S.O.D. "Visions of Johanna" by Bob Dylan

     10/6/2015

This day marks one year of the S.O.D. and this song is dedicated to Johanna Evans, daughter of Zach and Sarah Evans and the newest member of our family.  Thank you Sarah for bringing this song to my attention.

     Considered by many musicians, critics and poets to be a masterpiece, Dylan wrote this 1966 folk rock tune in 1965 while living at the Chelsea Hotel with his first wife Sara while she was pregnant.  Four versions of the tune, 2 studio and 2 live, have been released.  On December 4th of 1965 on the campus of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, CA, Dylan performed the song live for the first time ever in public in the school's theatre.  Joan Baez who was present at the time believed that the song was about her.  Dylan first recorded the song under the title "Freeze Out" in New York City which he did not release.  The recording sessions for this album, "Blonde on Blonde" were moved to Nashville where a 2nd recording was made under the current title which was the first release.

     There are many interpretations of the song by critics with each one kind of saying they don't really know what the song is a about.  Music journalist, American author and cultural critic, Greil Marcus, believes the song is about one's internal questions and people wandering around a loft with no point to the next breath or the next step.  He believes Dylan has made a narrative solely out of atmosphere.

     Critics have named it one of Dylan's greatest achievements in writing and in 1999, Sir Andrew Motion, poet laureate (a very high honor) for the UK listed it as his candidate for the greatest song lyric ever written.

     He has released more than 35 albums, more than 70 singles and is in his 56th year of musical individuality.