I’ve been listening to “Tell Tale Signs,” the newly released Bob Dylan album, also known as Bootleg Series Vol. 8. It is sheer brilliance, both words and music —
Ring them bells Sweet Martha,
For the poor man’s son,
Ring them bells so the world will know
That God is one.
Oh the shepherd is asleep
Where the willows weep
And the mountains are filled
With lost sheep.Ring them bells for the blind and the deaf,
Ring them bells for all of us who are left,
Ring them bells for the chosen few
Who will judge the many when the game is through.
Ring them bells, for the time that flies,
For the child that cries
When innocence dies.
You can listen to many of the songs for free here. The remarkable thing is how Dylan’s outtakes are as mature as the original album versions — and for my money, often better. These aren’t steps toward a finished song so much as a differently finished song. Highly recommended.
This one is a sampler —
