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Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan)
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Subject: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: GUEST,Toad Date: 27 Jun 02 - 05:09 PM So ... I got this much ... The Jack of hearts comes in to make a distraction in the Cabaret while his gang unloads the bank safe. Big Jim is the local boss guy who controls everybody in town. Rosemary is his common law wife and Lily is his mistress. Lily and The Jack of Hearts are old lovers and they meet in Lily's dressing room for some nooky and while there Big Jim tip toes down the hallway to burst in "you couldn't say surprised" to find Lily get'n boinked by the Jack and then Rosemary takes her place beside Big Jim and then sticks him in the back thus saving The Jack and Lily from getting hot lead packed into them. Rosemary was suicidal and was sick of Jim and wanted to do something nice for someone so that's why she stuck Jim, took the blame and was to be hanged the next day. The Jack of Hearts takes off out of town to meet his gang by the river. The gang had the loot and they get away. The story ends with Lily "thinking about her father who she very rarely say, thinking about Rosemary and thinking about the law, but mostly she was thinking about the Jack of hearts". I'm wondering what happens to Lily after the Jack gets off scot free. Is she thinking about all this from jail or is she just hanging around thinking about it, in her room, still employed by the cabaret house? Love to hear some answers or even just thoughts on the story. Any idea where the story came from or is it just out of big 'Ds' head. Toad Long live 'Mudcat'! |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: alanabit Date: 27 Jun 02 - 05:36 PM Don't know where Little Hawk is at the moment, but just wait until he catches sight of this thread! |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: GUEST,Toad Date: 27 Jun 02 - 05:39 PM Great! Can't wait. Toad |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Jun 02 - 07:30 PM It's what is left unsaid that makes it such a nice piece frankly. Everyone will have an opinion (I figure Little Hawk's to run to about 19 paragraphs) but it appeals to many on that basis alone. I have a friend who teaches elementary school music and every year her 6th graders learn this song and it's always their favorite. Lots of questions from them as to what's going on.....just like the rest of us. I personally could give a shit less............ Spaw |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Steve Latimer Date: 27 Jun 02 - 09:09 PM Nice one 'Spaw. I always thought that Lilly got off scott free and just went back to her sad life, made even sadder by having once again loved & lost the Jack. |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Steve Latimer Date: 27 Jun 02 - 09:20 PM Where's Peter T.? He doesn't like this one. It's one of my favourite Dylan songs, I've mentioned before that I think they should make a movie out of it. There is an extra verse listed in the lyrics section of Bob's official site. Maybe it will help. |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Den Date: 27 Jun 02 - 09:39 PM This is my favourite Dylan song, I listened to it constantly when I was studying for my "O" levels. I recently made a harrowing flight from Atlanta to Newark and to calm myself and take my mind off the thunderstorm that raged around us and the rollercoaster effect on the plane I tried to remember the words to this song. You beat me to it Toad I've often thought about posting here to get another take on this great song. Den |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Jun 02 - 09:44 PM Steve....As I learned it first from the Joan Baez version and it includes all of those verses, I never noticed that Bob had left one out on "Blood"........Did he? Which one? Spaw |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Little Hawk Date: 27 Jun 02 - 09:59 PM The verse he left out was...
Lily's arms were locked around the man she dearly loved to touch Spaw's analysis is right on. The missing parts in the story are what make it so interesting. This is one of Dylan's greatest strengths as a writer...the things he doesn't tell you. I once did a lengthy dissertation on this song on some previous thread...let's see if'n Ah kin find it...an' if Spaw's raht 'bowt th' 19 pairygraphs! - LH |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Little Hawk Date: 27 Jun 02 - 10:08 PM Okay, found it... I'm also surprised you don't like it, Peter. It's a pretty unique and extraordinary song, with a lot of grand old archetypes in it... The mysterious outlaw leader, the Jack of Hearts (who is obviously Bob Dylan himself, on some symbolic level). The beautiful woman, Lily, who is secretly in love with the Jack of Hearts, but is having an illicit and none too happy affair with Big Jim...it is implied that she has been forced into the affair, cos Big Jim gets what he wants in that town. Big Jim, who is the richest and most powerful scumbag in town, the owner of the town's "only diamond mine". Think of him as the owner of Warner Brothers or Capitol, and you've got the picture. Rosemary - Big Jim's embittered wife, the high society lady with a husband she despises, and a secret admirer of the Jack of Hearts. The gang - none other than The Band, Dylan's back-up band in 1974 and on many other occasions. In the song, they break into the bank while the Jack of Hearts tries to meet Lily. They "cleaned out the bank safe" (pulled in big concert ticket sales) and "made off with quite a haul, but they couldn't go no further without the Jack of Hearts". Right on. Big Jim catches the Jack with Lily and is about to shoot the Jack...or maybe both of them...when his wife Rosemary puts a knife into his back! The next day the Jack skips town, off on the "never-ending tour" he "keeps on keepin' on"...while Rosemary faces the gallows and she "didn't even blink". Lily stays behind and picks up the pieces, and life goes on. Talk about an epic and dramatic tale! You could make a great full length movie on the story in this song. And musically, it works. Only 10 paragraphs, Spaw...and some of 'em are purty short! :-) - LH |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: GUEST,Toad Date: 27 Jun 02 - 11:06 PM Hey! Thanks all. A guess it is the general consensus that Lily just got left behind ... again. Why does that always happen to some girls. And why do they let dorks like the Jack keep them on a string along with twenty other girls. I guess us nice guys will never get it. But I liked your analogy of the bank robbers leaving town and the musicians leaving town. When I was about twenty years old and trying to carve out a living as a musician it seemed that it was always feast of famine. But I remember the feeling of leaving a little town with four hundred buck in my pocket and feeling like I just robbed the place because I couldn't get over that we had just got paid for playing our guitars. Toad |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Marc Date: 28 Jun 02 - 08:35 PM Toad, your not the great Zydeco guitar player from Ct., are you? |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: GUEST,Ragtime Willie Date: 12 Apr 10 - 07:03 PM This is the best song from this Dylan album, second to Hootie's version of the inherited a million bucks one ya know his version (by the way which I enjoy quite a bit). I love bobby d's harmonica licks and try to imitate them and though they seem hard to copy the simpler you play them they closer you get to the songs version. I think Dylan's other great harmonica albums are of course from John W Harding where he uses his favorite key E. Next I think Black Diamond Bay has a good story line since I was a geography/geology major at Long Beach State U. And the harp is fresh and makes the song. His earlier albums harp imitates the old style,similar to country/blues players (not to be compared to Lil Walter or other African descendants-Chicago blues styles, but more southern states white players. I have my two year old twins playing harmonicas and recommend them to all kids since they sound good to the player and the audience unless you are a prima donna perfectionist. Remember to have them tip the harp slightly up so spit won't plug a reed and give a sour note that may discourage them. Also make the play the music scales over and over and they will get better faster. My twins are even doing a little bending though they don't know it, but are copying me and that's how all music is learned thru repetition and imitation. Back to the song now. I think the copy rights were scaring Dylan from sayin a Colt revolver clicked as he used cold. But if it was a live version you all know Dylan and others change the words to make it fresh,trip you or piss you off or show they are outside the box or even f-ed up and just blew it like Elvis did when he was wasted. So many interpretations and guesses can be made but in Dylan's own words on an old interview the famous hard rain-he was asked if it was an acid rain he was hinting at? While he replied NO JUST A HARD RAIN as in downpour. So don't read to much into this song and make it black and white like blowing in the wind. Still I can play this song 100 times in a row and never get tired of it. I can see it happen like an old western movie that us baby boomers grew up with. By the way I am 51 years old and can be found on the Bands chat room. Please respond to me if you read this and go the the site and say hi Ragtime Willie. |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Paul Reade Date: 12 Apr 10 - 07:26 PM One of my favourite Bob Dylan songs too, especially the Joan Baez live version on "From Every Stage". One question - who is the "Leading Actor" who "Hurried by"? Why is he "In the costume of a monk"? |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: beeliner Date: 12 Apr 10 - 07:57 PM Nearly all of Dylan's story songs leave a lot of loose ends, but then, so did Godfather II. "Ibis" is my favorite. |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: beeliner Date: 12 Apr 10 - 08:12 PM Make that "Isis". |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: open mike Date: 12 Apr 10 - 10:40 PM Tom Russell does this on his 2004 release - Indians Cowboys Horses Dogs |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Amos Date: 12 Apr 10 - 10:54 PM Joanie does it like an angel... |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: GUEST,Matt_R Date: 12 Apr 10 - 10:58 PM My favorite Dylan song and pretty straight-forward. The verse that was originally written for the song but did not make the album version provided the key for me as to the one confusing matter in the song. |
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Subject: RE: LilyRosemaryAndTheJackOfHearts From: Gern Date: 13 Apr 10 - 09:39 PM This can be categorized as Paperback Bob, who became quite good at these noir scenes. What I didn't know until this thread is that nookie is spelled 'knooky.' |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan) From: catspaw49 Date: 23 Apr 10 - 06:07 PM As a kid I enjoyed Marty Robbins Gunfighter Ballads and he had a huge hit with "El Paso" which Seamus Kennedy does on his wonderful cowboy album. Another hit though was "Big Iron" and I hadn't thought of it for awhile but Seamus does it as well. I think Bob listened to it some too. One day he woke up and cranked out "LR&JoH"......I might be wrong but uh,...................click....... Spaw |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan) From: Little Hawk Date: 23 Apr 10 - 08:33 PM Excellent concert clip by Joan Baez. |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan) From: frogprince Date: 24 Apr 10 - 11:55 AM Had never heard Baez do it before; stunning. I had never quite decided to buy a Dylan album until "Blood on the Tracks". I'm not sure now if it was LRATJOH or Shelter from the Storm that made me have to have it then, or both equally. Going back to the ancient discussion: "Colt revolver clicked" would have been perfectly OK, but not as perfect as "cold revolver"; it wasn't about the make of the revolver, it was about the cold arrogant murderous disdain of the man holding it. |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan) From: alanabit Date: 25 Apr 10 - 02:34 AM It is a well told ballad, but for me there was plenty, which I liked more on Blood on the Tracks - an unparalleled album of intensive narratives. |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan) From: michaelr Date: 25 Apr 10 - 12:02 PM Yes, plus that nadir of nastiness, "Idiot Wind". |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dyla From: GUEST,biff Date: 23 May 10 - 07:09 PM best article on this song is in a book of essays on American song called _The Rose and the Briar_ edited by Greil Marcus and someone else |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dyla From: Scorpio Date: 23 May 10 - 09:59 PM Love the song, love the album. It always makes me think of the story of Rocky Raccoon. |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan) From: GUEST,Ragtime Willie Date: 29 May 10 - 01:15 PM After surveying the Band Colt revolver won9out 10 people said he was afraid to be sued for copy rights NOT reading what I wrote some other one had his own agenda/next time read then respond to the topic. I wasn't mad at his choice of cold revolver. You were polite so leave it at that and check out the Band web site. |
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Subject: RE: Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (Bob Dylan) From: GUEST,fred nuggey Date: 15 Jun 10 - 11:41 PM I'm with you Willie I vote for Colt |
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