Gates Of Eden (song)
Encyclopedia
"Gates of Eden" is a song by Bob Dylan
that appears on his fifth studio album Bringing It All Back Home
, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records
. It was also released as a single as the B-side of "Like a Rolling Stone
". Dylan plays the song solo, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica. It is one of his more surreal songs. In a 2005 Mojo
magazine poll of its writers and a host of well-known musicians, "Gates of Eden" was ranked 69th among Dylan's 100 greatest songs.
, "Gates of Eden" was written in late June or July 1964. Based on the clean draft of the song, Heylin believes that Dylan did not need to struggle as much writing this song as he did with "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Chimes Of Freedom
", which were written a short time earlier. In the draft, eight of the song's nine verses are complete and only two lines were revised for the final version. The final verse in the draft is incomplete, consisting of just two lines:
The song was recorded in a single take on January 15, 1965, the same day as the other songs of side 2 of Bringing It All back Home—"Mr. Tambourine Man
", "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
" and "It's All Over Now Baby Blue"—were recorded. Tom Wilson was the producer
.
's images in The Gates of Paradise and "The Keys of the Gates". The abstract poetry inspires a nightmarish vision. Each verse provides a separate description of a decaying society. Although the song's title seems to provide hope of paradise, there is no paradise in this Eden. Rather, the imagery evokes corruption and decay. Dylan's ominous delivery of the last line of each verse followed by a sour harmonica note emphasizes that this is an Eden to be avoided. Oliver Trager interprets "Gates of Eden" as Dylan's declaration that "blind belief in a forgiving afterlife is the ultimate lie because it creates complacency in this one." Music critic Robert Shelton has a similar interpretation, that "belief in life after death without worry or care is the ultimate myth because it takes us past the ugliness in life." Carolyn Bliss has noted about the song that "Eden is inside. Any other paradise is a sham, and pursuit of it potentially deadly to the spirit."
The lyrics describe others besides the narrator who are searching for truth in this false paradise. But the experiences that the characters endure are rendered meaningless at the end of each verse by the inevitable specter of the Gates of Eden. In the first verse, a cowboy angel riding on the clouds searches for the sun using a black wax candle. In the second verse, the cry of babies longing for the silence of Eden is shrouded by the industrialized city and its metallic objects. In the third verse, a savage soldier sticks his head in the sand like an ostrich and waits with a deaf hunter for the mythical ship to Eden. In the fourth verse, Aladdin
with his magic lamp and monks riding on the Golden Calf
promise paradise, and listeners only laugh at the promise once they actually get to Eden. The fifth verse describes Marxists philosophizing and waiting for kings to succeed each other, while their intended audience ignores them, knowing that there are no kings in Eden.
In verse six, a motorcycle hipster torments his opposite, a midget businessman, as vultures look on. Although both the hipster and the businessman are concerned with sin, there are no sins in death or in Eden. The seventh verse tells us that Blakean
"kingdoms of Experience" eventually rot, poor people battle each other over their meager possessions and the nobility just babbles on, but none of it matters in Eden. In the eighth verse, people attempt to change their fates, but it is all futile once they get to Eden. In the final verse, the narrator's lover tells him of her dreams, but the narrator realizes that his dream of death is the only truthful one, perhaps taking an example from the lover who tells rather than tries to interpret her dream:
. In his introduction to the song at this performance, Dylan described the song as a "sacrilegious lullaby in D minor" and as a "love song". A performance from Dylan's May 9, 1965 concert in London is featured in the film Dont Look Back
. During his Never Ending Tour
, Dylan introduced an interpretation with a heavy metal
edge for a brief period early in the tour and then returned the song to the setlist in 1995 with Django Reinhardt
-like performances.
covered the song in 1967 on Flowers, and Arlo Guthrie
covered the song in 1973, on the Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys
. Others who have covered the song include Ralph McTell
, Bryan Ferry
, Jewels and Binoculars, Marc Carroll, Steven Keene and Michel Montecrossa
. Dylan sang it with Neil Young
on the 1992 album San Francisco Bay Blues.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
that appears on his fifth studio album Bringing It All Back Home
Bringing It All Back Home
Bringing It All Back Home is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's fifth studio album, released in March 1965 by Columbia Records. The album is divided into an electric and an acoustic side. On side one of the original LP, Dylan is backed by an electric rock and roll band - a move that further alienated...
, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. It was also released as a single as the B-side of "Like a Rolling Stone
Like a Rolling Stone
"Like a Rolling Stone" is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted from a grueling tour of England...
". Dylan plays the song solo, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica. It is one of his more surreal songs. In a 2005 Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine poll of its writers and a host of well-known musicians, "Gates of Eden" was ranked 69th among Dylan's 100 greatest songs.
Writing and recording
According to Dylan biographer Clinton HeylinClinton Heylin
Clinton Heylin is an English author who has written extensively about popular music and the work of Bob Dylan.- Education :...
, "Gates of Eden" was written in late June or July 1964. Based on the clean draft of the song, Heylin believes that Dylan did not need to struggle as much writing this song as he did with "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Chimes Of Freedom
Chimes of Freedom
"Chimes of Freedom" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan , produced by Tom Wilson. It was written in early 1964 and was influenced by the symbolist poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. The song depicts the feelings and thoughts of the singer...
", which were written a short time earlier. In the draft, eight of the song's nine verses are complete and only two lines were revised for the final version. The final verse in the draft is incomplete, consisting of just two lines:
- At dawn my lover comes t' me
- an' tells me of her dreams
The song was recorded in a single take on January 15, 1965, the same day as the other songs of side 2 of Bringing It All back Home—"Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
", "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
"It's Alright, Ma " is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and first released on his 1965 album, Bringing It All Back Home. It was written in the summer of 1964, first performed live on October 10, 1964, and recorded on January 15, 1965...
" and "It's All Over Now Baby Blue"—were recorded. Tom Wilson was the producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Lyrics and imagery
The song's dream imagery is reminiscent of William BlakeWilliam Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
's images in The Gates of Paradise and "The Keys of the Gates". The abstract poetry inspires a nightmarish vision. Each verse provides a separate description of a decaying society. Although the song's title seems to provide hope of paradise, there is no paradise in this Eden. Rather, the imagery evokes corruption and decay. Dylan's ominous delivery of the last line of each verse followed by a sour harmonica note emphasizes that this is an Eden to be avoided. Oliver Trager interprets "Gates of Eden" as Dylan's declaration that "blind belief in a forgiving afterlife is the ultimate lie because it creates complacency in this one." Music critic Robert Shelton has a similar interpretation, that "belief in life after death without worry or care is the ultimate myth because it takes us past the ugliness in life." Carolyn Bliss has noted about the song that "Eden is inside. Any other paradise is a sham, and pursuit of it potentially deadly to the spirit."
The lyrics describe others besides the narrator who are searching for truth in this false paradise. But the experiences that the characters endure are rendered meaningless at the end of each verse by the inevitable specter of the Gates of Eden. In the first verse, a cowboy angel riding on the clouds searches for the sun using a black wax candle. In the second verse, the cry of babies longing for the silence of Eden is shrouded by the industrialized city and its metallic objects. In the third verse, a savage soldier sticks his head in the sand like an ostrich and waits with a deaf hunter for the mythical ship to Eden. In the fourth verse, Aladdin
Aladdin
Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
with his magic lamp and monks riding on the Golden Calf
Golden calf
According to the Hebrew Bible, the golden calf was an idol made by Aaron to satisfy the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai...
promise paradise, and listeners only laugh at the promise once they actually get to Eden. The fifth verse describes Marxists philosophizing and waiting for kings to succeed each other, while their intended audience ignores them, knowing that there are no kings in Eden.
In verse six, a motorcycle hipster torments his opposite, a midget businessman, as vultures look on. Although both the hipster and the businessman are concerned with sin, there are no sins in death or in Eden. The seventh verse tells us that Blakean
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
"kingdoms of Experience" eventually rot, poor people battle each other over their meager possessions and the nobility just babbles on, but none of it matters in Eden. In the eighth verse, people attempt to change their fates, but it is all futile once they get to Eden. In the final verse, the narrator's lover tells him of her dreams, but the narrator realizes that his dream of death is the only truthful one, perhaps taking an example from the lover who tells rather than tries to interpret her dream:
- At dawn my lover comes to me
- And tells me of her dreams
- With no attempts to shovel the glimpse
- Into the ditch of what each one means
- At times I think there are no words
- But these to tell what’s true
- And there are no truths outside the Gates of Eden
Concert performances
A live version of "Gates of Eden", recorded at its debut performance at Philharmonic Hall on October 31, 1964, was released on The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic HallThe Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall is a complete recording of Bob Dylan's October 31, 1964 "Halloween" show at New York's Philharmonic Hall. It was released in 2004....
. In his introduction to the song at this performance, Dylan described the song as a "sacrilegious lullaby in D minor" and as a "love song". A performance from Dylan's May 9, 1965 concert in London is featured in the film Dont Look Back
Dont Look Back
Dont Look Back is a 1967 documentary film by D.A. Pennebaker that covers Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in the United Kingdom.In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically...
. During his Never Ending Tour
Never Ending Tour
The Never Ending Tour is the popular name for Bob Dylan’s endless touring schedule since June 7, 1988. During the past 23+ years, musicians have come and gone and the band has continued to evolve...
, Dylan introduced an interpretation with a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
edge for a brief period early in the tour and then returned the song to the setlist in 1995 with Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
-like performances.
Cover versions
Julie FelixJulie Felix
Julie Ann Felix is a folk rock recording artist, who was notably produced by Mickie Most on his RAK Records label.-Career:...
covered the song in 1967 on Flowers, and Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
covered the song in 1973, on the Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys
Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys
Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys is a 1973 album by American folk singer Arlo Guthrie.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Arlo Guthrie; except where indicated#"Farrell O'Gara" - 2:49#"Gypsy Davy" - 3:44...
. Others who have covered the song include Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell
Ralph McTell is an English singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk music scene since the 1960s....
, Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
, Jewels and Binoculars, Marc Carroll, Steven Keene and Michel Montecrossa
Michel Montecrossa
Michel Montecrossa is a German media entrepreneur, author, musician, painter, film-maker, futurist, consciousness researcher and founder of Mirapuri, the City of Peace and Futureman in Europe...
. Dylan sang it with Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
on the 1992 album San Francisco Bay Blues.