Blind Willie McTell

The Band

About Blind Willie McTell

"Blind Willie McTell" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, titled after the blues singer Blind Willie McTell. It was recorded in the spring of 1983, during the sessions for Dylan's album Infidels, but was left off the album and officially released only in 1991 on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991. The melody is loosely based on "St. James Infirmary Blues". For the song, Dylan, seated at the piano and accompanied by Mark Knopfler on acoustic guitar, sings a series of plaintive verses depicting allegorical scenes which reflect on the history of American music and slavery. Each verse ends with the same refrain: "Nobody can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell". Two versions exist. An acoustic version with Mark Knopfler and an electric version with Mick Taylor playing slide guitar can be found. Following three albums with overt Christian themes, Infidels struck most major rock critics as dealing largely with secular concerns, and they hailed it as a comeback. When bootleggers released the outtakes from Infidels, the song was recognized as a composition approaching the quality of such classics as "Tangled Up in Blue", "Like a Rolling Stone" and "All Along the Watchtower". According to Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin, the song is regarded by many as "Dylan's one indisputable masterpiece of the early eighties.""Blind Willie McTell" was a concert staple for the Band throughout the 1990s. They also recorded it for their 1993 album Jericho. Dylan later claimed in a Rolling Stone interview that hearing the Band's version of the song inspired him to begin performing it at his own concerts: 


Year:
1993
6:42
107 
#2

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

Seen the arrow on the door post
Saying, "This land is condemned"
All the way
From New Orleans to Jerusalem

I traveled through East Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I know one thing, nobody can sing
Them blues like blind Willie McTell

Well, I heard the hoot-owl singing
As they were taking down the tents
The stars above all the barren trees
Were his only audience

Yeah, them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
And I know one thing, nobody can sing
Them blues like blind Willie McTell

See them big plantations a-burning
Can't you hear the cracking of the whips?
Smell that sweet magnolia blossom blooming
See the ghosts of the slavery ships

Well, I can hear them tribes a-moanin'
I can hear the undertaker's bell
And I know one thing, nobody can sing
Them blues like blind Willie McTell

There's a woman, she's standing by the river
She is with some fine young handsome man
See he's all dressed just like a squire
He's got bootleg whiskey in his hand

Yeah, there's a chain-gang out on the highway
And I can hear them rebels yell
And I know one thing, nobody can sing
Them blues like blind Willie McTell

God, oh God is in Heaven
And we all want what is His
But the power and greed, the corruptible seed
Seems to be all that there is

Hey, hey, I'm a-gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I know one thing, nobody can sing
Them blues like blind Willie McTell
Hey, hey, I know one thing, nobody can sing
Them blues like blind Willie McTell

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


The Band

The Band were a Canadian-American roots rock group that originally consisted of Rick Danko (bass guitar, double bass, fiddle, trombone, vocals), Levon Helm (drums, mandolin, guitar, vocals), Garth Hudson (keyboard instruments, saxophones, trumpet), Richard Manuel (piano, drums, baritone saxophone, vocals) and Robbie Robertson (guitar, vocals). The members of the Band first came together as they joined rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins's backing group, The Hawks, one by one between 1958 and 1963. more »

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Written by: BOB DYLAN

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Recording History
"Blind Willie McTell" was recorded during sessions for Bob Dylan's 1983 album, "Infidels," but was surprisingly left off the final album.
Influence
The song is named after the influential blues musician, Blind Willie McTell, who was known for his ability to play a twelve-string guitar and his role in shaping blues music in the early 20th century.
Style
"Blind Willie McTell" is primarily a blues song, reflecting the style of its namesake. It features acoustic guitar and piano, showcasing the artist's storytelling abilities.
Lyrics
The lyrics of the song often tell the story of America's troubled history, including references to slavery, the Civil War, and ongoing institutionalized racism.
Collaborations
Mick Taylor, former guitarist for The Rolling Stones, played the lead guitar, and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits reportedly contributed to the song.
Post-Recording
Despite not making the cut for the original album, the song has become one of Dylan's most celebrated works. It was later released in 1991 on "The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991".
Performance
Dylan has only performed "Blind Willie McTell" in concert a handful of times, making it a rare treat for audiences who have heard it live.
Interpretations
Many reviewers and critics view "Blind Willie McTell" as Dylan acknowledging the vast influence of African American culture, particularly blues music, on America and his own work.
Recognition
The song has been covered by numerous artists and bands, attesting to its enduring popularity. Notably, The Band, also associated with Dylan, played a version of the song.
Quote
According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Dylan once stated about the song, "I started playing it live because I heard the Band doing it. Most likely it was a demo, probably showing the musicians how it should go. It was never developed fully, I never got around to completing it. There wouldn't have been any other reason for leaving it off the record. It's like a painting, you know?"

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