Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35
| Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35 | |
|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | |
| publication | April 1966 |
| length | 4:36 |
| Genre (s) | Pop rock |
| Author (s) | Bob Dylan |
| Label | Columbia Records |
| album | Blonde on blonde |
Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 is a rock song written by Bob Dylan and the opening track of his 1966 and critically acclaimed studio album Blonde on Blonde . The song also came out successfully as a single; it was ranked 2nd on the Billboard Hot 100 .
Origin and musical structure
Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 was a very controversial song at the time of its release. Many radio stations boycotted the song in 1966 because they saw the lyrics as an invitation to take drugs. In fact, it is very different from the other Dylan songs of the time. The arrangement seems to suggest total chaos; so the whole song is dominated by wind instruments and in the background you can hear people laughing and talking.
De facto Rainy Day Women (as it is often abbreviated) is a Blue song in F. The chord progression typical of blues pieces (FFBCB) and remains in all five stanzas. The same applies to the wind instruments, which play the same notes in each chorus. On the other hand, Dylan's harmonica part is different, which varies and sometimes doesn't even play in the same key as the rest of the band.
The text
Much has been speculated about the meaning of the text. Each verse begins with the provocative They'll stone ya, which is then followed by a situation, sometimes something completely everyday or even banal. The following verses end each stanza and can be seen as a kind of refrain:
- “But I would not feel so all alone
- Everybody must get stoned ”
The last verse in particular is often interpreted as an invitation to take drugs. There is a lively discussion about what is actually meant by stoned . Indeed, drug use or stoning people for social reasons?
What is certain is that the text leaves a lot of room for speculation. What is certain is that Dylan was intoxicated with cannabis during the recording .
Cover versions
Many musicians have covered Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 , including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers , Lenny Kravitz and Sammy Hagar .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ allmusic.com
- ↑ songfacts.com
- ↑ Howard Sounes: Down the Highway: The Life Of Bob Dylan (Doubleday 2001). ISBN 0-552-99929-6 , p. 2034