Subterranean Homesick Blues
Encyclopedia
"Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song
by Bob Dylan
, originally released in 1965 as a single
on Columbia Records
, catalogue 43242. It appeared 19 days later as the lead track to the album Bringing It All Back Home
. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit, peaking at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100
. It also entered the Top 10 on the singles chart in the United Kingdom
. It has subsequently been reissued on numerous compilations, the first being his singles compilation from 1967, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
. One of Dylan's first 'electric' pieces, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" was also notable for its innovative film clip
, which first appeared in D. A. Pennebaker
's documentary, Dont Look Back
.
magazine as the 332nd "Greatest Song of All Time", "Subterranean Homesick Blues" has had a wide influence, resulting in iconic references by artists and non-artists alike. Most famously, its lyric "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" was the inspiration for the name of the American radical left
group the Weathermen
, a breakaway from the Students for a Democratic Society
. In a 2007 study of legal opinions and briefs that found Bob Dylan was quoted by judges and lawyer more than any other songwriter, "you don't need a weatherman..." was distinguished as the line most often cited.
John Lennon
was reported to find the song so captivating that he didn't know how he'd be able to write a song that could compete with it. The group Firehose (former Minutemen
members) took its name from another of the song's enigmatic warnings: "Better stay away from those that carry around a fire hose..." In addition, the opening of the last verse, "Ah get born, keep warm", provided the Australian garage rock
band Jet
with the title of their debut album Get Born
.
In the same way that Dylan paid homage to Jack Kerouac
's novel, The Subterraneans, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" has been referenced in the titles of various songs, for example, Radiohead
's "Subterranean Homesick Alien" from 1997's OK Computer
, the ska punk band Mustard Plug's
"Suburban Homesick Blues" from 1997's Evildoers Beware,"300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues" by The White Stripes
and the Memphis indie band The Grifters' "Subterranean Death Ride Blues", the B-side of a 1996 single. It was also the basis for the title of the second episode of Law & Order
s premiere season, "Subterranean Homeboy Blues".
on Is It Rolling Bob?, his 2004 album of Dylan songs with fellow artist Toots Hibbert
, bluegrass musician Tim O'Brien
on his 1996 album of Dylan covers, Red on Blonde
, rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers
on 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
, Cajun
-style fiddle player Doug Kershaw
on Louisiana Man in 1978, and singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson
on his 1974 release Pussycats. The song was also covered by Alanis Morissette
when she stood in for Dylan at his 2005 induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame
. In addition, Robert Wyatt
's "Blues in Bob Minor", on his 1997 album Shleep, uses the song's rhythm as a structural template. In December 2009, rapper Juelz Santana
released the single Mixin' Up the Medicine, which features lyrics in the chorus, performed by alternative rapper Yelawolf
, and maintains some of the song's original acoustics. Ed Volker of The New Orleans Radiators also has done the song in his solo shows and with The Radiators, often paired with Highway 61 Revisited.
's 1980 song, "Villiers Terrace," includes the line, "There's people rolling 'round on the carpet/Mixin' up the medicine."
The Gaslight Anthem
's song "Angry Johnny and the Radio", from their 2007 album Sink or Swim, includes the lines "And I'm still here singin', thinking about the government" and "Are you hidin' in a basement, mixin' up the medicine?"
The album OK Computer
, by Radiohead
, features a song entitled "Subterranean Homesick Alien".
Mustard Plug
has a song entitled Suburban Homesick Blues, released on their album "Evildoers Beware"
. Although Rolling Stone ranked it 7th in the magazine's October 1993 list of "100 Top Music Videos", the original clip was actually the opening segment of D. A. Pennebaker
's film, Dont Look Back
, a documentary on Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England
. In the film, Dylan, who came up with the idea, holds up cue cards for the audience, with selected words and phrases from the lyrics. The cue cards were written by Donovan
, Allen Ginsberg
, Bob Neuwirth
and Dylan himself. While staring at the camera, he flips the cards as the song plays. There are intentional misspellings and puns throughout the clip: for instance, when the song's lyrics say "eleven dollar bills" the poster says "20 dollar bills". The clip was shot in an alley behind the Savoy Hotel
in London
where Ginsberg and Neuwirth make a cameo in the background. For use as a trailer
, the following text was superimposed at the end of the clip while Dylan and Ginsberg are exiting the frame: "Surfacing Here Soon | Bob Dylan in | Don't Look Back by D. A. Pennebaker." Thanks to the back of the Savoy Hotel retaining much of the same exterior as in 1965 the alley used in the video sequence has been identified as the Savoy Steps.
In addition to the Savoy Hotel clip, two alternate promotional films were shot: one in a park (Embankment Gardens, adjacent to the Savoy Hotel) where Dylan, Neuwirth and Ginsberg are joined by a fourth man, and another shot on the roof of an unknown building (actually the Savoy Hotel). A montage of the clips can be seen in the documentary No Direction Home
.
The film clip was used in September 2010 in a promotional video to launch Google Instant. As they are typed, the lyrics of the song generate search engine results pages (SERPS).
Personnel per Olof Bjorner.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Bob Dylan
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...
, originally released in 1965 as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on 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...
, catalogue 43242. It appeared 19 days later as the lead track to the 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...
. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit, peaking at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It also entered the Top 10 on the singles chart in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It has subsequently been reissued on numerous compilations, the first being his singles compilation from 1967, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits is the eighth album released by Bob Dylan on Columbia Records, original catalogue number KCS 9643. It contains every Top 40 single Dylan enjoyed through 1967. It peaked at #10 on the pop album chart in the United States, and went to #3 on the album chart in the United...
. One of Dylan's first 'electric' pieces, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" was also notable for its innovative film clip
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, which first appeared in D. A. Pennebaker
D. A. Pennebaker
Donn Alan Pennebaker is an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema/Cinéma vérité. Performing arts and politics are his primary subjects.-Biography:...
's documentary, 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...
.
Influence
Listed by Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine as the 332nd "Greatest Song of All Time", "Subterranean Homesick Blues" has had a wide influence, resulting in iconic references by artists and non-artists alike. Most famously, its lyric "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" was the inspiration for the name of the American radical left
Far left
Far left, also known as the revolutionary left, radical left and extreme left are terms which refer to the highest degree of leftist positions among left-wing politics...
group the Weathermen
Weatherman (organization)
Weatherman, known colloquially as the Weathermen and later the Weather Underground Organization , was an American radical left organization. It originated in 1969 as a faction of Students for a Democratic Society composed for the most part of the national office leadership of SDS and their...
, a breakaway from the Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
. In a 2007 study of legal opinions and briefs that found Bob Dylan was quoted by judges and lawyer more than any other songwriter, "you don't need a weatherman..." was distinguished as the line most often cited.
John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
was reported to find the song so captivating that he didn't know how he'd be able to write a song that could compete with it. The group Firehose (former Minutemen
Minutemen (band)
Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
members) took its name from another of the song's enigmatic warnings: "Better stay away from those that carry around a fire hose..." In addition, the opening of the last verse, "Ah get born, keep warm", provided the Australian garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
band Jet
Jet (band)
Jet are an Australian rock band formed in 2001 while attending St Bede's College Mentone in Melbourne, . The band consists of lead guitarist Cameron Muncey, bassist Mark Wilson, and brothers Nic and Chris Cester on vocals/rhythm guitar and drums respectively...
with the title of their debut album Get Born
Get Born
-B-Sides:#"Hold On" - featured on the soundtrack for the movie Spider-Man 2#"Hey Kids" - B-side to "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"; also featured on the soundtrack to the movie Elektra and later as a bonus track on their 2006 album Shine On....
.
In the same way that Dylan paid homage to Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
's novel, The Subterraneans, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" has been referenced in the titles of various songs, for example, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's "Subterranean Homesick Alien" from 1997's OK Computer
OK Computer
OK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous...
, the ska punk band Mustard Plug's
Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug is a ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan.Formed in 1991, the band's original members were Dave Kirchgessner, Mike McKendrick, Colin Clive, and Anthony Vilchez. Currently the band consists of Dave , Brandon Jenison , Jim Hofer , Nate Cohn , Colin Clive , and Rick Johnson...
"Suburban Homesick Blues" from 1997's Evildoers Beware,"300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues" by The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
and the Memphis indie band The Grifters' "Subterranean Death Ride Blues", the B-side of a 1996 single. It was also the basis for the title of the second episode of Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
s premiere season, "Subterranean Homeboy Blues".
Cover versions
Covers of the song span a range of styles, including those by reggae great Gregory IsaacsGregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
on Is It Rolling Bob?, his 2004 album of Dylan songs with fellow artist Toots Hibbert
Toots Hibbert
Frederick Nathaniel "Toots" Hibbert is a ska and roots reggae singer and leader of the reggae band Toots & the Maytals.-Biography:...
, bluegrass musician Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien (musician)
Tim O'Brien is an American country and bluegrass musician. In addition to singing, he plays guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bouzouki and mandocello...
on his 1996 album of Dylan covers, Red on Blonde
Red on Blonde
Red on Blonde is a 1996 album of Bob Dylan covers by contemporary folk/bluegrass musician Tim O'Brien. The title is a reference to Dylan's 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde and Tim's alter-ego during his Hot Rize days- Red Knuckles, leader of the Western Swing outfit, Red Knuckles and the...
, rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
on 1987's The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
The Uplift Mofo Party Plan is the third studio album by American funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 29, 1987 on EMI America Records...
, Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
-style fiddle player Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw
Doug Kershaw, born January 24, 1936, is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1949, Kershaw has recorded fifteen albums and charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.- Early life :...
on Louisiana Man in 1978, and singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
on his 1974 release Pussycats. The song was also covered by Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
when she stood in for Dylan at his 2005 induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame
UK Music Hall of Fame
The UK Music Hall of Fame was an awards ceremony to honour musicians, of any nationality, for their lifetime contributions to music in the United Kingdom. The Hall of Fame started in 2004 with the induction of five founder members and five more members selected by a public televote, two from each...
. In addition, Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt
Robert Wyatt is an English musician, and founding member of the influential Canterbury scene band Soft Machine, with a long and distinguished solo career...
's "Blues in Bob Minor", on his 1997 album Shleep, uses the song's rhythm as a structural template. In December 2009, rapper Juelz Santana
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James , better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He appeared on Cam'ron's 2002 singles, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma"...
released the single Mixin' Up the Medicine, which features lyrics in the chorus, performed by alternative rapper Yelawolf
Yelawolf
Michael Wayne Atha , better known by his stage name YelaWolf, is an American rapper. He is currently signed to Shady Records, Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and Interscope Records...
, and maintains some of the song's original acoustics. Ed Volker of The New Orleans Radiators also has done the song in his solo shows and with The Radiators, often paired with Highway 61 Revisited.
Allusions in other artists' songs
Echo & the BunnymenEcho & the Bunnymen
Echo & the Bunnymen are an English post-punk band, formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bass player Les Pattinson, supplemented by a drum machine. By 1980, Pete de Freitas had joined as the band's drummer, and their debut...
's 1980 song, "Villiers Terrace," includes the line, "There's people rolling 'round on the carpet/Mixin' up the medicine."
The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, consisting of Brian Fallon , Alex Rosamilia , Alex Levine and Benny Horowitz...
's song "Angry Johnny and the Radio", from their 2007 album Sink or Swim, includes the lines "And I'm still here singin', thinking about the government" and "Are you hidin' in a basement, mixin' up the medicine?"
The album OK Computer
OK Computer
OK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous...
, by Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, features a song entitled "Subterranean Homesick Alien".
Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug is a ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan.Formed in 1991, the band's original members were Dave Kirchgessner, Mike McKendrick, Colin Clive, and Anthony Vilchez. Currently the band consists of Dave , Brandon Jenison , Jim Hofer , Nate Cohn , Colin Clive , and Rick Johnson...
has a song entitled Suburban Homesick Blues, released on their album "Evildoers Beware"
Promotional film clip
In addition to the song's influence on music, the song was used in what became one of the first "modern" promotional film clips, the forerunner of what later became known as the music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. Although Rolling Stone ranked it 7th in the magazine's October 1993 list of "100 Top Music Videos", the original clip was actually the opening segment of D. A. Pennebaker
D. A. Pennebaker
Donn Alan Pennebaker is an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema/Cinéma vérité. Performing arts and politics are his primary subjects.-Biography:...
's 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...
, a documentary on Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In the film, Dylan, who came up with the idea, holds up cue cards for the audience, with selected words and phrases from the lyrics. The cue cards were written by Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
, Bob Neuwirth
Bob Neuwirth
Bob Neuwirth is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and visual artist. A mainstay of the early 1960s Cambridge, Massachusetts, folk scene, he subsequently became a friend and associate of Bob Dylan alongside whom he appears in D.A...
and Dylan himself. While staring at the camera, he flips the cards as the song plays. There are intentional misspellings and puns throughout the clip: for instance, when the song's lyrics say "eleven dollar bills" the poster says "20 dollar bills". The clip was shot in an alley behind the Savoy Hotel
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a hotel located on the Strand, in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas, the hotel opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where Ginsberg and Neuwirth make a cameo in the background. For use as a trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
, the following text was superimposed at the end of the clip while Dylan and Ginsberg are exiting the frame: "Surfacing Here Soon | Bob Dylan in | Don't Look Back by D. A. Pennebaker." Thanks to the back of the Savoy Hotel retaining much of the same exterior as in 1965 the alley used in the video sequence has been identified as the Savoy Steps.
In addition to the Savoy Hotel clip, two alternate promotional films were shot: one in a park (Embankment Gardens, adjacent to the Savoy Hotel) where Dylan, Neuwirth and Ginsberg are joined by a fourth man, and another shot on the roof of an unknown building (actually the Savoy Hotel). A montage of the clips can be seen in the documentary No Direction Home
No Direction Home
No Direction Home is a documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th century American popular music and culture. The film does not cover Dylan's entire career; it concentrates on the period between Dylan's arrival in New York in January 1961 and his...
.
The film clip was used in September 2010 in a promotional video to launch Google Instant. As they are typed, the lyrics of the song generate search engine results pages (SERPS).
Similar videos
The "Subterranean Homesick Blues" film clip and its concepts have been popularly imitated by a number of artists. Influenced and imitative videos of note include:- The video for the 1987 INXSINXSINXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
track "Mediate". - The video clip for Bloodhound GangBloodhound GangBloodhound Gang is a Collegeville, Pennsylvania-based American comedy band, although it began as a rap group and gradually changed its genre throughout the years...
's 1999 song "MopeMope"Mope" is the fourth single released from The Bloodhound Gang's 1999 album Hooray for Boobies. The song and music video feature a man in a Pac-Man suit, portrayed as being on crack.-Track listing:# "Mope"...
". - "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
used the concept twice: first, for his 1989 song "UHF" (though in this case he was in fact parodying the INXS version) and second, for the song "Bob" from his 2003 album Poodle HatPoodle HatPoodle Hat is the Grammy Award-winning 11th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on May 20, 2003 on Volcano Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album was released on an Enhanced CD...
. In "Bob", the lyrics are all palindromePalindromeA palindrome is a word, phrase, number, or other sequence of units that can be read the same way in either direction, with general allowances for adjustments to punctuation and word dividers....
s, and the video depicts Yankovic dressed as Dylan dropping cue cards with each palindrome. - The 1992 Tim Robbins film Bob RobertsBob RobertsBob Roberts is a 1992 film written and directed by Tim Robbins. It is a satirical mockumentary, chronicling the rise of Bob Roberts, a conservative politician who is a candidate for an upcoming United States Senate election...
features Robbins in the title role as a right-wing folk singer who uses Dylan's cue-card concept for the song "Wall Street Rap". - The video for "Buzzards of Green Hill" by Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade borrows the cue card idea from Dylan's clip.
- French singer Alain ChamfortAlain ChamfortAlain Chamfort, born Alain Le Govic, is a French singer of Breton origin, born on 2 March 1949 in Paris.He was a promising pianist in his youth, and the piano became his instrument of choice...
commissioned director Bruno Decharme to make an exact replica of the original video for his song "Les yeux de Laure". - FilkFilk musicFilk is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction/fantasy fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has been active since the early 1950s, and played primarily since the mid-1970s. The term predates 1955.-Definitions:As the Interfilk What Is Filk page demonstrates, there is...
performer The great Luke SkiLuke SkiLuke Ski is a parody, filk and rap artist who writes, records and performs comedy music. He had the #1 most requested song on the Dr...
recorded two Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
-themed parodies of "Subterranean Homesick Blues": "Star Wars Trilogy Homesick Blues", about the Original Trilogy, and "Star Wars Prequel Homesick Blues", about the Prequel Trilogy. He also filmed a video for the former, with Ski dressed as Dylan dropping cue cards as in the "Subterranean" clip. - Richard CurtisRichard CurtisRichard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
's film Love ActuallyLove ActuallyLove Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as their tales progress...
has a character tell another that he is in love with her, by holding up cards with messages on them. - The video for "Misfit" by Curiosity Killed the CatCuriosity Killed the CatCuriosity Killed the Cat was a British pop band that found success in the UK Singles Chart in the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Career:The band tried to play soulful, jazzy, and funky pop music and was initially signed to Phonogram Records' Mercury imprint. They first came to notice of the UK music...
features Andy WarholAndy WarholAndrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
standing motionless in an alleyway, dropping cue cards that are blank, while the band's singer energetically dances to the left of him. - In an episodeThe Cost of Living (Lost)"The Cost of Living" is the 5th episode of the third season of Lost, and the 54th episode overall. It aired on November 1, 2006 in the US and on December 17, 2006 in the UK. The episode was written by Monica Breen and Alison Schapker and directed by Jack Bender. The character of Mr...
of LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, Juliet holds up cards and removes them in a video she shows JackJack ShephardDr. Jack Shephard is a fictional character and protagonist of the ABC television series Lost played by Matthew Fox. Lost follows the journey of the survivors of Oceanic Airlines flight 815 on a mysterious island and their attempts to survive and escape, slowly uncovering more of the much broader...
to tell him that Ben is not wanted as a prominent figure in the Others community. - The Gothic ArchiesThe Gothic ArchiesThe Gothic Archies are a self-described goth-bubblegum band created and largely performed by Stephin Merritt, more famously of The Magnetic Fields. In 1997, Merritt released The New Despair. The EP featured the song "Your Long White Fingers", which appeared frequently in the cult Nickelodeon series...
use the cue card idea for their "Scream and Run Away" video. - The Canadian comedy group The Royal Canadian Air Farce produced a parody for their TV show called "Bob Dylan Christmas Songbook" that used the cue card device.
- The Flaming LipsThe Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
parodied the film clip in a television advertisement for their 2006 album At War with the MysticsAt War with the Mystics-At War with the Mystics 5.1:Like The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi, At War with the Mystics was released as a special edition 5.1 CD+DVD-Audio mix on October 24, 2006...
. In the clip, lead singer Wayne CoyneWayne CoyneWayne Michael Coyne is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
uses cue cards to inform viewers of the release, while the album's "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" plays. - Directorial duo Greifer & Krötenbluth shot a promo for the German band Wir sind HeldenWir sind HeldenWir sind Helden is a German Alternative Rock band from Berlin, established in 2001 in Hamburg. The quartet is composed of lead singer Judith Holofernes and musicians Pola Roy, Mark Tavassol, and Jean-Michel Tourette. The group's style has often been considered similar to that of the Neue Deutsche...
's 2005 single "Nur ein Wort", in which the group's singer and guitarist use cue cards and other effects. - Scottish band Belle and Sebastian pay homage to the film clip in the music video for the song "Like Dylan in the Movies" from their album If You're Feeling SinisterIf You're Feeling SinisterIf You're Feeling Sinister is the second album by Scottish pop group Belle & Sebastian, released on the independent label Jeepster Records in the United Kingdom and Matador Records in the United States...
. - The American punkPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Anti-FlagAnti-FlagAnti-Flag is a punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States, formed in 1988. The band is well known for its outspoken political views. Much of the band's lyrics have focused on fervent anti-war activism, criticism of United States foreign policy, corporatism, U.S. wealth...
used the concept in the clip for their song "Turncoat". - Pop-punk band The MatchesThe MatchesThe Matches are a United States-based band formed in 1997 in Oakland, California. It currently is composed of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Shawn Harris, lead guitarist and backup vocalist Jonathan Devoto, bassist and backup vocalist Dylan Rowe, and drummer Matt Whalen...
created a video for their song, "Salty Eyes", using televisions rather than flashcards, throwing them around and dropping the televisions as the lyrics display. - Argentinian singer/songwriter León GiecoLeón GiecoRaúl Alberto Antonio Gieco, better known as León Gieco is a pop-folk music composer and interpreter. He is known for mixing popular folkloric genres with Argentine rock, and for lyrics with social and political connotations...
paid homage to Dylan by using cue cards in his video clip for the song El ídolo de los Quemados, in his 2001 album, Bandidos Rurales. - Steve EarleSteve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
implements the technique as part of the video for his 2002 single, Jerusalem. - Chicago band SundownerSundowner (band)Sundowner is an acoustic project of Chris McCaughan of The Lawrence Arms, also featuring Jenny Choi, Neil Hennessy, and Eli Caterer.Their debut album, Four One Five Two, was released on Red Scare Records on March 13, 2007...
produced a video in 2007 for their song "This War is NoiseFour One Five TwoFour One Five Two is the debut album of Chicago Illinois's Sundowner, the acoustic side-project from Chris McCaughan of The Lawrence Arms. The album was released on March 13, 2007, after many months of playing coffee shops and touring alongside The Lawrence ArmsThe album consists of twelve songs,...
" as a tribute to Dylan's clip. - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n comedy team The ChaserThe ChaserThe Chaser are an Australian satirical comedian group, known for their television programmes on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation channel. The group take their name from their production of satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste...
parodied the clip twice. The first featured Chris TaylorChris Taylor (comedian)Christopher Thornton "Chris" Taylor is an Australian comedian, writer and former radio host from Sydney. As a member of The Chaser, he is best known for co-writing and appearing on satirical ABC Television shows CNNNN and The Chaser's War on Everything...
advertising the second-half of the 2007 series return for their show, The Chaser's War on EverythingThe Chaser's War on EverythingThe Chaser's War on Everything is an Australian television satirical comedy series broadcast on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation television station ABC1. It has won an AFI Award. The cast perform sketches mocking social and political issues, and often feature comedic publicity stunts...
. The second parody, aired during Episode 14, featured Andrew HansenAndrew HansenAndrew John Hansen is an Australian comedian and musician, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser...
in a skit about APEC. - Joe CartoonJoe CartoonJoe Cartoon is the name of a series of Flash-based online cartoons that was launched in 1998 by creator Joseph C. Shields, a comic artist, and t-shirt and toy designer from Michigan...
parodies the clip for the trailer to Blender Poll 2008. - In late 2008, ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
personality Kenny MayneKenny MayneKenneth "Kenny" Wheelock Mayne is a sports journalist and comedian for ESPN.-Sports career:A native of Kent, Washington, Mayne is a former honorable mention junior college All-American quarterback in 1978 at Wenatchee Valley Community College in Wenatchee, WA...
used a similar video to promote Mayne Street, a Web-only series on ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
in which he stars. - In 2008, rapper Evidence shot a music video for his single "The Far Left" as a tribute to the "Subterranean Homesick Blues", using cue cards with the song's lyrics and drawings.
- In the 2008 documentary "Gold and Silver and Sunshine - The Making of Dig Out Your Soul", the English band Oasis introduced each point of interest using the card-dropping theme from the Subterranean Homesick Blues video.
- Singer-songwriter, Julian VelardJulian VelardJulian Velard , is an American pianist and singer-songwriter, born and raised in New York City.-Biography:Velard was born and raised in New York City, New York. He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and Hampshire College, in Amherst, Massachusetts, where...
, pays tribute to Dylan using the card-dropping motif on the intro page to his website. - In January, 2010, a music video from the humor website Cracked used Bob Dylan's original video with new lyrics superimposed on the cards to list unanswered questions from the show LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. - In March 2010, Dan & Dan released The Daily Mail Song, in which the lyrics of the song are shown as headlines on a series of newspapers, discarded one by one.
- In 2011, Minnesota rapper MaLLy, and film director Victor Rukavina, shot a music video for the song "Heir Time" referencing "Subterranean Homesick Blues", improvising on the concept by replacing the cue cards with an iPad.
Personnel
- Bob DylanBob DylanBob 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...
: acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, vocal - Al Gorgoni: guitar
- Kenneth Rankin: guitar
- Bruce LanghorneBruce LanghorneBruce Langhorne is an American folk musician. He was active in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s, primarily as a session guitarist for folk albums and performances...
: guitar - Joseph Macho Jr.: bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- William E. LeeWilliam E. LeeWilliam E. Lee was a Minnesota politician and Speaker of the Minnesota House of RepresentativesHe first served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1885 to 1889, and was sent back to the body from 1893 to 1895. He was elected Speaker during his second tenure in office.-References:...
: bass - Bobby GreggBobby GreggRobert J. Gregg is a musician who has performed as a drummer and has also been a record producer. As a drum soloist and band leader he recorded one album and several singles, including one Top 40 single in the United States...
: drums
Personnel per Olof Bjorner.
External links
- bjorner.com A long list of covers
- bobdylan.com Lyrics and sound clips
- musicbox.sonybmg.com Music video
- Subterranean Homesick Blues song guide, lyrical and technical analysis, allusions