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Legend has it that a fan threw a small cross onto the stage during a concert at the end of 1978 (by the way, do yourself a favor and find the bootlegs from late 1978, especially the concerts in Charlotte and Paris). Dylan converts to Christianity and begins a new era. Dylan's production had always been permeated by a certain spirituality, a certain faith. But now Robert Zimmerman, of Jewish origin, joins the sect of born-again Christians and transforms into a preacher. The concerts become sermons, the songs "Christic": the end of the world is imminent, only faith in God can save. All the songs from the Christian period revolve around this theme. With mixed results.
The first album of the new Father Bob is "Slow Train Coming", and it's the most enlightened and the best produced. Very powerful blues, some ballads, the best voice ever. Beautiful songs are "Precious Angel" and "Slow Train". Masterpieces are "I Believe In You" and "When He Returns", the lyrics above average for religious songs, indeed, truly admirable: they are not bigoted, they are filled with sincere and heartfelt faith. The rest, apart from the masterful "Gotta Serve Somebody" and "When You Gonna Wake Up", offers little. The convinced blues runs aground on something trivial ("Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking", "Man Gave Name To All The Animals", "Do Right To Me Baby"). The hand becomes more uncertain, the religiosity is far too emphasized.
The strength of the album is the musical part, well crafted and precise, better than in the subsequent LPs. "Slow Train Coming" stays afloat with dignity, buoyed by three or four Dylanian gems and a victim of the exclusion of "Ye Shall Be Changed", an excellent out-take... Yet the album struggles to get under the skin, doesn't hold up to repeated listens, and sometimes bores.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Gotta Serve Somebody (05:25)
You may be an ambassador
To England or France
You might like to gamble
You might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight
Champion of the world
You might be a socialite
With a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes indeed, you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Might be a Rock-n-roll addict
Prancing on the stage
Money, Drugs at your command
Women in a cage
You may be a businessman
Or some high DJV(?)
They may call you doctor
Or they may call you chief
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes you are, you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a state trooper
You might be a young tough
You may be the head
Of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor
You may be blind or lame
Maybe livin' in another Country
Under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes you are, you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Maybe a construction worker
Workin' on a home
Might be livin' in a Mansion
You might live in a dome
You may own guns
And you may even own tanks
You may be someone's landlord
You may even own banks
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes, you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a Preacher
Preaching Spiritual Pride
Maybe a City Councilman
Takin' bribes on the side
Maybe working in a Barbershop
You may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress
Maybe somebody's heir
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes, you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Might like to wear cotton
Might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey
Might like to drink milk
Might like to eat caviar
You might like to eat bread
Maybe sleeping on the floor
Sleepin' in a king-size bed
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes indeed, you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
Or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may call me Terry
You may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby
Or you may call me Zimmy
You may call me RJ
You may call me Ray
You may call me anything
No matter what you say
You're still gonna have to serve somebody
Yes, you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well it may be the Devil
And it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Ohh Yeah
Serve Somebody
02 Precious Angel (06:30)
Precious angel, under the sun,
How was I to know you'd be the one
To show me I was blinded, to show me I was gone
How weak was the foundation I was standing upon?
Now there's spiritual warfare and flesh and blood breaking down.
You either got faith or you got unbelief and there ain't no neutral ground.
The enemy is subtle, how be it we are so deceived
When the truth's in our hearts and we still don't believe?
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself.
I'm a little too blind to see.
My so-called friends have fallen under a spell.
They look me squarely in the eye and they say, All is well.
Can they imagine the darkness that will fall from on high
When men will beg God to kill them and they won't be able to die?
Sister, lemme tell you about a vision I saw.
You were drawing water for your husband, you were suffering under the law.
You were telling him about Buddha, you were telling him about Mohammed
in the same breath.
You never mentioned one time the Man who came and died a criminal's death.
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself.
I'm a little too blind to see.
Precious angel, you believe me when I say
What God has given to us no man can take away.
We are covered in blood, girl, you know our forefathers were slaves.
Let us hope they've found mercy in their bone-filled graves.
You're the queen of my flesh, girl, you're my woman, you're my delight,
You're the lamp of my soul, girl, and you torch up the night.
But there's violence in the eyes, girl, so let us not be enticed
On the way out of Egypt, through Ethiopia, to the judgment hall of Christ.
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn't make it by myself.
I'm a little too blind to see.
09 When He Returns (04:30)
The iron hand it ain't no match for the iron rod,
The strongest wall will crumble and fall to a mighty God.
For all those who have eyes and all those who have ears
It is only He who can reduce me to tears.
Don't you cry and don't you die and don't you burn
For like a thief in the night, He'll replace wrong with right
When He returns.
Truth is an arrow and the gate is narrow that it passes through,
He unleashed His power at an unknown hour that no one knew.
How long can I listen to the lies of prejudice?
How long can I stay drunk on fear out in the wilderness?
Can I cast it aside, all this loyalty and this pride?
Will I ever learn that there'll be no peace, that the war won't cease
Until He returns?
Surrender your crown on this blood-stained ground, take off your mask,
He sees your deeds, He knows your needs even before you ask.
How long can you falsify and deny what is real?
How long can you hate yourself for the weakness you conceal?
Of every earthly plan that be known to man, He is unconcerned,
He's got plans of His own to set up His throne
When He returns.
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