Today, it's Moving too Slow: Essential Dylan # 18

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1997
Not Dark Yet
Time out of Mind
Bob’s voice emerges from the bottom of a stream. He calls out from a corner of the dark room and from the fog hanging over the mountains. All the while, it aims right for your heart like an arrow. Welcome to Not Dark Yet. Certainly, the production of the song, which emphasized murkiness and grey matter over acoustic clarity, actually works well here. The atmosphere is set, and Bob casts his shadows over it as he documents the passage of time and the tricks that can play on one’s mind: “I know it looks like I’m moving/ But I’m standing still/ Every nerve in my body/ Is so naked and so numb/ I can't even remember what it was/ I came here to get away from”. Withdrawn Bob addresses forgetfulness, linear time, and weariness over a 6 minute train ride through the clouds and mountains.

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