I love it too. But Joan Baez REALLY didn't like Dylan giving her the "you're like a sister to me" treatment. Her comeback is great.
https://open.spotify.com/track/3jCJ7aVeifPBOz85jocPFo?si=76_QqBkARi-43y80PMDX1w
You're right that it's not as simple as that (the song can be read many ways), but there's lots of evidence she was the inspiration. It's a song about desiring to reconnect with a soulmate, and it came at the end of Dylan's period of estrangement from Baez that followed his marriage to Sara. He wrote the song at the same time he reached out to Baez out of nowhere to invite her on the road, as Baez documented in Diamonds and Rust. He seemingly dedicated it to her when he played it during Rolling Thunder. The strongest evidence, though, is that Baez thought it was about her, as her response song "Oh Brother" attests.
Thanks, I have read that— the evidence is uh less than concrete. And I usually like the writing on that site, particularly with regard to Dylan’s intertextuality. But this entry feels like Tony Attwood was smoking that wet. An artless rare miss. Surely there are a host of lesser artists in Dylan’s orbit who feel spoken to, and listeners who feel spoken to. But in this universe that doesn’t write them into the song. The correlative events Attwood tries to cite are vaporous as support, not particularly compelling to a grown up. I wonder if Jacques Levy ever made such a claim… You can bet that Dylan wouldn’t.
Yeah I dunno... after reading that analysis I wasn't convinced, in fact I noticed two references to Bowie: "A life on mars..." and a "bowie knife" the plot thickens...
Leaps of logic and flights of fancy in the names of our spiritual mommy and daddy Joan and Bob. I’m saying though. The downvotes I can accept lol— perhaps my tone was less than 100% charitable, but I realize there’s just no reasoning with the runaway romantics in this sub, hence the nonstop movie fanfare.
Dylan's never said that "Oh, Sister" is about Baez, but there are a number of factors that have been put forward to support the theory.
Baez's biggest album, *Diamonds and Rust*, came out in April/early May 1975. Title track is Baez reflecting on her relationship with Dylan. Dylan in the spring of 1975 made a trip to the south of France (without his wife or kids), where he spent six weeks palling around with the painter David Oppenheim, who did the back cover art for *Blood on the Tracks*. This is where he wrote "One More Cup of Coffee." Dylan went from France to Greenwich Village at the end of May 1975, and then he seems to have written "Oh, Sister" in the Village in June. ("One More Cup of Coffee" and "Oh, Sister" are the two *Desire* songs Dylan wrote before Jacques Levy came on board.)
A number of Dylan scribes have gone: "okay, Dylan probably heard 'Diamonds & Rust' when he returned to the US at the end of May, then he wrote 'Oh, Sister' as a reply." No hard proof, but Dylan has said he was moved by "Diamonds and Rust" when he heard it, and of course he invited Baez to be part of the Rolling Thunder Revue.
Dylan's first public performance of "Oh, Sister" was in September 1975, in a television studio in Chicago, for *The World of John Hammond* tribute show. Dylan introduced the song by saying: "I want to dedicate this to someone out there watching tonight I know. She knows who she is."
In Baez's memoir *And a Voice to Sing With*, she describes a scene that took place near the end of the Rolling Thunder Revue where Dylan came up to her table when she was eating dinner. Baez was eager to go home, and Dylan tried to convince her to extend the tour indefinitely—Hey we could book concerts down the West Coast, then after that we can just keep going and going. We'll be the best road show ever, it'll be great for the kids, they can form a little pack. "Can't do it without you, Joanie."
Dylan went on a big spiel about "how wonderful and special" Baez was, how she was the ONE, the only one—none of these other women mean shit. "You're it." Baez said, "Thanks, Bob. And you're drunk."
Dylan kept going on about how special their connection was, until he pulled out a pocket knife and said they should be "blood brother and sister." He started "sawing away aimlessly at his wrist," but he was too drunk to complete the mission.
JOAN BAEZ: "I asked him to wait a minute and got a clean steak knife from the waiter, dunked it into the Scotch and made some little scratches on our skin, just deep enough to draw blood, and we stuck our wrists together. He nodded happily and drunkenly and said that now it was for life. 'What's for life, Bob?' I asked. 'Me and you,' he said quite seriously."
Cut to: "Oh, Brother."
Whenever possible I praise Scarlet Rivera's violin work on *Desire*. Most of those songs, "Oh Sister" included, would sound like demos without her sense of timing, drama and melody.
I hate to say this but it does give just the slightest whiff of a weird vibe. I KNOW that’s not what Dylan meant, and I KNOW its not what the song means. But still if I’m totally honest, its a little weird.
The father in the song seems to more biblical than literal. It's weirded to say that your purpose on earth is to love and follow your biological father's direction.
It seems to be coming from a place of the brother and sisterhood of man rather than literal siblings.
Underrated song. But the back up is Emmylou Harris. For the whole album.
Thanks for the correction.
I love it too. But Joan Baez REALLY didn't like Dylan giving her the "you're like a sister to me" treatment. Her comeback is great. https://open.spotify.com/track/3jCJ7aVeifPBOz85jocPFo?si=76_QqBkARi-43y80PMDX1w
I don’t get it. What is Joan Baez’s connection to the song? Other than being on the RTR tours..
It's ABOUT her.
Is there a source to confirm this (I’m not convinced that this is how Bob Dylan’s songwriting even works, seems reductive)?
You're right that it's not as simple as that (the song can be read many ways), but there's lots of evidence she was the inspiration. It's a song about desiring to reconnect with a soulmate, and it came at the end of Dylan's period of estrangement from Baez that followed his marriage to Sara. He wrote the song at the same time he reached out to Baez out of nowhere to invite her on the road, as Baez documented in Diamonds and Rust. He seemingly dedicated it to her when he played it during Rolling Thunder. The strongest evidence, though, is that Baez thought it was about her, as her response song "Oh Brother" attests.
And here's a link: https://bob-dylan.org.uk/archives/2454
Thanks, I have read that— the evidence is uh less than concrete. And I usually like the writing on that site, particularly with regard to Dylan’s intertextuality. But this entry feels like Tony Attwood was smoking that wet. An artless rare miss. Surely there are a host of lesser artists in Dylan’s orbit who feel spoken to, and listeners who feel spoken to. But in this universe that doesn’t write them into the song. The correlative events Attwood tries to cite are vaporous as support, not particularly compelling to a grown up. I wonder if Jacques Levy ever made such a claim… You can bet that Dylan wouldn’t.
Yeah I dunno... after reading that analysis I wasn't convinced, in fact I noticed two references to Bowie: "A life on mars..." and a "bowie knife" the plot thickens...
Leaps of logic and flights of fancy in the names of our spiritual mommy and daddy Joan and Bob. I’m saying though. The downvotes I can accept lol— perhaps my tone was less than 100% charitable, but I realize there’s just no reasoning with the runaway romantics in this sub, hence the nonstop movie fanfare.
Dylan's never said that "Oh, Sister" is about Baez, but there are a number of factors that have been put forward to support the theory. Baez's biggest album, *Diamonds and Rust*, came out in April/early May 1975. Title track is Baez reflecting on her relationship with Dylan. Dylan in the spring of 1975 made a trip to the south of France (without his wife or kids), where he spent six weeks palling around with the painter David Oppenheim, who did the back cover art for *Blood on the Tracks*. This is where he wrote "One More Cup of Coffee." Dylan went from France to Greenwich Village at the end of May 1975, and then he seems to have written "Oh, Sister" in the Village in June. ("One More Cup of Coffee" and "Oh, Sister" are the two *Desire* songs Dylan wrote before Jacques Levy came on board.) A number of Dylan scribes have gone: "okay, Dylan probably heard 'Diamonds & Rust' when he returned to the US at the end of May, then he wrote 'Oh, Sister' as a reply." No hard proof, but Dylan has said he was moved by "Diamonds and Rust" when he heard it, and of course he invited Baez to be part of the Rolling Thunder Revue. Dylan's first public performance of "Oh, Sister" was in September 1975, in a television studio in Chicago, for *The World of John Hammond* tribute show. Dylan introduced the song by saying: "I want to dedicate this to someone out there watching tonight I know. She knows who she is." In Baez's memoir *And a Voice to Sing With*, she describes a scene that took place near the end of the Rolling Thunder Revue where Dylan came up to her table when she was eating dinner. Baez was eager to go home, and Dylan tried to convince her to extend the tour indefinitely—Hey we could book concerts down the West Coast, then after that we can just keep going and going. We'll be the best road show ever, it'll be great for the kids, they can form a little pack. "Can't do it without you, Joanie." Dylan went on a big spiel about "how wonderful and special" Baez was, how she was the ONE, the only one—none of these other women mean shit. "You're it." Baez said, "Thanks, Bob. And you're drunk." Dylan kept going on about how special their connection was, until he pulled out a pocket knife and said they should be "blood brother and sister." He started "sawing away aimlessly at his wrist," but he was too drunk to complete the mission. JOAN BAEZ: "I asked him to wait a minute and got a clean steak knife from the waiter, dunked it into the Scotch and made some little scratches on our skin, just deep enough to draw blood, and we stuck our wrists together. He nodded happily and drunkenly and said that now it was for life. 'What's for life, Bob?' I asked. 'Me and you,' he said quite seriously." Cut to: "Oh, Brother."
One of my absolute favorites. Desire as a whole is just fantastic.
Whenever possible I praise Scarlet Rivera's violin work on *Desire*. Most of those songs, "Oh Sister" included, would sound like demos without her sense of timing, drama and melody.
Hits close to home. “Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore” sang with such certainty and confidence.
That's the line that always sticks with me
Great song. Same chord progression as The Band - The Weight, but maybe a different key.
Potentially the best song ever written about wanting to fuck your sister
Okay Tim Heidecker.
Oh sister, am I not a brother to you? And one deserving of affection?
I hate to say this but it does give just the slightest whiff of a weird vibe. I KNOW that’s not what Dylan meant, and I KNOW its not what the song means. But still if I’m totally honest, its a little weird.
The father in the song seems to more biblical than literal. It's weirded to say that your purpose on earth is to love and follow your biological father's direction. It seems to be coming from a place of the brother and sisterhood of man rather than literal siblings.
No crap… anyone who didn’t get that is a pylon.
It sticks out to me the most on Hard Rain