Monday, August 17, 2015

Shot of Love

No drugs, no liquor
For Bob. Nothing's going right.
Love him, don't kill him.

"Shot of Love" opens the 1981 album of the same name. It's a good, solid rocker, and also shows the beginning of Bob Dylan's move away from the overtly Christian themes of his previous two albums. Following is a list of symptoms and ailments, as well as prescriptions and proscriptions:

1. What I don't need: heroin, turpentine, codeine and whiskey. What I do need: a shot of love.
2. I'm disgusted with the kingdoms of the world. I need a Medicaid plan to deal with this. My disease won't hurt me, but it will kill me, just like the disciples who ran into trouble when the Romans decided that they had had enough of Jesus.
3. I don't need alibis for spending time with you (Him). I don't need books or movies.
4. Why would I hate you? All you did was murder my father and rape his wife, tattoo my babies with a poison pen, mocked my God and humiliated my friends.
5. I don't want to be with any woman tonight. My enemy is threatening me, so what do you think I'm going to do? Just wait for him to show up?
6. Why is the wind blowing so strongly tonight? I want to stay home. I called my home town and found out everybody moved away. And my conscience is bothering me. I need a shot of love.






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