“Oh, help me in my weakness”
I heard the drifter say
As they carried him from the courtroom
And were taking him away
“My trip hasn’t been a pleasant one
And my time it isn’t long
And I still do not know
What it was that I’ve done wrong”
Washington Mutual Stage
West Palm Beach, Florida
4 May 2003 SunFest 2003
Bob Dylan (vocal, piano)
Freddie Koella (guitar)
Larry Campbell (guitar, mandolin, pedal steel guitar & electric slide guitar)
Ronald Eldon “Ron” Sexsmith (born 8 January 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario.Sexsmith started his own band when he was 14 years old and released recordings of his own material in 1985 at age 21. He was the subject of a 2010 documentary called Love Shines.
We really like Ron Sexsmith here at Alldylan, and Ron really knows how to sing Bob Dylan’s songs. He has a great YouTube series where he covers a lot of artists, he picks songs across a many genres. He has done a lot of Bob Dylan songs, I’ve picked 5 more favourites.
John Prine, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen (and his girlfriend)
According to Clinton Heylin, A Life in Stolen Moments, Bob Dylan joined John Prine onstage during Prine’s Sep 9, 1972 residency at the Bitter End, they did three songs together, Heylin names two, “Sam Stone”, and “Donald and Lydia”. John Prine has later said that the third song they did was “Far from me” and he continued to say, “It was like a dream.” It was actually Kris Kristofferson who set up a meeting at Carly Simon’s place around this date in 72.
“I was a big fan of Bob Dylan early on and his song “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.” I modeled “Donald and Lydia” after that song, as far as telling a story and having the chorus be the moral to the story.”
– John Prine (Americansongwriter)
“Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about “Sam Stone” the soldier junky daddy and “Donald and Lydia,” where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that. If I had to pick one song of his, it might be “Lake Marie.” I don’t remember what album that’s on.”
– Bob Dylan (Interview with Bill Flanagan 2009)
These two songwriters have a great mutual respect and have also covered each other’s songs.
Bob Dylan’s favorite John Prine song, Lake Marie:
CALLER:
What do you think of Bob Dylan? JOHN PRINE:
Well, I have to say Bob Dylan and Hank Williams Sr. were my biggest influences. CALLER:
Like him as a person? JOHN PRINE:
He’s always been nice to me.
– The Larry King Show (Aug 13, 1992, transcribed in “Isis”, No. 44, Aug-Sep 1992)
All the early Roman kings
In their sharkskin suits
Bow ties and buttons
High top boots
Drivin’ the spikes in
Blazin’ the rails
Nailed in their coffins
In top hats and tails
Fly away, little bird
Fly away, flap your wings
Fly by night
Like the early Roman kings
