The Ballad of Hollis Brown

Lyrics:

Hollis Brown

He lived on the outside of town

Hollis Brown

He lived on the outside of town

With his wife and five children

And his cabin brokin' down.

You looked for work and money

And you walked a rugged mile

You looked for work and money

And you walked a rugged mile

Your children are so hungry

That they don't know how to smile.

Your baby's eyes look crazy

They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve

Your baby's eyes look crazy

They're a-tuggin' at your sleeve

You walk the floor and wonder why

With every breath you breathe.

The rats have got your flour

Bad blood it got your mare

The rats have got your flour

Bad blood it got your mare

If there's anyone that knows

Is there anyone that cares ?

You prayed to the Lord above

Oh please send you a friend

You prayed to the Lord above

Oh please send you a friend

Your empty pocket tell you

That you ain't a-got no friend.

Your babies are crying louder now

It's pounding on your brain

Your babies are crying louder now

It's pounding on your brain

Your wife's screams are stabbin' you

Like the dirty drivin' rain.

Your grass is turning black

There's no water in your well

Your grass is turning black

There's no water in your well

Your spent your last lone dollar

On seven shotgun shels.

Way out in the wilderness

A cold coyote calls

Way out in the wilderness

A cold coyote calls

Your eyes fix on the shortgun

That's hangin' on the wall.

Your brain is a-bleedin'

And your legs can't seem to stand

Your brain is a-bleedin'

And your legs can't seem to stand

Your eyes fix on the shortgun

That you're holdin' in your hand.

There's seven breezes a-blowin'

All around the cabin door

There's seven breezes a-blowin'

All around the cabin door

Seven shots ring out

Like the ocean's pounding roar.

There's seven people dead

On a south Dakota farm

There's seven people dead

On a south Dakota farm

Somewhere in the distance

There's seven new people born.

I first heard this song when Rise Against did a cover of it. After I heard that version, I decided to listen to Dylan's version and I really enjoyed it. I love it's tempo--it sounds almost like Dylan is telling an old west tale with the way the lyrics weave into the strumming of the guitar. Reading the lyrics, you realize that the song tells the story of Hollis Brown, a father whose driven insane by his family's inability to sustain itself. In the end, he decides to kill the family so that they don't have to suffer anymore. My favorite line is the last line which reads "There's seven new people born." because it implies a harsh reality that's also somehow an optimistic outlook: Even though Hollis Brown killed his family, life goes on. It doesn't matter that Hollis Brown and his wife and kids died, because new people are born into the world every day. You can look at that fact as positive or negative truth, and that's why I think this song is brilliant. 

20's and Today

To some degree, I believe that every generation of youth, whether it was 90 years ago or 90 years in the future, has a common way of rebelling. In the 20's, it was by drinking, scandalously dressing and dancing, staying out late on long car rides, and "petting". Nothing has changed really, except for the way the kids dance and drink. Back then, the Charleston and lively jazz music was considered across-the-line. Now, girls wear shorts that barely cover their butt and are sticking their butt in all kinds of new and creative places whilst dancing to really, really controversial music. It'll be interesting to see what kids in 90 years look like.

Blues Song: "Piano Man" by Billy Joel

Lyrics:
It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The Regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin
He says, "Son, can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes."
La la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum
Chorus:
Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright
Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."
As the smile ran away from his face
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/b/billy_joel/piano_man.html ]Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum
And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone
Chorus
Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright
Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life
It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"
Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum
Chorus:
Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright

The message of "Piano Man" is sadly realistic. The song is about how, even though most people's lives are dreary and borderline hopeless, we can still take comfortable solace in socialization. In this case, it's a bar on Saturday nights, where everybody has broken dreams and crushed hope, but are still vibrant when the pianist plays a merry tune. I enjoy this song because I relate to it in the same way that a lot of people do--there's not much time in my life set aside for "fun", and when I do get some free time, I usually spend it doing uninteresting, unfulfilling things--but I still manage to make my own fun out of what little time and resource I have. Also, I like the song's narrative nature and calm, yet progressively exciting melody in combination with Billy Joel's electric voice. It's similar to the blues songs we learned about in class, because it addresses negative aspects of life, has smooth instruments such as a jazz drum set and harmonica, and it's very lyrically focused--as all iconic music is.