Every Grain of Sand
Bob Dylan
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In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need When the pool of tears beneath my feet floods every newborn seed There's a dying voice within me reaching out somewhere Toiling in the danger and the morals of despair Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break In the fury of the moment I can see the master's hand In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear Like criminals, they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer The sun beams down upon the steps of time to light the way To ease the pain of idleness and the memory of decay I gaze into the doorway of temptation's angry flame And every time I pass that way I'll always hear my name Then onward in my journey I come to understand That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of a wintry light In the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space In the broken mirror of innocence on each forgotten face I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea Sometimes I turn, there's someone there, other times it's only me I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Album Release"Every Grain of Sand" is a song from Bob Dylan's album "Shot of Love," which was released in 1981.
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Song CompilationThis song is included in the compilation "Biograph," released in 1985, a box set that Dylan himself compiled, in which he included some of his major hits, unreleased tracks, and personal favorites.
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Religious InfluenceThis song reflects Dylan's Christianity, similarly to many other songs in the album "Shot of Love". The lyrics mention themes of faith and spiritual wisdom.
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Poetic ComparisonThe song lyrics are often compared with William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence". Both the song and the poem discuss finding the spiritual in the everyday universe, and the idea of another dimension existing nearly unnoticed in our everyday world.
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Bootleg ReleaseAn early version of this song from Dylan's Shot of Love sessions can be found on the bootleg volume "The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991."
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Cover VersionsThe song has been covered by various artists, including Emmylou Harris and Nick Cave.
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Unreleased FootageThere is a music video for the song recorded in the 1980s that was never officially released.
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Live PerformancesDylan did not perform the song live until 1999, almost two decades after its release.
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Personal SignificanceDylan has mentioned in interviews that the song holds a deep personal significance for him, partially because it came to him in a dream.
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Emotional BrillianceThe song is considered one of Dylan's most brilliant emotional compositions, regarded by fans and critics as a masterpiece.
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High-RankingRolling Stone listed "Every Grain of Sand" as the 7th best song of Bob Dylan.
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Songwriting ProcessIt is noted that Dylan wrote the lyrics to "Every Grain of Sand" quickly, in less than an hour. He described the writing process as an almost unconscious action.
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