PG Music Home Forums General Discussion User Showcase BOB DEAN_by David Snyder

Folks, for YEARS I have been joking with Bob Dean that one day I was going to write an epic song in his honor, paying homage to "Bob Dean the Songwriting Machine." It was going to be kind of a joke. For those who don't want to read anymore here it is:

https://soundcloud.com/david-snyder-gigs4/bob-dean

Want more info?

When I got into it, it turned into a sprawling Epic Journey across music, history, time, America, the song catalog of Bob Dean, mythology, popular culture, and much, much more.

It is 10 minutes long, so take that American Pie. Bob kindly played along, the song art is Bob out for a walk at the crack of dawn this morning holding his guitar in his epic Upstate New York landscape. It seems like from his email this may have been around 6 a.m.

Soundcloud cut off the last verse of the lyrics, maybe PG Music will allow the whole thing. Keep listening as long as you feel like it.



https://soundcloud.com/david-snyder-gigs4/bob-dean

Bob Dean

By David Snyder


V1


On the edge of the twilight
About a million years ago
A saw a man
In faded jeans hitchhiking on the road
He said he just left Memphis
Bound for glory land
A little down on his luck and he needed a hand
He started to talk
About the things that he'd seen
And asked me if I'd heard
Of a singer no one knew
a Master of the Blues
And a prophet with the news
A man from the future
Brand new on the scene
By a simple twist of fate
We just might be redeemed
If we listened his songs
And his name, his name was Bob Dean

CH

Bob Dean, Bob Dean
Songwriting machine
Ask him what he’s saying
Ask him where he’s been
Has he seen the new Messiah
Has he seen the setting sun
I’m hitchhiking across the river, now
But I seem to have lost my thumb
Cause I keep waiting for the chorus
But the chorus never comes
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
If you know what I mean
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
Just ask, just ask Bob Dean
Bob Dean



V2

In a cryptic tale of winter
he was walking in the wind
But the links are down and we’re not bound
to hear those songs again
He’s stopped riding that Greyhound
Cause now he stole a train
Paul Simon says it isn’t fair
Bob Dean has stolen the game
Lying bed and thinking about the ballad of Peggy Sue
Bobby socks and a jukebox dead man’s fingers playing the blues
Homeless in the alley
With autumn coming down
After a decade or two of speaking the truth
He’s gonna reinvent his sound
People looking for Jesus
People looking for you
Prayer books and cheap wine
No matter what you do
Bob Dean says it’s only a matter of time
‘til the reaper comes for you


CH

Bob Dean Bob Dean
Songwriting machine
Ask him what he’s saying
Ask him where he’s been
Has he seen the new Messiah
Has he seen the setting Sun
I’m hitchhiking across the River
But I seem to have lost my thumb
Cause I keep waiting for the chorus
But the chorus never comes
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
If you know what I mean
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
You can just ask
Just ask Bob Dean
Bob Dean


V3

They say Egypt might be burning
I’m trying not to rub it in
Just trying to write a song with two chords in it
With a beginning and an end
And I’m walking with the ghosts of Chelsea Street
But I don't know what that means
If I'm weak or I’m strong it won't be long
Before these wounds of mine start to bleed
I got a few friends in the city
I got a few friends out of town
I got my guns loaded up in the back of the car
So don't be hanging around
And under the skies of America just about anything goes
Seems like every war is another Vietnam
You’re just missing different toes
And welcome to the 21st century
We’re flying high as a kite
If we don’t want to die of a broken heart
We can't come down tonight
You know who you got to ask
And you that he’s right

CH

Bob Dean, Bob Dean
Songwriting machine
Ask him what he’s saying
Ask him where he’s been
Has he heard the New Messiah
Has he seen the setting Sun
I feel like I’m hitchhiking across the river
But I seem to have lost my thumb
Cause I keep waiting for the chorus
But the chorus never comes
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
If you know what I mean
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
And just ask, just ask Bob Dean


V4

He’s got to get going now
Gone baby gone
Cause you know that love’s the darkest
Just before the dawn
And you’re lost in the city
And you’re falling off the beam
And you don’t want no angels
And you’re sick of all your dreams
And all your family photographs
They’ll be fading now to blue
You're holding out for options
But they don’t belong to you
So you light it up
And you fight like a girl
Just one more time
In a broken world
Down on memory lane
And hard rains have fallen
And ice is dripping down your throat
and you’re stranded in a burning desert
but you’re asking for your coat
and you know, oh you know what that means

CH

Bob Dean, Bob Dean
Songwriting machine
Ask him what he’s saying
Ask him where he’s been
Has he heard the New Messiah
Has he seen the setting Sun
I feel like I’m hitchhiking across the river now
But I seem to have lost my thumb
Cause I keep waiting for the chorus
But the chorus never comes
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
If you know what I mean
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
And you can ask, you can ask Bob Dean


V5

You don’t know what you’re feeling
And you don’t know what is real
And you’re in love with a pistol now
But that’ll stay concealed
Your mind is full of graffiti
And you’re flying while blind
Splatter paint on the sidewalk
And the devil close behind
And all your friends have forgotten
Where to place the blame
You sleep on the garbage on Chelsea Street
They say baby that’s a shame
But don't dream of California
Cause it ain’t there anymore
It got too close to the border
And you can’t handle the war
So now it’s a moon shot
While the moon fades away
And the sun is approaching
Yes it’s on the way
And you know exactly what that means


CH

Bob Dean, Bob Dean
Songwriting machine
Ask him what he’s saying
Ask him where he’s been
Has he heard the New Messiah
Has he has seen the setting Sun
I feel like I’m hitchhiking across the River
But I seem to have lost my thumb
Cause I keep waiting for the chorus
But the chorus never comes
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
If you know what I mean
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
And you can just ask my friend
Just ask my friend, Bob Dean
Bob Dean



V6

You'll hear that crackling thunder
When the world sets on fire
No chance of catching a greyhound now
Cause all they’ve run out of tires
Say goodbye to October
Try to find yourself a horse
get out of hell of Dodge
And don’t feel any remorse
You fly just like a ricochet
Right across the room
Like a blackbird at midnight
Like the prophet of Doom
Like the echo of silence
Inside of the grave
When all the dirt is stolen
And there’s no one left to save
You can hear those dark trains squealing
And you can hear the screams
Last chance for that ride on Coney Island
And you know, ah you know what I mean


CH

Bob Dean, Bob Dean
Songwriting machine
Ask him what he’s saying
Ask him where he’s been
Has he seen the new Messiah
Has he seen the setting Sun
Now we’re all crossing the River Styx
No need to use that thumb
Don’t wait for the final chorus
Cause that will never come
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
If you know what I mean
Feels like the end of a trillion sins
Just ask Bob Dean

All music and lyrics copyright 2023 by David Snyder
Day of Faith Records/ASCAP

David Snyder: Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals, Additional Instrumentation, Mixing, Mastering Production
Also: Poetry, Parallel Universe, Shape-Shifting, Stream of Consciousness, Breaking on Through to the Other Side, Merging with the Universe, Reincarnation, Lots of Coffee


RealTracks in style: ~2478:Bass, Acoustic, Held Ev 110
RealTracks in style: ~~2505:Piano, Electric, HeldChords 085
RealTracks in style: 2914:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Folky16thsBrent Ev16 085
RealTracks in style: 1007:Piano, Acoustic, Solo-Accompaniment, PopFlowing Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 1255:Bass, Electric, PopShiningA-B Ev 120
RealDrums in style:PopPromiseEv16^1-a: Snare on 4, HiHat , b: Snare, Open HiHat

Also, pedal steel, string quartet, tambourine, mandolin, Hammond, B-3, and the entire kitchen sink with fork, knives a few spoons

Cause I keep waiting for the chorus
But the chorus never comes

a jukebox dead man’s fingers playing the blues


Seems like every war is another Vietnam
You’re just missing different toes

Good lines.... I hear the influence of Zimmerman in there....

Hey David,

You are awesome man... I can't believe the amount of work that you put into this.

Yes, I was up and headed out the door with my wife and guitar in hand at the crack of dawn!

It's extremely touching and so well done. Now, I need to return the favor.

Bob

Years from now, someone will do a documentary.
It will include a number of old forumites (the ones still alive) talking about this song.
Talking endlessly about what they believe each line means.
(they'll cut to Bob...just shaking his head).
Talking about all the amazing songs that Bob Dean posted
(they'll cut to Bob...just shaking his head).
Talking about the Wild And Crazy David Snyder and the Wild And Crazy songs he wrote, recorded and posted
(cut to Bob...just shaking his head).
Talking about the once-in-a-lifetime community of talented folks (and that one untalented guy) and the many hours spent talking about music and songs and the wonder that is BIAB.
(cut to Bob...shaking his head).
The last segment will be David Snyder, sitting with his guitar, staring off into space... as the interviewer asks several questions that he simply doesn't answer.
Cut to Bob...just shaking his head.........


A well deserved tribute!
From the never-ending well that is the Snyder Song Brain.

John Prine style finger picking, Bob Dylan style vocal, and an Arlo Guthery length song, what more could one ask for? Well, maybe a chorus

Everything about this one is top shelf.

Loved all 10 minutes of it.

You, David Snyder, are one terrific songwriter, and this one is particularly catchy. Dylan has nothing on you when it comes to lyrics --especially ones requiring a teleprompter. Even the harmonica sounds like Bob. Yep, I'm with ya on admiring the songwriting ability of Bob Dean. Bob Dean. Bob Dean. What a terrific tribute, David, and I can't wait to hear Bob Dean's repayment. By the way, all of the 10 and a half minutes were blissfully there. I particularly liked the chorus (and always knew when it was gonna come.) Such fun.

It is pure fun to enjoy all the namedropping in the story and of course "but the chorus never comes" Surely this song pales to any Bob Dean song in simplicity, but still it's very heartwarming tribute, guaranteed Snyder quality with humorous harmonica and good vocals.

Janne

With 6 choruses in one song, you would be predestined to give Bob a helping hand with choruses!

I like the song ... and I LOVE what you did with the harmonica, even if it hurts sometimes

I kept getting distracted by reading ahead...so many good lines that made it too hard to stay in place.
Epic in the way that storytellers weave blankets of stars.

Thanks Bob!

Thanks for all the great songs and all of the epic inspiration over the years!

YOU are awesome.

It really was not work.

When I go deep into something like this it is 100% fun and joy. I am not conscious of time passing.

I am just having a blast, in outer orbit in a galaxy far far away.

Awesome tune David. Excellent tribute to one of my favorite members of the forum. A tribute well done and well deserved.

Thanks Herb.

That is a mighty high compliment.

Bob Dean does get me all wired up though. His songs have some kinda weird muse-magic in them that really get your noggin turned on. No need for AI lyrics after that.

David...great tribute to a great songwriter and one of our compadres...Bob Dean and David Snyder...two craftsman at and about their trade...kudos to both of you!

Hehehe. Excellent write, there are some great lines.

   And you’re in love with a pistol now
   But that’ll stay concealed

Epic.

Love the Dylan-esque drawl, too.

Love it. The Harmonica was the icing on the cake, the pièce de résistance!

Hi David,

Saw this a couple of days ago, but needed to made sure I had the time necessary to give it a proper listen.

Bob of course is a favorite of mine, a favorite of many here actually.

And so are you!

Man, what an epic write! Brilliant really. Ten minutes and twenty seconds, time well spent!

Thanks Floyd, that was very funny!!

Can you cast, direct and shoot the documentary????

Well, floyd articulately left little to say.

It was also 100% fun and a joy for us listeners too, David.
And there are waaaay too many good lines to quote.

We think there are more outstanding lines/rhymes in this than in our last decade of trying to write songs.

In short it's a great production and write about a great musician!

Epic!

J&B

That was epic. Stellar lyrics. The Zimmerman treatment worked very well, too. Great job!

Thanks Mario!

It's hard to remember it's time for the chorus when you're on a roll!!