Gotta Serve Somebody

Bob Dylan

About Gotta Serve Somebody

"Gotta Serve Somebody" is a song by Bob Dylan from his 1979 studio album Slow Train Coming. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1979.


Year:
1989
5:50
261 

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You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord 
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage
You may be a business man or
Some high-degree thief,
They may call you doctor or they may call you chief

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord 
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor
You may be blind or lame 
You may be living in another country under another name

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord 
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord
You might even own banks

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord 
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord 
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord 
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say

You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord 
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

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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


11 facts about this song

Genre Classification
"Gotta Serve Somebody" is a song by Bob Dylan from his 1979 studio album "Slow Train Coming". The song is classified under the genre rock and gospel.
Grammy Recognition
"Gotta Serve Somebody" won Dylan the Best Male Rock Vocal Performance award at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1980. It was Dylan's first Grammy.
Chart Performance
The song reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and also hit number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, attesting to its international popularity.
Conversion Connection
The song is specifically related to Dylan's conversion to Christianity. The song's lyrics revolve around the concept that everyone has to serve someone, whether it be the Lord or the Devil.
Popular Covers
Several artists have covered "Gotta Serve Somebody," including gospel singer Shirley Caesar, rock icon Etta James, and pop megastar Miley Cyrus.
Album Success
"Slow Train Coming," the album "Gotta Serve Somebody" originates from, was one of Dylan's most successful records, going platinum in the U.S. and gold in the UK.
Religious Controversy
Upon its release, the song and the album created a controversy and faced a backlash among some of Dylan's fanbase due to their overt religious themes.
Dylan's Opinion
Dylan himself has mixed feelings about this song. In some interviews, he has criticized his own writing, calling the songs from that album "didactic" and saying they "don't hold up".
Live Performances
The song "Gotta Serve Somebody" has been performed live by Dylan over 400 times since its release.
Song Length
The original album version of the song is quite long, clocking in at approximately 5 minutes and 22 seconds.
Music Video
A rare official music video was made for the song featuring Dylan performing the song with his band.

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1979

    Billboard #24


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