# What are Dylan's best post-Jesus Freak cuts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-dylans-best-post-jesus-freak-cuts/731367 "2015-09-15T15:40:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-dylans-best-post-jesus-freak-cuts/731367/41 "2015-09-21T19:56:07Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Oh, religion has always been a permanent thread in Dylan’s work, right from the beginning. I very much doubt that he ever lost faith in the Abrahamic god, though for many people the image of the uber-cool speed-freak counter-culture icon from 1965/66 is impossible to reconcile with the bible-thumping zealot of his born-again phase, but that’s Dylan for you (the general you). Note that the religious theme after _Saved_ didn’t suddenly stop, but only slowly faded and softened. _Shot Of Love_ is sometimes counted as part of a born-again triology, and it still has some religion-themed songs, but it is milder (see _Every Grain Of Sand_, in essence a pantheistic song), though there was also the quite self-righteous _Property Of Jesus_. And what is _Jokerman_ on _Infidels_ other than a messianic figure, maybe The Man himself. In his later work, allusions to religious themes were still all over the place, just like before _Slow Train Coming_, but mostly subtler than in his born-again phase. So it’s no surprise that he often starts his concerts with old religious folk and gospel songs on the neverending tour. Hard to say. He used Christian imagery even in the early days (God on Our Side) long before he even came near to being a Christian. I take it as being in the folk tradition and maybe speaking in the terms much of his audience understood. Highway 61 Revisited, however, is a nicely anti-religious song. “God said you can do what you want Abe but, the next time you see me coming you better run.” By Desire though we are seeing some real interest in religion. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-dylans-best-post-jesus-freak-cuts/731367/42 "2015-09-21T20:01:20Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > And what is _Jokerman_ on _Infidels_ other than a messianic figure, maybe The Man himself. Indeed, the very first line of the song (and thus the album) is a paraphrase from scripture. Old Testament, true, but then he quotes gospel in “Sweetheart Like You” (“In my father’s house there’s many mansions”). Meanwhile, one of my (many) favorite lines from early Dylan is _I said, Y’know, they refused Jesus, too! He said, You’re not him._ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-dylans-best-post-jesus-freak-cuts/731367/43 "2015-09-21T20:24:33Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Hard to say. He used Christian imagery even in the early days (God on Our Side) long before he even came near to being a Christian. I take it as being in the folk tradition and maybe speaking in the terms much of his audience understood. > Highway 61 Revisited, however, is a nicely anti-religious song. > “God said you can do what you want Abe but, > the next time you see me coming you better run.” > > By Desire though we are seeing some real interest in religion. It’s complex. Note that I said I think he always believed in the “Abrahamic God”, not Jesus, and I doubt that he became a Christian before his born-again phase, but Christian imagery has been present in his work from the very start of his recording career, it’s right in the blues covers from his first album, and “A hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” is trenched in Christian apocalyptic expressions, for example. Of course he also made fun of religion, between 1963 and 1966 he made fun of everybody, but I think he was never antireligious, as much as I love the first verse of \*Highway 61 Revisited \*and the whole song. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-dylans-best-post-jesus-freak-cuts/731367/44 "2015-09-21T20:25:55Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Indeed, the very first line of the song (and thus the album) is a paraphrase from scripture. Old Testament, true, but then he quotes gospel in “Sweetheart Like You” (“In my father’s house there’s many mansions”). > > Meanwhile, one of my (many) favorite lines from early Dylan is > > _I said, Y’know, they refused Jesus, too! > He said, You’re not him._ But he also sang: “In a little hilltop village, they gambled for my cloths.” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-dylans-best-post-jesus-freak-cuts/731367/45 "2015-09-21T23:18:18Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > It’s complex. Note that I said I think he always believed in the “Abrahamic God”, not Jesus, and I doubt that he became a Christian before his born-again phase, but Christian imagery has been present in his work from the very start of his recording career, it’s right in the blues covers from his first album, and “A hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” is trenched in Christian apocalyptic expressions, for example. Of course he also made fun of religion, between 1963 and 1966 he made fun of everybody, but I think he was never antireligious, as much as I love the first verse of \*Highway 61 Revisited \*and the whole song. I was thinking of the first album when I mentioned the folk songs. He was as authentic with the hymns as he was singing House of the Rising Sun without changing the gender of the song - and selling it. I’ve read Revelation and I don’t see Hard Rain quoting it particularly. The structure is Lord Randall but the images are his. And I’ve seen interpretations of Highway 61 as being all about religion, not just the obvious first verse, with the road representing religion. But as always that is just one interpretation. I would not claim even the old Dylan as an atheist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-dylans-best-post-jesus-freak-cuts/731367.md?page=2)