Four days after May Day, you just gotta start off your Cinco de Mayo with a listen to Bob Dylan's ISIS, circa 1975. Opening up with, "I married ISIS on the fifth day of May, but I could not hold on to her very long", this gem from Desire, is an ode to Bob's marital troubles, thinly disguised as a Marty Robbins' gunfighter road ballad. It is must listening every May 5th. Unfortunately for those of us living in the youtube universe, the greatest clip of this song from the 1975 Rolling Thunder tour, is missing the just quoted first verse. But this killer version does include Mick Ronson on guitar, a wild-eyed Bobby Neuwirth facing down Dylan in white face paint, and a very young T-Bone Burnett onstage decades before he won an academy award. As the song's long journey winds down, the last verse is intact : "I still can remember the way that you smiled, on the fifth day of May in the drizzling rain." So go ahead, start your 5/5 off right...
And if you have a few more minutes to kill, here are two more versions. First the White Stripes (Jack White meets Jack Frost). Then a slightly bedraggled Bob Dylan (on tour after one year) doing a full version that includes that wonderful opening verse. Happy Cinco de Mayo pardner.
I remember when you first heard that song. I drove, as I recall.
ReplyDeleteIs that you Dunn? Where you be?
ReplyDeleteYeah man, I'm in Reseda, looking at all these pics here that inspired me back in the old days. Hey, they still do.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen you since before the internet! I'll send you an email.
I'm a waiting. I'm godlis@mac.com. Love to hear what's up.
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