Slow Train

Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead

About Slow Train

"Slow Train" is a song written by Bob Dylan that first appeared on his 1979 album Slow Train Coming. In the United States, it was released as the follow up single to "Gotta Serve Somebody." It was also released as the lead song from Dylan's 1989 live album with the Grateful Dead, Dylan & the Dead. Music critic Paul Williams has called it "the one track [on Slow Train Coming] that must be listened to again and again and again, inexhaustible, essential." Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner has called it "nothing less than Dylan's most mature and profound song about America. " 


Year:
2013
4:57
279 
#3

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Sometimes I feel so low-down and disgusted
Can't help but wonder what's happenin' to my companions
Are they lost or are they found?
Have they counted the cost it'll take to bring down
All their earthly principles they're gonna have to abandon?
There's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend

I had a woman down in Alabama
She was a backwoods girl, but she sure was realistic
She said, "Boy, without a doubt, have to quit your mess and straighten out
You could die down here, be just another accident statistic"
There's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend

All that foreign oil controlling American soil
Look around you, it's just bound to make you embarrassed
Sheiks walkin' around like kings, wearing fancy jewels and nose rings
Deciding America's future from Amsterdam and to Paris
And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend

Man's ego is inflated, his laws are outdated, they don't apply no more
You can't rely no more to be standin' around waitin'
In the home of the brave, Jefferson turnin' over in his grave
Fools glorifying themselves, trying to manipulate Satan
And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend

Big-time negotiators, false healers and woman haters
Masters of the bluff and masters of the proposition
But the enemy I see wears a cloak of decency
All non-believers and men-stealers talkin' in the name of religion
And there's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend

People starving and thirsting, grain elevators are bursting
Oh, you know it costs more to store the food than it do to give it
They say lose your inhibitions, follow your own ambitions
They talk about a life of brotherly love
Show me someone who knows how to live it
There's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend

Well, my baby went to Illinois with some bad-talkin' boy she could destroy
A real suicide case, but there was nothin' I could do to stop it
I don't care about economy, I don't care about astronomy
But it sure do bother me to see my loved ones turning into puppets
There's a slow, slow train comin' up around the bend

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Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan ( /ˈdɪlən/; born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and artist. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of Dylan's early songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan's six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" has been described as radically altering the parameters of popular music in … more »

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Written by: BOB DYLAN

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Album Release
"Slow Train" is a song by American artist Bob Dylan. It was featured on his 19th studio album, "Slow Train Coming," which was released in August 1979.
Genre Transition
The song marks Dylan's entry into Christian music, as "Slow Train Coming" is regarded as his first Christian album, featuring songs mostly based on his newfound faith.
Lyrics Content
The lyrics of "Slow Train" draw heavily on the Bible and religious themes, a manifestation of Dylan's conversion to Christianity during this phase of his career.
Popular Reception
Despite the shift from his traditional folk rock base, "Slow Train" was surrounded by commercial and critical success. The album won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
Album Collaboration
Esteemed musician Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame played lead guitar on the album. The significance is that the album was produced by Jerry Wexler, a notable figure in the music industry who had previously worked with artists like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.
Recognition
In 2017, the album "Slow Train Coming," which included "Slow Train," was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Cover Versions
The song has been covered by several artists, including the Neville Brothers and gospel singer Jessy Dixon.
Controversial Content
While Dylan's intense spiritual conviction expressed in "Slow Train" was admired by many, it also sparked controversy among fans and critics who were discomforted by the religious dogma in his lyrics.
Chart Performance
Despite a mixed reception from critics and fans alike, the album, "Slow Train Coming," peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it one of Dylan's highest-charting albums from the 70's.
Theme
The song's recollections of societal decay, echoed throughout the album, underscore Dylan's conviction of the inevitability of divine judgment, envisaged as a "slow train coming up around the bend."
Track Length
The original "Slow Train" has a length of 5:55 minutes.
Live Performances
"Slow Train" is one of the songs Dylan has frequently performed in his concerts, with over 300 known live performances since its release.

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