Monday, February 21, 2011

MAGGIE'S FARM ~





I had to let a week go by to soak up the good soap of Bob Dylan's appearance at the Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011. It's always a surprise when he wants to show up.

With opening acts by Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers, these multistring instrument virtuosos — part hillbilly (but not)/part good craze wonder — were the ideal decoration for Dylan performing one more rendition of one of his classic tunes from the 60s. The very tune he used once upon a time (Newport '65) to shake up another sedate audience who were expecting a folk musician and instead they got themselves a rock 'n' roller.

During this same night, on the same stage, Mick Jagger would flaunt in high-strut, a song for Solomon Burke. A great number. Burke was also, invisibly, all over Dylan's "Maggie's Farm", since he covered it in 1965 on the flip-side of his hit "Tonight's the Night". This release by Burke was even prior to Dylan releasing the song as a single. Back in the golden age of 45s. Back when one or two songs were quite enough, played over and over and over again.

On this night Dylan stepped forth past a fire line set-up of these hillbilly musicians — caps and beards and grins, strings and bows perched at-ready — blasting behind him with the greatest of glee as he took a stance, reminiscent of maybe Al Jolson, a song a poem a plea of heralding disgust and revenge. Maybe even with some courtesy of forgiveness. At the closing he went to play his harmonica and heard it was backwards, flipped it in hand with wicked charm, and finished one more time on earth.

In the audience Neil Young and some others gave the act a standing ovation.












MAGGIE'S FARM


I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I aint gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake up in the morning
Fold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas
That are drivin' me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
No, I aint gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Well, he hands you a nickel
He hands you a dime
He asks you with a grin
If you're havin' a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother more.

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
No, I aint gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
Well, he puts his cigar
Out in your face just for kicks
His bedroom window
It is made out of bricks
The National Guard stands around his door
Ah, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more.

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
Well, when she talks to all the servants
About man and God and law
Everybody says
She's the brains behind pa
She's sixty-eight, but she says she's fifty-four
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more.

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
I aint gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I try my best
To be just like I am
But everybody wants you
To be just like them
They say sing while you slave and I just get bored
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.




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