a wonderful, often overlooked song from his 2001 "Love and Theft" album.
some amazing lines that I lived through myself ;-)

listen here: [mp3.xalo.vn]
read here: [www.bobdylan.com]

"Well the future for me is already a thing of the past / You were my first love and you will be my last"
"I’m paintin’ the town—swinging my partner around / I know who I can depend on, I know who to trust"
"I’m singin’ love’s praises with sugar-coated rhyme / Bye and bye, on you I’m casting my eye"

what do you think of the song? it's meaning? is it anything special for you?
I like to turn off the lights, just lie on my bed pretending I'm asleep and listen to it

it can be seen as a easy-listening song with kinda dark lyrics... I don't think it is.

"it can be seen as a easy-listening song with kinda dark lyrics... "

That could have been Dylans idea for the new decade...The only song I listens to from that album is Mississippi...but the band is fantastic all over and so is Bob of course, and his lyrics is outstanding..Hmm, I think I'll have a listen to it tonight..

Curious that he talks about his 'first love'. I guess rather than Suze Rotolo or a person in particular that would be his love of music. I must admit I've struggled with Love and Theft. It was his voice on that album that I found hard to come to terms with. But I got back on track with Modern Times. Big time.

To me, Love&Theft is Dylan's finest album of the last 30 years - with the exception of Time Out Of Mind. Thanks for the reminder....think I'll give it a spin today

One of the most amazing albums of the rock and roll era.
It's an incredible distillation of American music from the turn of the century onward.
Ballads, blues, swing, Dylan absolutely spans the century in styles, and the band plays it all beautifully.

T@3

I believe that of all the albums in Dylan's resurgence, Love & Theft is the only one I consider a masterpiece. I believe Mississippi is one of the ten best songs he ever wrote. Not a huge fan of Bye and Bye as I prefer Moonlight and especially Floater (which actually incorporates several lines from an English translation of a Japanese book about Japanese gangsters) but you can't go wrong with that album which I think would have an even greater reputation if it hadn't come out on September 11, 2001.

Quote
TeaAtThree
One of the most amazing albums of the rock and roll era.
It's an incredible distillation of American music from the turn of the century onward.
Ballads, blues, swing, Dylan absolutely spans the century in styles, and the band plays it all beautifully.

T@3

yeah buddy!!

that is to say...er...i'm happy to say i'm in agreement... and very nice perspective and write-up thanks for this.... ! go bobby go bobby be good

Thank you very much, thank you, Beely.

And Stewed, you're right on. While I liked Time Out of Mind, it feels mannered in comparison to L&T. Modern Times is solid, but no masterpiece, though 'Thunder on the Mountain' is worthy of any tune in Dylan's catalog. The lyric phrasing on that song is the reason someone with a "shot" voice can be a brilliant singer, IMHO.

T@3

I'm intrigued by you guys' passion for Love & Mercy. Will have another go. Been a good 8 years since I last played it.

Have to agree with people's high evaluation of L&T here, it's great to see people truly digging it. I think it's up there with Bob's greatest, I even prefer it (sacrilege!) to Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61. (Though it doesn't quite reach the Ultimate Godhead standards of Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks.) Mississippi, Floater, Po' Boy, Sugar Baby are among my favorites on it.

Modern Times I rate also very high, though a bit behind L&T, while TOOM is competent but a least one light year behind L&T!

Silver Dagger,
The only clunker on the album (for me) is Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, which opens the record. It's just so boring IMO. Skip straight to Mississippi, which is track 2 if memory serves. Listen to it in one sitting too if you can.

T@3

Timels,
To me the great thing about his Bobness is that you almost can't compare his records from different eras because they are so radically different. Think how different Blonde on Blonde is from Blood on the Tracks. Then consider how different Desire is from Saved which is so different from Infidels, which is so different.....You almost have to take the best of each era
B on B
Highway 61
Nashville Skyline
Blood on the Tracks
Desire
Infidels
-- long dry spell --
Oh, Mercy
-- another dry spell --
Time Out of Mind
Love and Theft
Bootleg Series 8

Love and Theft is the best album of the last decade. It has great depth and it touches on all parts of American music. Absolutely fabulous!!!

I'm amazed at your skills on staying on topic, guys.

Love & Theft is in dylan's Top 5 albums. MEZ