Poetry, Dylan, the chimes of freedom

POETRY WEDNESDAY;


CHIMES OF FREEDOM

 Words, Music and paintings by Bob Dylan 
recorded 1964 Warner Bros. Inc

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.


In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden while the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An' the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.


Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

delete reply skeezicks1957 wrote on Feb 9, '09 Sucks in my breath and touches my hand to my heart. Thank you for this post.

delete reply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on Feb 4, '09 Dylan has such meaningful lyrics that are timeless and especially meaningful in this current time in our country. I didn't realize Dylan was also and artist....I like his work very much. A visual and acoustic delight here! Thank you!

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Feb 4, '09 asolotraveler said man that takes me back... love all versions yep................me too...............thanks for passing through.

delete reply asolotraveler wrote on Feb 4, '09 man that takes me back... love all versions

delete reply acousticeagle wrote on Feb 4, '09 Poetry to music, worth meditating on.

delete reply hedgewitch9 wrote on Feb 4, '09 Just fabulous!

delete reply djdx wrote on Feb 4, '09 May we all chime in to make this freedom a reality.

delete reply starfishred wrote on Feb 3, '09 Wow loretta this is just so well done you are convincing me about his work thanks thanks-

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Feb 3, '09 His artistry takes my breath away.

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Feb 3, '09 Very well done Loretta. Thank you for including the art work.

delete reply pestep55 wrote on Feb 3, '09 The is a fabulous post /:-) Enjoyed every bit!

delete reply lauritasita wrote on Feb 3, '09 Loretta, this has got to be your best post for anything ever ! I love how you displayed his art work around this wonderful classic song. You done such a wonderful job here. Thanks so much.

Art, Bob Dylan

I heard this on the radio as I was getting ready to meet a couple of friends for lunch. I think I would very much like to go to this exhibition.


http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Leisure/Museums_and_galleries/City_Art_Centre_exhibition

Bob Dylan; The Drawn Blank series,

31 January - 15 March 2009

Edinburgh's City Art Centre presents an exclusive free exhibition of the artwork of Bob Dylan.  The Drawn Blank Series is the most comprehensive and authoritative collection of Bob Dylan's art ever assembled and casts a vibrant new light on the creativity of one of the world's most important influential cultural figures
Bob Dylan has been a committed visual artist for more than four decades.  Based on drawings and sketches made by Dylan while on the road during the period of 1989 to 1992, the paintings in The Drawn Blank Series visually echo the hallmarks of Dylan’s prose, poetry and music.

Bob Dylan is one of the world's most popular and acclaimed songwriters, musicians and performers, having sold more than 110 million albums and performed literally thousands of shows around the world spanning five decades.

Opening Times

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm

Sunday - 12 - 5pm

Free Admission

   Contacts

Name: City Art Centre

Address: 2 Market Street,
Edinburgh EH1 1DE

Tel: 0131 529 3993

E-mail: museumsandgalleries

delete reply acousticeagle wrote on Feb 2, '09 What I find interesting about Dylan's art works are that they are about real subject matter, rather than abstract -or the trying to do something which no body else has thought up yet (if such a thing still exists). In that there's honesty.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Feb 1, '09 starfishred said As good as these seem I like yours better oh my thank you, still blushinjg..................:) No my drawings are not that good but what I do think is that he draws and paints in the same style as he writes and sings...............that is 'rough around the edges', gritty, with colour, realistic but with the flaws of humanity...............if you see what i mean.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Feb 1, '09 Thanks very much for all your comments folks................now I think I HAVE TO go to the exhibition .........then I can report back to you all .... :)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Feb 1, '09 brendainmad said Wonder if that happened to anyone else. Gremlins? Sorry about that Brenda................thought the gremlins had left me but seems they are back. maybe I will delete the picture and start again to see if that helps.

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Feb 1, '09 I knew that he painted. Loretta, when I clicked on the seaside picture and the river one to make them bigger, the woman in the yellow dress came up. Wonder if that happened to anyone else. Gremlins?

delete reply aimlessjoys wrote on Feb 1, '09, edited on Feb 1, '09 WOW! Now this is a revelation. Thanks so much for sharing this because BD is one of my heroes & I never knew about his visual art, aside from his failed movies. My fave of these is the one with the bicycle, but it makes me think of my old French textbook for some reason. I'd love to have a look at his sketchbook, for sure, but these "snapshots" chronicle his immediate existence & mostly could be considered fodder ( maybe too strong a word to use ;-p) for his words, don't you think? Have Fun at the showing & I wish I could have a look at it, too!

delete reply djdx wrote on Feb 1, '09 I didn't know he was also an artist.

delete reply starfishred wrote on Feb 1, '09 As good as these seem I like yours better but that is my opinion-he is famouse and we are not. Very nice post on him I knew he painted I have a doctore friend in Bevely Hills Ca. and he bought one for charity.

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Jan 31, '09 I would like to see the exhibition as well. I discovered that Dylan was an artist when I did a blog on classic rock art. In addition to the rock singers that I included, there was a lot of work by Dylan and Tony Bennett out there. I should look to see if that is a traveling exhibition and may be headed to the States. Thank you for the posting.

delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jan 31, '09 I wish I could go with you. He is very good, isn't he ? I love his work. Thank you for finding these !

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Jan 31, '09 Hi Laurita, like I said these pictures are very small, just hope I can get down to Edinburgh to see the exhibition. While searching online for pictures to use I did notice there are quite a lot of examples of his work out there, just not very big ones.

delete reply lauritasita wrote on Jan 31, '09 Loretta, these are great, and I didn't know Dylan was an artist ! His work is so colorful, I would never think these were his. Thank you so much ! I think I'll take another look ! Love, Laurita.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Jan 31, '09 Thanks Bennett...............my only regret is that i just can't find any bigger pictures of his work. If I manage to get down to Edinburgh to see the exhibition I hope to get some better pictures to share

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Jan 31, '09 As familiar as I thought I was with Dylan, I had never seen these paintings. I especially like the woman in the yellow dress. Thank you.