Rainy Day Women #12 and 35
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:04 am
While I have listened to my fair share of 1960s music over the years, I continue to ask myself why certain songs soar up the charts when the recording lacks a polished performance. To take it a step further, it may be argued that some songs reach the pinnacle of popularity in spite of their musical short-comings.
At the end of the day, perhaps no song in and of itself seems to attain universal loathing largely because the context in which it emerges is so critical. We can all think of examples of exemplary songs that failed and lack lustre tunes that leap to the summit in record time leaving us scratching out head.
By way of examining how bland becomes brilliant, I have chosen a track by Bob Dylan that I have never enjoyed - Rainy Day Women #12 and 35. Should the lyrics and melody have escaped you either in recent times or entirely why not give it a listen.
I have included the lyrics in this post so that you can follow along
Rainy Day Women #12 and 35
Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good,
They'll stone ya just a-like they said they would.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to go home.
Then they'll stone ya when you're there all alone.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
Well, they'll stone ya when you're walkin' 'long the street.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to keep your seat.
They'll stone ya when you're walkin' on the floor.
They'll stone ya when you're walkin' to the door.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
They'll stone ya when you're at the breakfast table.
They'll stone ya when you are young and able.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to make a buck.
They'll stone ya and then they'll say, "good luck."
Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
Well, they'll stone you and say that it's the end.
Then they'll stone you and then they'll come back again.
They'll stone you when you're riding in your car.
They'll stone you when you're playing your guitar.
Yes, but I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
Well, they'll stone you when you walk all alone.
They'll stone you when you are walking home.
They'll stone you and then say you are brave.
They'll stone you when you are set down in your grave.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
By way of further introduction, this song hit the charts in the United States in April 1966, remained there for 7 weeks and attained the lofty position of number 2. Was this merely a fluke? It would seem not as in May 1966 it reached number 4 on the United Kingdom charts where it stayed for five weeks.
So why was this song, discordant to the ears of some but embraced by others, so successful. While I will leave it to the historians, this may have been Bob Dylan's most successful song, should chart position be a relevant criterion of the same.
Musically this song is all about creating a party atmosphere and I can easily envision walking next to a jazz band through a street in New Orleans as they play this number. That there may be an enticing instrumental "hook" is acknowledged, but for the sober, it easily becomes monotonous by the third time through. Could it be Dylan's voice that we have become accustomed to, this song following "Like A Rolling Stone" a year earlier. Or was this tune a pleasant contrast to "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window" that fell on its face after one week in January 1966? While melody is in the temporal lobe of the listener, I suspect that the vocal did not fully satiate reward centres in many listeners of the day.
While dismissing the melody as playing second fiddle to the success of the song may be unfair, it seems more likely that the favourable chart position of this song was based on the lyrics. The idea that no matter what a young person tries to do, they will be chastised or ridiculed because they are seen to be inappropriate, will be embraced by most adolescents regardless of their generation. By way of example Dylan reminds us -
They'll stone ya when you're at the breakfast table.
They'll stone ya when you are young and able.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to make a buck.
They'll stone ya and then they'll say, "good luck."
Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
In the end, the solution that is offered for the youth of the day is simply to "get stoned." While "they" are not defined, the song is cleverly written to allow the listener to dismiss those with whom they do not get along. "They" are your parents, your teacher, the police and the like.
All things considered, the lyrics are the highlight and offered to the listeners just at the right time as they were trying to break away from "the rules."
This song was very successful, in my view, as it allowed for the strong identification by its listeners, much like rap music has done in more recent times.
This reflection has modified my position on Rainy Day Women #12 and 35. I actually think that the lyrics and melody, whether random or by design, are more brilliant than I thought when I heard it in 1966. It only took me 40 years to get it!
I would be interested in your analysis of why this song was successful and invite you to chose another song under a separate title to discuss that includes the lyrics and music for others to consider.
At the end of the day, perhaps no song in and of itself seems to attain universal loathing largely because the context in which it emerges is so critical. We can all think of examples of exemplary songs that failed and lack lustre tunes that leap to the summit in record time leaving us scratching out head.
By way of examining how bland becomes brilliant, I have chosen a track by Bob Dylan that I have never enjoyed - Rainy Day Women #12 and 35. Should the lyrics and melody have escaped you either in recent times or entirely why not give it a listen.
I have included the lyrics in this post so that you can follow along
Rainy Day Women #12 and 35
Well, they'll stone ya when you're trying to be so good,
They'll stone ya just a-like they said they would.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to go home.
Then they'll stone ya when you're there all alone.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
Well, they'll stone ya when you're walkin' 'long the street.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to keep your seat.
They'll stone ya when you're walkin' on the floor.
They'll stone ya when you're walkin' to the door.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
They'll stone ya when you're at the breakfast table.
They'll stone ya when you are young and able.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to make a buck.
They'll stone ya and then they'll say, "good luck."
Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
Well, they'll stone you and say that it's the end.
Then they'll stone you and then they'll come back again.
They'll stone you when you're riding in your car.
They'll stone you when you're playing your guitar.
Yes, but I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
Well, they'll stone you when you walk all alone.
They'll stone you when you are walking home.
They'll stone you and then say you are brave.
They'll stone you when you are set down in your grave.
But I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
By way of further introduction, this song hit the charts in the United States in April 1966, remained there for 7 weeks and attained the lofty position of number 2. Was this merely a fluke? It would seem not as in May 1966 it reached number 4 on the United Kingdom charts where it stayed for five weeks.
So why was this song, discordant to the ears of some but embraced by others, so successful. While I will leave it to the historians, this may have been Bob Dylan's most successful song, should chart position be a relevant criterion of the same.
Musically this song is all about creating a party atmosphere and I can easily envision walking next to a jazz band through a street in New Orleans as they play this number. That there may be an enticing instrumental "hook" is acknowledged, but for the sober, it easily becomes monotonous by the third time through. Could it be Dylan's voice that we have become accustomed to, this song following "Like A Rolling Stone" a year earlier. Or was this tune a pleasant contrast to "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window" that fell on its face after one week in January 1966? While melody is in the temporal lobe of the listener, I suspect that the vocal did not fully satiate reward centres in many listeners of the day.
While dismissing the melody as playing second fiddle to the success of the song may be unfair, it seems more likely that the favourable chart position of this song was based on the lyrics. The idea that no matter what a young person tries to do, they will be chastised or ridiculed because they are seen to be inappropriate, will be embraced by most adolescents regardless of their generation. By way of example Dylan reminds us -
They'll stone ya when you're at the breakfast table.
They'll stone ya when you are young and able.
They'll stone ya when you're tryin' to make a buck.
They'll stone ya and then they'll say, "good luck."
Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone,
Everybody must get stoned.
In the end, the solution that is offered for the youth of the day is simply to "get stoned." While "they" are not defined, the song is cleverly written to allow the listener to dismiss those with whom they do not get along. "They" are your parents, your teacher, the police and the like.
All things considered, the lyrics are the highlight and offered to the listeners just at the right time as they were trying to break away from "the rules."
This song was very successful, in my view, as it allowed for the strong identification by its listeners, much like rap music has done in more recent times.
This reflection has modified my position on Rainy Day Women #12 and 35. I actually think that the lyrics and melody, whether random or by design, are more brilliant than I thought when I heard it in 1966. It only took me 40 years to get it!
I would be interested in your analysis of why this song was successful and invite you to chose another song under a separate title to discuss that includes the lyrics and music for others to consider.