Bob Dylan has made a track from his upcoming album Together Through Life available for download on Bobdylan.com. The track is called “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’.”
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Bob Dylan has made a track from his upcoming album Together Through Life available for download on Bobdylan.com. The track is called “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’.”
The catch? You only have 24 hours to get it. After that, things change.
The song is built around mournful mariachi horns, some stinging guitar work, a groovy, shuffle beat, and the accordion promised in Bill Flanagan’s interview. It’s a blues in same vein as the ones on Dylan’s last two albums, with a vintage bite to it, like it was emanating from the greatest roadhouse you could possibly pull into.
The lyrics go a little something like this:
I love you pretty baby,
you’re the only love I’ve ever known
Just as long you stay with me, the whole world is my throne
Beyond here lies nothing, nothing we could call our own
Well I’m movin’ after midnight, down boulevards of broken cars
Don’t know what I’d do without her, without this love that we call ours
Beyond here lies nothing, nothing but the moon and stars
Down the street there’s a window
A heavy window made of glass
We’ll keep on loving pretty baby for as long as love will last
Beyond here lies nothin’ bout the mountains of the past
While my ship is in the harbor
And the sails are spread
Listen to me pretty baby
Lay your hand up on my head
Beyond here lies nothing, nothing done and nothing said
(all words approximated)
What do you think, readers? Vintage modern Bob?
Together Through Life comes out April 27.
Groovy, sensual, and yet, what a waste of words in such a time as this. I’d like to see the master writing for something greater than the same, tired love story. Although he makes an allusion to something beyond this life, it’s somewhat discomfiting to hear a man so past his physical, sexual prime, as Bob is, writing and singing lyrics that he could and should have penned 30 years ago. Love you, Bob, but you can do much, much better.
I don’t think the lyrics are those of a love song, at least not one to a woman. Isn’t it an extremely strong statement for someone who used to be a devout Christian: “Beyond here lies nothin'”? And the line where she puts her hand upon his head, that’s a blessing? Baptism?And the ship that now lies in the harbor also has Christian imagery. One should never think that Dylan’s lyrica are banal.
If you missed it the first time around through Dylan.com, now RCRDLBL has “Beyond Here Lies Nothing” available for free download… http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Bob_Dylan/track/Beyond_Here_Lies_Nothin
I love how they used this song for the trailer of season 2 of True Blood and it was in the credits of the last episode of the season. Can’t wait for season 3! What a Great song!