Burnin' a Hole in My Brain: Essential Dylan # 17

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1989
Most of the Time (Acoustic Version)
Oh Mercy & Bootleg Session
Just four years removed from the haggard beauty of mid 80s, Bob turned into the folk singing grandpa that we know today. Bob’s exploring New Orleans, meeting shopkeepers, riding his motorcycle through the countryside and taking in all there is to see.

Most of the Time is as sober as they come. Bob writes and plays his acoustic guitar clearly and blows on a clean harmonica with no fuss. The whole song is like the great windswept plains on a bright morning as a cold wind blows in the sun and steam from a coffee cup rises to your face.

Bob affirms his newfound clarity in life in concrete terms, while still admitting he hasn’t quite moved beyond the demons of the past. The phrase “most of the time” itself is interesting, in that it has the unique ability to amend a previous statement, properly reflecting the complexity that exists in all of us.

Key lines: “I can follow the path/ I can read the signs/ Stay right with it/ When the road unwinds/  I can handle what I stumble upon/ I don’t even notice she’s gone/ most of the time”.

Indeed, Bob’s writing clear as day. Avoid the muck of the Oh Mercy version of Most of the Time and enjoy this tune from ol’ Bobby.

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