My Gen X Playlist: Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan

I never watched the show Melrose Place. However, I think Melrose is a cool slice of LA in real life. I was there a few weeks ago and stumbled upon an art gallery – Blitzstein Museum of Art. I was peering through the window when a kind man waved me in. It turns out, he was the artist just opening for the day. The quiet 86 year old let me take my time perusing his gallery. He recently expanded this unassuming space and hung his works throughout the high ceilinged walls. I couldn’t help think I was surrounded by decades of his inspiration. His work may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed his paintings and my time there. I’m always amazed at creative people. I later learned a little more about him from a local interview I found online. I’m glad I ventured into his gallery before he decides to retire his brushes.

“The reason I only want to paint a year or so is to complete the materials I have and then I am going to rest my weary bones. Except when I shoot jump shots and travel through Europe.”

“When I paint I love hearing Leonard Cohen, but now all I hear is Bob Dylan.”

VoyageLA

Jump shots and European travel. Sounds like a wonderful plan. So cool.

I have a Dylan CD in my collection. I admit not listening to it much after I got it. But I felt compelled to have a greatest hits CD because, well… it’s Dylan. I thought I’d add Tambourine Man in honor of Mr. Blitzstein. It was a toss up between a bunch of Dylan songs, but it felt like a tambourine kind of a moment, whatever the hell that means. Some things don’t have to make logical sense. It’s just a feeling you get and you go with it. Here you go.

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For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Though I know that evenings empire has returned into sand
Vanished from my hand
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirling ship
My senses have been stripped
My hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wandering
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way, I promise to go under it

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Though you might hear laughing, spinning, swinging madly through the sun
It's not aimed at anyone
It's just escaping on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facing
And if you hear vague traces of skipping reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time
It's just a ragged clown behind
I wouldn't pay it any mind
It's just a shadow you're seeing that he's chasing

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you

Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time
Far past the frozen leaves
The haunted frightened trees
Out to the windy bench
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky
With one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea
Circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate
Driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you