Hear that whistle blow?
That's the train I'm waiting for,
Coming right on time.
I can't decide if "Duquesne Whistle" is a song about death. There's no doubt that that train is blowing loud and fast into town, its little red light blinking. It's Bob Dylan's version of the little engine that could. I just suspect that it's going to bear Bob away just like it blows his blues away. Judging by the lyrics, it's a train that can't be ignored. And it makes me think of those old blues songs where the train takes away dead lovers -- funeral trains, and so on. The song appears on "Tempest," Dylan's latest album of studio originals, from 2012.
1. Blows like it's going to sweep his world away.
2. Blows like she never blowed before.
3. Blows like she's at my chamber door.
4. Blows like she isn't going to blow anymore.
5. Blows like the sky's going to blow apart.
6. Blows like his woman's on board.
7. Blows like it's going to blow his blues away.
8. Blows like it's going to kill him.
9. Blows like she's blowing right on time.
See what I mean?
Here's the video, which I find nasty and disturbing:
That's the train I'm waiting for,
Coming right on time.
I can't decide if "Duquesne Whistle" is a song about death. There's no doubt that that train is blowing loud and fast into town, its little red light blinking. It's Bob Dylan's version of the little engine that could. I just suspect that it's going to bear Bob away just like it blows his blues away. Judging by the lyrics, it's a train that can't be ignored. And it makes me think of those old blues songs where the train takes away dead lovers -- funeral trains, and so on. The song appears on "Tempest," Dylan's latest album of studio originals, from 2012.
1. Blows like it's going to sweep his world away.
2. Blows like she never blowed before.
3. Blows like she's at my chamber door.
4. Blows like she isn't going to blow anymore.
5. Blows like the sky's going to blow apart.
6. Blows like his woman's on board.
7. Blows like it's going to blow his blues away.
8. Blows like it's going to kill him.
9. Blows like she's blowing right on time.
See what I mean?
Here's the video, which I find nasty and disturbing:
Hello there Robert, Thank you for posting this analysis of a song from Bob Dylan's Music Box: http://thebobdylanproject.com/Song/id/174/Duquesne-Whistle Come and join us inside and listen to every song composed, recorded or performed by Bob Dylan, plus all the great covers streaming on YouTube, Spotify, Deezer and SoundCloud plus so much more... including this link.
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