right people on the way up. Sooner or later you are gonna meet them comin’ down”. Again though, “Forever Young” and its parental declarations are about positive – not negative – reinforcement. One of the great things about Charlotte and Peter’s generation (both of them born in the 90s) is that they seem to understand all this ‘every rung’ stuff (in this day and age, they have to). And so, I look at reflecting on these words of wisdom as simply a good way for them to know that we their parents know this too.
One additional comment about the beginning of “Forever Young” for you Dylanologists. The song starts off with a western guitar style (Robbie Robertson I’m sure) that is reminiscent of Dylan’s prior album Pat Garret & Billy the Kid. I’ve been noticing this about Dylan’s discography. There’s a tiny bit of overlap in musical style from one album to the next, with this one being the most pleasantly surprising. I welcome your thoughts.
On to the second stanza:
“May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young”
To be righteous is to not compromise your convictions. When you do something right, people see it and feel it. And when you do things right on a regular basis, many of us see and sense that you are someone pleasing to God. A true person’s private moments are just as righteous as their public ones. In your journey through life you will meet those who will have a strong effect on you in amazingly positive ways. I think it no coincidence that they have found you and you have found them. Foster these relationships. Don’t let them wither on the vine.
If you are on the right path, you will know it. It’s all about seeing that ‘light surrounding you’ that Bob Dylan mentions (as I typed these words, I thought of that early-week flirtation with “Roll on John” – an ode to John Lennon – and the line in the refrain “you shined so bright”). There will be moments when you just know there are greater forces at work, and that you are part of a much bigger plan which you may not fully understand (I most certainly don’t). These moments occur when you follow the righteous path. Savor them, so that you can feed on the memory of these moments when your path forward inevitably becomes difficult to discern or takes a rocky turn for the worse.
A second Dylanology footnote: I find it interesting that Bob Dylan wrote “Forever Young” during his third and final stint with The Band (# 1 being the boo-bird tours of 1965-66 and # 2 being the Big Pink summer of ’67). He very likely saw the struggles several of the Band’s members were going through with drugs and alcohol. The importance of this song to Dylan in this context would be revealed in his penultimate tribute to them as his closing number for the Band’s Last Waltz.
As for the 3rd part to that 2nd stanza above, there will always be adversity. These are the moments when you get to see what you are made of. Sometimes you must cut the adversity off at the knees. Sometimes you must confront it as soon as it plays out. Sometimes you must be patient and play a bit of chess. Always pray and ponder. Whatever it takes be sure to do your best to approach the situation with all the integrity you can muster. Try to not let fear get in the way. Faith is the best way to combat fear.
The third and final stanza goes:
“May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young”
It’s natural that others will be impressed when they see you use your hands and feet in productive ways, be it building, cooking, writing, knitting, painting, running, hiking, swimming, exploring, performing. Resist idleness; the temptations of sloth. There is always need for relaxation, but even when sitting in front of the T.V. you can keep busy in one capacity or another (for example, I like to write these blog entries while sporting events blare in the background).
Change is bound to happen. It will be up to you to decide whether that change is good for you and others, or not so. Sometimes you will be signaled out if you don’t conform to changes to the norm. Stick to your guns. Often that norm loops right back again. It may take a while but be willing to stick it out. If you feel strongly about your position don’t waver. We all have a little rebellious independent spirit in us. Use it every so often. You may find yourself amazed at how it all plays out in the long run. On the flip side, you may be at the heart of change, driving it. A strong foundation helps on this side of the fence too. Others will jump on board. It can be very exciting, particularly when you know you are on to something…. something good.
Dylanology footnote number three: The Band’s unique chugging style kicks in as “Forever Young” winds down, driven by Rick Danko’s bass and Levon Helm’s drumming. Bob Dylan must have found this so alluring, which is why he returned to these guys more than any other musicians in his career. Think about everyone Dylan has worked with: Robert Hunter, Joan Baez, Mick Taylor, Jerry Wexler, Mark Knopfler, Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, Mark Bloomfield, Scarlet Rivera, Al Kooper, Mick Ronson, Stevie-Ray Vaughn, George Harrison, Daniel Lanois, T-Bone Burnett, Ronnie Wood, the list goes on. Still, it was this one-of-a-kind band, The Band – Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson - who Dylan found himself most strongly affiliated with, which is reflected in the album covers he painted for “Music From Big Pink” and “Planet Waves”, both of which show that Dylan sorta felt like he was part of this crew.
Bob Dylan closes the lyrical portion of “Forever Young" with “May your heart always be joyful. May your song always be sung”. I was talking with Charlotte & Peter’s Grandma this morning as I do every Sunday. Mom mentioned to me that she and my Dad were out with friends this past week for dinner, one of them being Dad’s best friend (and Best Man) from his youth, who leaned over to Mom during dinner and asked, “how is it that Pete is always so happy and full of life?”. Mom responded in her subtle, unassuming way that it’s love and faith, with the connotation that the faith part is oh-so important. I’ve been blessed to see my Dad clairvoyantly in this regard. As for your song always being sung, well of course it’s a metaphor for most of us, but it’s the one line that in my mind hits closest to home with Mr. Bob Dylan. The man who wrote “Lay Down Your Weary Tune” early in his career will never have to be concerned with having to do so with his own music. His song will always be sung.
Yours can too.
- Pete (Dad)
Song: “Forever Young”
Album: Planet Waves
Release Date: January 1974
Seemingly coincidental occurrences just keep piling up in this The Year of the Blueprint. This time around it was a musical mind-meld with my wife, Nancy. I’d started the week listening to Bob Dylan’s most recent album of original songs, 2012’s Tempest, with the usual intention of writing something related to it (the title track being a strong contender for a Blueprint choice, along with “Roll on John”). By Tuesday afternoon’s drive home from work however, I’d concluded that I was going to need more time with Tempest. Fortunately, I had a backup plan, seeing as one of Dylan’s most heartfelt songs, “Forever Young” had been playing in my head for weeks. As quick as you can say ‘cd switch’ I had its host album, Planet Waves, emanating through my car speakers, and for the remainder of the week I homed in on all things “Forever Young”.
Anyhow, I usually keep my evolving thoughts to myself as I’m formulating them, even from Nancy. I think it’s a creative process thing; a fear of writer’s block if you prematurely reveal your subject matter until its finalized. As has been the case for virtually every entry to date, no problem there. And so, you can imagine that I would be momentarily speechless when Nancy told me not soon after I made the disc switcheroo that she’d written a personal note to our son, Peter with the lyrics to “Forever Young” in it. Nancy had done this once before, for our daughter Charlotte as she was spreading her wings, moving into her own rental pad for the first time. Now it was Peter’s turn. But it had been four years since Nancy had written that letter to Charlotte, and so “Forever Young” had not been front and center in our daily spousal exchanges in quite some time. A memorable coincidence for sure (or perhaps more than that).
Nancy and I disagree on one major aspect to “Forever Young”. She likes the Rod Stewart cover version. I, of course, prefer the original ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frj2CLGldC4 ). One thing that irks me about Stewarts cover: He and his cowriters, Jimmy Cregan and Kevin Savigar, mess quite a bit with the original lyrics (in their version, Cregan and Savigar are bookended between Bob Dylan and Stewart in credit order). In the annals of music covers, how often does this happen? Nancy insists the meaning is made clearer, and there certainly is truth to this (it’s Stewart & friends lyrics that Nancy wrote to Charlotte and Peter). Rod Stewart aims for simplicity and sentimentality. Perhaps it was his intention to open this Bob Dylan song to a broader audience, which clearly worked for Nancy. At its core, Dylan’s version (he not prone to sentimentality) aims for something a bit deeper and in turn somewhat more difficult to grasp. And yet, there’s a little voice gnawing at me: I can’t help but think that Rod Stewart was also in some ways trying to ‘rewrite’ history.
Regardless, I’d like to focus on the commonality of Nancy and my love for this song, which is that both versions were written with sons and daughters in mind. Indeed, no matter how you slice it “Forever Young” has universal parental appeal. I will add here my slice to the Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart and Nancy Steeves pie. I’ll to do this by breaking up the original version into its three stanzas, following up each with my own commentary, both personal and universal – along with a little Dylanology sprinkled in for you Bob Dylan fans.
Here’s stanza number one:
“May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young”
One term that people tend to use a lot these days when someone in their lives is graced with good fortune is “how lucky you are”. I’m much more inclined to say, “you are blessed’. Luck sounds random, does it not? On the other hand, if you are blessed, it means you followed your true path and made something work within that context. Wishes coming true go hand in hand. What is it to be blessed? Daughter Charlotte, being patient enough over the course of days in the rain forest to finally catch a rare sighting of a family of resplendent quetzals fluttering overhead in the wilds of Panama. That’s blessed. Our son Peter’s understanding of honesty and true friendship and an uncanny ability to see b.s. the moment he hears it. Again, blessed.
The next set of lines are deep. “May you always do for others” can have you contemplating that helping others is core to a healthy life; that giving of oneself is what makes you truly happy. Think of the alternative…. selfishness. Anyone with children advises them to avoid that vice. Dylan simply flips this sort of advice on its head: Positive vs negative reinforcement in lyrical form. The real deep line, however, is the follow-up “and let others do for you”. It may be as simple as letting someone pay for the meal out at a nice restaurant, or as heavy as knowing when to be humble, admitting when you need guidance. There are those who tend to think that if they allow these things to happen they will forever be indebted to those who ‘did for them’. ‘Let it be’ I say to my son and daughter. All of us will have our time to lead and to guide. To get there you first need to learn the right way to follow.
This feeds into that 3rd part of the first stanza about ladders, stars, and rungs, with the rungs being the most thought-provoking of these metaphors. In other words, earn your keep every step of the way. Pay attention to the details as you forge along your path. Listen more than talk. Don’t step on others as you blaze that trail. I’m reminded of a line in Bob Dylan’s “Foot of Pride”, which goes “You know what they say about bein’ nice to the right people on the way up. Sooner or later you are gonna meet them comin’ down”. Again though, “Forever Young” and its parental declarations are about positive – not negative – reinforcement. One of the great things about Charlotte and Peter’s generation (both of them born in the 90s) is that they seem to understand all this ‘every rung’ stuff (in this day and age, they have to). And so, I look at reflecting on these words of wisdom as simply a good way for them to know that we their parents know this too.
One additional comment about the beginning of “Forever Young” for you Dylanologists. The song starts off with a western guitar style (Robbie Robertson I’m sure) that is reminiscent of Dylan’s prior album Pat Garret & Billy the Kid. I’ve been noticing this about Dylan’s discography. There’s a tiny bit of overlap in musical style from one album to the next, with this one being the most pleasantly surprising. I welcome your thoughts.
On to the second stanza:
“May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young”
To be righteous is to not compromise your convictions. When you do something right, people see it and feel it. And when you do things right on a regular basis, many of us see and sense that you are someone pleasing to God. A true person’s private moments are just as righteous as their public ones. In your journey through life you will meet those who will have a strong effect on you in amazingly positive ways. I think it no coincidence that they have found you and you have found them. Foster these relationships. Don’t let them wither on the vine.
If you are on the right path, you will know it. It’s all about seeing that ‘light surrounding you’ that Bob Dylan mentions (as I typed these words, I thought of that early-week flirtation with “Roll on John” – an ode to John Lennon – and the line in the refrain “you shined so bright”). There will be moments when you just know there are greater forces at work, and that you are part of a much bigger plan which you may not fully understand (I most certainly don’t). These moments occur when you follow the righteous path. Savor them, so that you can feed on the memory of these moments when your path forward inevitably becomes difficult to discern or takes a rocky turn for the worse.
A second Dylanology footnote: I find it interesting that Bob Dylan wrote “Forever Young” during his third and final stint with The Band (# 1 being the boo-bird tours of 1965-66 and # 2 being the Big Pink summer of ’67). He very likely saw the struggles several of the Band’s members were going through with drugs and alcohol. The importance of this song to Dylan in this context would be revealed in his penultimate tribute to them as his closing number for the Band’s Last Waltz.
As for the 3rd part to that 2nd stanza above, there will always be adversity. These are the moments when you get to see what you are made of. Sometimes you must cut the adversity off at the knees. Sometimes you must confront it as soon as it plays out. Sometimes you must be patient and play a bit of chess. Always pray and ponder. Whatever it takes be sure to do your best to approach the situation with all the integrity you can muster. Try to not let fear get in the way. Faith is the best way to combat fear.
The third and final stanza goes:
“May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young”
It’s natural that others will be impressed when they see you use your hands and feet in productive ways, be it building, cooking, writing, knitting, painting, running, hiking, swimming, exploring, performing. Resist idleness; the temptations of sloth. There is always need for relaxation, but even when sitting in front of the T.V. you can keep busy in one capacity or another (for example, I like to write these blog entries while sporting events blare in the background).
Change is bound to happen. It will be up to you to decide whether that change is good for you and others, or not so. Sometimes you will be signaled out if you don’t conform to changes to the norm. Stick to your guns. Often that norm loops right back again. It may take a while but be willing to stick it out. If you feel strongly about your position don’t waver. We all have a little rebellious independent spirit in us. Use it every so often. You may find yourself amazed at how it all plays out in the long run. On the flip side, you may be at the heart of change, driving it. A strong foundation helps on this side of the fence too. Others will jump on board. It can be very exciting, particularly when you know you are on to something…. something good.
Dylanology footnote number three: The Band’s unique chugging style kicks in as “Forever Young” winds down, driven by Rick Danko’s bass and Levon Helm’s drumming. Bob Dylan must have found this so alluring, which is why he returned to these guys more than any other musicians in his career. Think about everyone Dylan has worked with: Robert Hunter, Joan Baez, Mick Taylor, Jerry Wexler, Mark Knopfler, Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, Mark Bloomfield, Scarlet Rivera, Al Kooper, Mick Ronson, Stevie-Ray Vaughn, George Harrison, Daniel Lanois, T-Bone Burnett, Ronnie Wood, the list goes on. Still, it was this one-of-a-kind band, The Band – Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson - who Dylan found himself most strongly affiliated with, which is reflected in the album covers he painted for “Music From Big Pink” and “Planet Waves”, both of which show that Dylan sorta felt like he was part of this crew.
Bob Dylan closes the lyrical portion of “Forever Young" with “May your heart always be joyful. May your song always be sung”. I was talking with Charlotte & Peter’s Grandma this morning as I do every Sunday. Mom mentioned to me that she and my Dad were out with friends this past week for dinner, one of them being Dad’s best friend (and Best Man) from his youth, who leaned over to Mom during dinner and asked, “how is it that Pete is always so happy and full of life?”. Mom responded in her subtle, unassuming way that it’s love and faith, with the connotation that the faith part is oh-so important. I’ve been blessed to see my Dad clairvoyantly in this regard. As for your song always being sung, well of course it’s a metaphor for most of us, but it’s the one line that in my mind hits closest to home with Mr. Bob Dylan. The man who wrote “Lay Down Your Weary Tune” early in his career will never have to be concerned with having to do so with his own music. His song will always be sung.
Yours can too.
- Pete (Dad)
2 comments:
Nicely written...but I still like Rod Stewart's version better...just sayin!
I wouldn't want it any other way
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