One of Bob Dylan’s great songs is “All Along the Watchtower” from his John Wesley Harding
The lyrics to “All Along the Watchtower” raise more questions than answers, but that is the brilliance of the song. Who are the princes and the two riders? Who is the joker and who is the thief, and why did the joker tell the thief, “There must be some way out of here”?
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view.
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants too;
Outside in the distance, a wildcat did growl;
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
Nerdwriter 1 created a short video exploring the depth of “All Along the Watchtower,” a song you may have thought was a simple tale. But in the video, Nerdwriter1 dissects some of the mysteries behind the lyrics, and why the brilliance of the song helps explain why Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in literature. Check it out.
Some believe that Dylan is the “Joker” in the song, while Elvis Presley is the “Thief.” Others surmise how the two characters are really different sides of Dylan. Still others see a Biblical reference, with Jesus as the Joker and the Thief being the thief on the cross. There is no one answer, but a great thing about the song is how it can make you think and find your own interpretation.
Another wonderful feature, as Jimi Hendrix knew, is the way the song rocks.
What do you think is the meaning behind “All Along the Watchtower”? Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)