The Significance of Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan’s music remains among the most influential and significant contributions to contemporary music. His songs have been studied, analyzed, and interpreted by generations of scholars, musicians, and fans alike. Among his greatest works, “Highway 61 Revisited” has remained one of his most iconic and significant compositions. In this article, we explore the meaning behind the song.

The Basics of “Highway 61 Revisited”

Released in 1965, “Highway 61 Revisited” was the title track of Bob Dylan’s sixth studio album. The song drew its name from the US Route 61, a highway that stretches from Bob Dylan’s hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, to New Orleans, Louisiana. The song’s lyrics are a commentary on contemporary American society and culture, reflecting on the political and social issues of the time.

The Lyrics of “Highway 61 Revisited”

The lyrics of “Highway 61 Revisited” are often characterized as cryptic, elusive, and surreal. The song is peppered with biblical and historical allusions, making it a dense and challenging text to decipher.

The song begins with an enigmatic opening verse that sets the tone for the song: “Oh, God said to Abraham, ‘Kill me a son.’ Abe says, ‘Man, you must be puttin’ me on.’ God say, ‘No.’ Abe say, ‘What?’ God say, ‘You can do what you want, Abe, but the next time you see me comin’, you better run.'”

The verse alludes to the story of Abraham and Isaac from the Hebrew Bible, where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son. In Dylan’s interpretation, however, the tone is more playful and irreverent, reflecting his idiosyncratic approach to Biblical stories.

The song continues with a series of vignettes that reflect on contemporary American culture. The second verse, for example, deals with the fraught issue of race relations in the United States: “Georgia Sam, he had a bloody nose / Welfare Department, they wouldn’t give him no clothes / He asked poor Howard where can I go / Howard said there’s only one place I know / Sam said tell me quick man I got to run / Oh Howard just pointed with his gun.”

Other verses of the song deal with themes such as consumer culture, the music industry, and the glamorized celebrities of the era. The song concludes with a call to action of sorts: “Now the fifth daughter on the twelfth night / Told the first father that things weren’t right / My complexion she said is much too white / He said come here and step into the light, he says hmmm you’re right / Let me tell the second mother this has been done / But the second mother was with the seventh son / And they were both out on Highway 61.”

The Significance of “Highway 61 Revisited”

“Highway 61 Revisited” is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it reflected Dylan’s transition from being a folksinger to a rock musician. The song’s fast-paced and electric instrumentation marked a significant departure from Dylan’s earlier work, which had been primarily acoustic.

Secondly, the song’s lyrics reflected a growing disillusionment with contemporary society and culture. By the mid-1960s, the United States was grappling with a number of pressing political and social issues, including the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the rise of consumer culture. “Highway 61 Revisited” reflected these concerns, critiquing the culture of the era while also suggesting that there might be a way forward.

Finally, “Highway 61 Revisited” is significant because it has become a cultural touchstone for subsequent generations of musicians and music fans. The song has been covered by countless musicians, including Johnny Winter, John Mellencamp, and PJ Harvey. Moreover, the song’s cryptic and elusive lyrics have been the subject of extensive scholarly analysis and interpretation.

The Legacy of “Highway 61 Revisited”

“Highway 61 Revisited” remains a seminal work in the canon of popular music. It helped to define the rock and roll genre, while also reflecting the concerns and anxieties of a generation. The song’s significance has not diminished over time; rather, it has continued to resonate with subsequent generations. As the years have passed, “Highway 61 Revisited” has become a kind of time capsule, capturing the cultural mood of the mid-1960s in a way that remains striking and powerful today.