Song Review : 'Positively 4th Street' by Bob Dylan

This song is very different from those that I have reviewed in the past.It is more of "needling" people whom you have a seriously bad issue with and almost everyone is supposed to have an experience like this,no matter how you interpret it.And for myself,I have had multiple experiences like the situation explained in the song.It has a certain prickling effect on me,it angers me but somehow,it doesn't make me hate anyone.It only causes a lot of irritation that at the end of the day either turns to determination,sorrow or pain.

I do not personally like extremely casually sung songs but in this one,Dylan has rocked singing along with his moving lyrics and rhythmic,quirky tune.Hard to imagine how a single person can turn out to be the voice of a generation!

The song would perhaps seem like it should have had a few casual notes turning secretly melancholy here and there.And the blend is so perfect,it will make you taste reality,remind you of experiences yet not take you far from the amazing experience of the song and at some point will relieve your sorrow or anger or pain or anything similar in a sort of draining process your psychologist can never come up with.

(Photograph Source)

Positively 4th Street Lyrics

(Credit : www.azlyrics.com/www.bobdylan.com;Editted)

You got a lotta nerve

To say you are my friend

When I was down you just stood there grinning

You got a lotta nerve

To say you gotta helping hand to lend

You just want to be on the side that's winning

You say I let you down

You know it's not like that

If your so hurt why then don't you show it

You say you've lost your faith

But that's not where it's at

You have no faith to lose and you know it

I know the reason 

that you talk behind my back

I used to be among the crowd you're in with

Do you take me for such a fool

To think I'd make contact

With the one who tries to hide what it don't know to begin with!

You see me on the street

You always act surprised

You say "How are you?Good luck!" but you don't mean it

When you know as well as me

You'd rather see me paralyzed

Why don't you just come out once and scream it?

No I do not feel that good 

when I see the heartbreaks you embrace

If I was a master thief perhaps I'd rob them

And though I know your dissatisfied 

With your position and your place

Don't you understand it's not my problem

I wish that for just one time

You could stand inside my shoes

And for just that one moment I could be you

Yes I wish that for just one time

You could stand inside my shoes

You'd know what a drag it is to see you

(Photograph Source)

Song Review

I have had the song on Repeat from some point of time in the afternoon yesterday and it is so different from anything I have listened to in the past,that it is taking off all other thoughts off my mind when I am listening to it.

The lyrics hit your subconscious so hard that you have to be subsequently conscious about what is going on that device of yours until you find yourself consumed in the amazing song.From the tone,it seems like the person being needled is of the opposite sex but it might not be necessarily so.

The lines "Do you take me for such a fool

To think I'd make contact

With the on who tries to hide what it don't know to begin with!"

makes me feel weird since this is exactly what I think of a personal experience of mine.

Of course I could never have expressed it as well as Dylan did but it is just so nice a way to hate while not being a hater.

From another perspective,it does seem like a bittersweet experience is well expressed in the verses.For example,"No I do not feel that good 

when I see the heartbreaks you embrace

If I was a master thief perhaps I'd rob them"

However,just at the next verses,the lines change to a vengant yet not so vengant tone,

"And though I know your dissatisfied 

With your position and your place

Don't you understand it's not my problem"

Again,

"You see me on the street

You always act surprised

You say "How are you?Good luck!" but you don't mean it

When you know as well as me

You'd rather see me paralyzed

Why don't you just come out once and scream it?"

The next line shofts to not being happy to see the other person down which is completely opposite to what was said here and I can relate absolutely to this sort of feeling.#9786

This constant juxtaposition of juxtaposition and that of being and not being makes the entire song so attractive to the heart.

The last part of the song hits you hard when the lyrics say

"I wish that for just one time

You could stand inside my shoes

And for just that one moment I could be you

Yes I wish that for just one time

You could stand inside my shoes

You'd know what a drag it is to see you"

The guitar has been played well,the rhythm covered sweet,the voice is sounding perfect with the song,there is absolutely nothing I find to be wrong with the song,be that grammatically,be that as a song,be that as an experience.

Lyrics - 5/5
Melody - 5/5
Instrumentals - 5/5
The voice behind - Weirdly,5/5

As a song - {(20/20) * 100}% = 100%

An absolute must-listen for country rock and Bob Dylan fans.There is no chance you will not love it.