I’m listening to Billy Joe Shaver
And I’m reading James Joyce
Some people they tell me
I’ve got the blood of the land in my voice
-Bob Dylan (I Feel a Change Comin’ On)
«..I’ve lost part of three fingers, broke my back, suffered a heart attack and a quadruple bypass, had a steel plate put in my neck and 136 stiches in my head, fought drugs and booze, spent the money I had, and burried my wife, son & mother in the span of one year…. I’m not proud of my misfortune – I’m proud of my survival»
~Billy Joe Shaver
“I’ve always been real blunt. Most people from Texas are that way. And it seems like all the great writers, they’re not afraid to say anything. I’ve always been pretty blunt, and sometimes it seems, brutally honest, but it’s real close to the bone.”
~Billy Joe Shaver
Bob Dylan has never played this song in concert, or released it. All we got are the 3 takes from the circulating “Hearts of Fire outtakes”. The solo version is absolutely incredible.
Townhouse Studio
London, England
27 & 28 August 1986
Hearts Of Fire recording session, produced by Beau Hill
with:
- Eric Clapton (guitar)
- Ron Wood & Kip Winger (bass)
- Beau Hill (keyboards)
- Henry Spinetti (drums)
–
- The Usual (John Hiatt)
- The Usual (John Hiatt)
- The Usual (John Hiatt)
- The Usual (John Hiatt)
- The Usual (John Hiatt)
- Ride This Train
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Old Five And Dimer (Like Me) (Billy Joe Shaver)
Solo – incredible version!!!!
- Old Five And Dimer (Like Me) (Billy Joe Shaver)
Fast version… not good
- Old Five And Dimer (Like Me) (Billy Joe Shaver)
Slow bluesy version – good stuff!
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- To Fall In Love With You
- Night After Night
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Had A Dream About You, Baby
- Night After Night
- A Couple More Years (Shel Silverstein – Dennis Locorriere)
- 3-18 circulates as a separate out-take tape, 60 minutes
Lyrics
I’ve spent a lifetime making up my mind to be
More than the measure of what I thought others could see
Good luck and fast bucks are too far and too few between
For Cadillac buyers and old five and dimers like meShe stood beside me letting me know she would be
Something to lean on when everything ran out on me
Fenced yards ain’t hole cards and like as not never will be
Reason for rhymers and old five and dimers like meIt’s taking me so long and now that I know I believe
All that I do or say is all I ever will be
Too far and too high and too deep ain’t too much to be
Too much ain’t enough for old five and dimers like meYeah, an old five and dimer is all I really meant to be
Billy Joe Shaver – original studio version (1973):
Waylon Jennings – Live in Texas 1975:
Check out:
- Bob Dylan – The Songs He didn’t write
- Dylan’s Ode To Billy Joe – William Henry Price’s great post on the subject
– - Billy Joe Shaver
- Karl Erik´s expectingrain.com
-Egil
We are actively promoting a link to this interesting topic on The Bob Dylan Project at:
http://thebobdylanproject.com/Song/id/3540/Old-Five-And-Dimers-Like-Me
If you are interested, we are a portal to all the great information related to this topic.
Join us inside Bob Dylan Music Box.
[*__*]
Hello Egil,
the link you put in does show up and to my surprise it is a different version again than the one I found
Now I am wondering if the link I put in the comments does show up ?
It has several more versions…
Hilda
Hi again,
your link works fine on PC/iphone/ipad.. same as the one I included in the post after you’re first comment.
Too bad the “embedded” audio doesn’t work on ios/android.
-Egil
Thank you very much for posting this! I have been looking for Dylan’s version for years. The solo acoustic version is incredible!
One detail of your post, though, had me scratching my head. You claim that “Old Five and Dimers (Like Me)” was John Steinbeck’s favorite song. I’ve tried to verify this and found an interview where Shaver claims Steinbeck’s son told him that at a Dylan concert. However, Steinbeck died in 1968. From what I can tell, Shaver’s song didn’t come out until 1973.
Thanks Luke!
About the John Steinbeck quotes.. I didn’t investigate this one (hence to “~different websites”).
I will remove it… as it surely has to be wrong, I don’t believe the song was released by any other artists before BJS 1973 album.
-Egil
I just checked…they don’t show up on my android phone either, so maybe it has something to do with mobile…I have no PC so I have no way of checking whether theyshow up there….
I will have to investigate… it works on PC… but not on iPad/iPhone..
-Egil
I’ve put in a link for the first (& by far most important) version. This should work on Iphone & Ipad.
-Egil
Or maybe it is because I use an iPad, where you can only use the html5 version of grooveshark?
Hello Egil,
They are mentioned only….there is no link visible…is my link showing up with you?
The acoustic version is astounding. One for the Bootleg Series Vol.11?
I don’t know how that fine song has escaped me all these years.
What a treat to have it come out of the blue.
Thanks..
Or has grooveshark been blocked with you ? I just learned it has been in Danmark…
Grooveshark is not blocked in Norway…
-Egil
there are even two versions here I now saw and heard…and I agree…the acoustic version from the Hearts of Fire sessions is the best…
there is a grooveshark version available:
http://html5.grooveshark.com/#!/search/Bob%20Dylan%20Hearts%20Of%20Fire
Hi,
I did embed the 3 different versions from grooveshark…. maybe they don’t show up everywhere ?
-Egil