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| North and South |
Rte. 66, Pacific Coast Hwy 101, California Rte. 1,
Blue Ridge Pkwy., Green River Pkwy
These are historic roads along beautiful sights. We have traveled along 101 and 1 here in California. They curve along the Pacific Coast. Indescribable.
We drove on 66 briefly, since it is now in short stretches and bits. Ate at Road Kill Cafe, Rte. 66, Seligman, AZ. Great French fries.
Blue Ridge and Green River Pkwys are beautiful beyond description, as the YouTube videos show. God is amazing.
So, what is this post all about? What Hwy didn't make the cut?
Hwy 61, of course. By Bob Dylan.
How to describe this song is way beyond me. There are five stanzas. Each one describes some sort of problem resolved on Hwy 61. Or, maybe it isn't about anything, because Dylan's style is a swirl of images and rhythms? Or, maybe Dylan was just playing with words, all pouring out from his crazy great brain?
Hwy 61 travels from Minnesota (or beyond into Canada) in a winding way to New Orleans. The heart of blues strolled along the Mississippi South to North, stopping off to share the music's beauty and rhythm.
So, here is Bob Dylan:
YouTube, about 3 minutes
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| Highway 61 |
Check out the lyrics at this site. They are brilliant.
Take me home Country Roads - John Denver.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Loved John Denver. Great song writer and performer.
DeleteThat was great, Susan. Thanks for putting it on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI liked Dylan's writing but not his singing if you can call it that. :)
ReplyDeleteGotta agree with you on that!
DeleteWe went to see Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Bob Dylan concert. Amazing.
DeleteBob Dylan's voice was like rocky gravel. Well, he is 78 and has spent a lifetime on the road.
Susan:
ReplyDeleteCan't say I was ever a huge fan of Dylan, but I do recall the song (and that was probably my favorite one).
Others did some treat covers of it. The late Johnny Winter perhaps did the best (imho). Saw him perform it live, too.
Been on a few of the notable roads in the USA...Rt 5 in CA, Skyline Drive, VA, and naturally I-95 from PA to FL...great drives.
Johnny Winter was fabulous. Seeing that performance must have been awesome.
DeleteSlow Train Coming was also one of my Dylan favorites.
Those drives are hard to explain to someone, until they hit that road themselves.
My oldest son says you must be just a little crazy-brilliant to understand some magnificent minds. We have driven most of the roads you list and love them. Even drove some on 61 and did not know there was a song using it. But I was raised and live under a rock. (as many of my friends tell it. LOL)
ReplyDeleteEnvy here! Those road trips took you through some beautiful country.
DeleteIt is so much fun to take a driving excursion. Discovering something new or unusual is the excitement of it.
ReplyDeleteSeeing the country from the ground level is fulfilling.
DeleteWe live only a couple of miles from part of Highway 61. Maybe someday i can take a vacation and follow it to the end.
ReplyDeleteI am with you! Let me know what you find.
DeleteI enjoy the BAND Highway 101. For '80s country, like "The Bed You Made For Me."
ReplyDeleteI just listened to it. Says a lot!
DeleteI never listened to much of Bob Dylan, (for years I thought that was pronounced "Dielan"), mostly just because I couldn't understand what he was on about.
ReplyDeleteSometimes he sounds like he is singing with a mouthful of marbles.
DeleteThe original Route 66 went right past my house in Webb City, MO. Now it's nothing more than a sign driving into town. How sad so many of these roads are not popular. I drove up the PCH all the way through CA one year. I also drove Hwy 7 in AR, one of the most winding two lane roads in the country. Car and Driver said it was the most dangerous road. I loved your take on Hwy 61, even if I'm not the biggest fan of Bob Dylan.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Hwy 7 in AZ. Can avoid it forever!
DeleteHi Susan - I do love listening to Dylan ... but can see what everyone is saying about the lyrics ... my head is not in gear for it ... but love the music ... and I really enjoying driving the lanes here - as the seasons move along. Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHis lyrics tell a story, altho it is hard to think about them. I printed them up when writing this post.
DeleteDylan … he's not one of my favourites but he is a great writer of songs.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Writing was his talent, singing was something else.
DeleteMr. Dylan is more specific than a force of nature; he's a force of human nature.
ReplyDeleteWell said. He understands the twists and turns.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but I don't understand your comment. As such, I feel compelled to delete it.
DeleteThis tickles at my memory. I think my uncle may have recently written about going down to New Orleans in the '60s? And Hwy 61 was part of the narrative. Of course, I could be misremembering. I'm probably misremembering.
ReplyDeleteThis was probably before you developed a music library of your own.
Deletedriving along such blue waters must be joy which cannot be defined :)))
ReplyDeletei absolutely enjoyed the song ,so much energy :)
It does have so much energy. You should listen to "Slow Train Coming".
DeleteOh I love that man, Bob Dylan, and Hwy 61 is a great song of his. He is a poet and musician and I was fortunate to see him perform in a small venue 10 years ago. My husband and I drove on a few sections of Hwy 66, a classic road.
ReplyDeleteDylan has such presence and he affected the music world. How great it is that you two had an opportunity to see him perform.
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