Key West Music And Happenings: Bob Dylan – Key West (Philosopher Pirate)

Bob Dylan – Key West (Philosopher Pirate)

Blog Author – Christopher R. Rehm

Credentials – Nashville published songwriter since 2000. Requested artist song submissions from Trisha Yearwood, Chuck Norris, Junior Brown... etc.

PRO – BMI

Author of two books, “Bar Stories” and “Time Traveler”. Three other books currently being written.

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Earlier today I heard from my great friend, Jerry Thees who texted me the link to Bob Dylan's new song, that was only released a few hours earlier on YouTube, “Key West”.

Before I go any further, lets set the stage as to who Bob Dylan is as far as music and songwriting goes. Calling Ace's, Aces, there is not one songwriter on the planet who is not influenced by Bob Dylan.

Not one.

Ask any established songwriter alive today who the best songwriter in their lifetime is, and every single one's very first answer will be Bob Dylan. Dylan, single handed, changed music as we know it. Having established himself with a solid, concrete foundation in folk music, he turned to electric Rock music and was totally thrilled that those attending his concerts at that time, jeered him at every concert! They wanted folk music. Dylan was the quintessential acoustic troubadour, riding the crest of the Folk but what Dylan delivered was driving Rock.

What was different with Dylan however was the fact that Rock had been up to that time songs like “Be My Baby”, “He's So Fine”, or “Surfin' USA”. However here came Dylan's album “Highway 61 Revisited” with songs such as “Like A Rolling Stone”, “Desolation Row” and “Queen Jane Approximately”. Here were rock songs that carried fascinating stories and it changed music as a whole. The Beatles went from “She Loves You” and “I want to Hold Your Hand” to Rubber Soul's “Nowhere Man”, or “In My Life” which came out after meeting Dylan. Songs went from being frivolous, to having intellectual meaning. What Dylan had done was create Rock music with story lines akin to that of Folk music, albeit the stories slanted to fit the Rock motif. With that, the construction of the music itself, largely went from being somewhat basic, to optionally being damn good pieces of music. The two examples from the aforementioned Rubber Soul are prime examples.

Ever since Dylan's first album, “Bob Dylan”, released in 1962 came out, with every subsequent release, the world stops and takes notice.

That is such a prolific statement it needs to be stated a second time:

With every release Dylan puts out, the world stops and takes notice.

Bob Dylan sits on the highest tier a songwriter/artist can possibly sit on.

In a nutshell, Bob Dylan is a monster of an artist.

When I got the text from Jerry this morning with “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)”, I was amazed that it had been only posted only eleven hours earlier, at which point I realized this was a brand new song!

as it turns out, it's a completely new album release, "Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways"

Now, seeing a song by Dylan about Key West put me immediately in my critic mode. For myself, overall, be it in a song, or in a book I'm a stickler for accurate information. One of the musical categories I'm associated with, Trop Rock, often finds performers writing songs about Key West. As for myself, I've been coming to Key West since 1978 and I've lived here for a over a dozen years.

One of the major differences between myself and the vast majority of others in the genre, is that I don't write from the perspective of coming to Key West. I write about the day-to-day life here. With the exception of one song, which is about another Key, my album "Shanghai'd and Marooned in Key West (things could be worse) is an entire album about Key West. That's what I do, that's what I know. Over the years what I have found is that for the vast majority of songs I hear about Key West is a fantasy idea of what it's like here and fantasy is the operative word.

I don't hold that against them. I think in life we all need fantasies to get us through the day-to-day existence of turmoil and strife we encounter, especially the difficulties, stress, and chaos one encounters that begins eighteen miles above Key Largo and travels across the contiguous United States.

Most of the time when I hear a song about Key West, or the Keys as a whole, I'll think “Gee, they're an awfully nice person, but they really don't have a clue what they are talking about”.

So, after seeing this on a constant basis for over a dozen years living here, I find I was pretty much conditioned, albeit apprehensively and a bit scared, if I may say so, for some fluttering red flags when I saw Dylan wrote a song about Key West. Honestly, I really didn't want to find fault in this work.

Dylan fans, being what they are, amazingly already had the lyrics posted on line, so that made life a good deal easier, plus on this song, Dylan's annunciations are very clear, so the lyrics on line are accurate.

This song is, plain and simple,a masterpiece. Like an instrumental, it requires a cerebral mind, and likewise a mind geared in the direction of poetic verse. For those who don't have those capabilities, or lack of interest to broaden their horizons in those directions, their curiosity in the song will most likely die out after the first, or perhaps second verse.

However, for those who do have said interests, the rewards abound.

One of the things that struck me was that I had the impression that Dylan spent time here.

Here's one example:

“On Newton Street, Bayview Park ‬
‪Walking in the shadows after dark ‬
‪Down under, way down in Key West”

Outsiders write about drinking on Duval St. Dylan never mentions Duval Street, or drinking, for that matter. Nobody writes about Bayview Park and certainly not about Newton Street after dark, unless they've done it. This is written from the local perspective. Who knows? I'm glad we're in the same club.

Below are the lyrics, as well as the song embedded so you can listen to it and take in your own interpretations. For songwriters out there, take this as an inspiration.

What I will say is that there couldn't be a higher honor bestowed on this island

We're not talking about just anybody. We're talking about BOB DYLAN! The most prolific songwriter of our time, and quite possibly of all time. A doctor of music and a Nobel Laureate.

And Bob Dylan just wrote a song about my town and it's a masterpiece. Damn!

Thank you, Bob Dylan.

McKinley hollared, McKinley Squalled

Doctor said “McKinley Death is on the wall
‪Say it to me, if you got something to confess"
‪I heard all about it, he was going down slow ‬
‪I heard it on the wireless radio ‬
‪From down in the boondocks way down in Key West
‪I’m searching for love, for inspiration ‬
‪On that pirate radio station
‪Coming out of Luxembourg and Budapest ‬
‪Radio signal, clear as can be
‪I'm so deep in love that I can hardly see ‬
‪Down on the flatlands, way down in Key West
[Chorus 1]
‪Key West is the place to be ‬
‪If you're looking for immortality ‬
‪Stay on the road, follow the highway sign ‬
‪Key West is fine and fair
‪If you lost your mind, you will find it there
‪Key West is on the horizon line

[Verse 2]‪I was born on the wrong side of the railroad track
‪Like Ginsberg, Corso and Kerouac
‪Like Louis and Jimmy and Buddy and all the rest ‬
‪Well, it might not be the thing to do ‬
‪But I'm sticking with you through and through ‬
‪Down in the flatlands, way down in Key West
‪I got both my feet planted square on the ground ‬
‪Got my right hand high with the thumb down ‬
‪Such is life, such is happiness
‪Hibiscus flowers, they grow everywhere here
‪If you wear one, put it behind your ear
‪Down in the bottom, way down in Key West ‬

[Chorus 2]
‪Key West is the place to go
‪Down by the Gulf of Mexico ‬
‪Beyond the sea, beyond the shifting sand
‪Key West is the gateway key ‬
‪To innocence and purity ‬
‪Key West, Key West is the enchanted land

[Verse 3]
‪I've never lived in the land of Oz ‬
‪Or wasted my time with an unworthy cause ‬
‪It’s hot down here, and you can't be overdressed‪Tiny blossoms of a toxic plant ‬
‪They can make you dizzy, I'd like to help you but I can't
‪Down in the flatlands, way down in Key West ‬
‪Well, the Fishtail Palms, and the orchid trees
‪They can give you that bleeding heart disease
‪People tell me I ought to try a little tenderness ‬
‪On Amelia Street, Bayview Park ‬
‪Walking in the shadows after dark ‬
‪Down under, way down in Key West ‬
‪I played Gumbo Limbo spirituals
‪I know all the Hindu rituals ‬
‪People tell me that I'm truly blessed ‬Bougainvillea blooming in the summer, in the spring
Winter here is an unknown thing
Down in the flat lands, way down in Key West

[Chorus 3]
Key West is under the sun, under the radar, under the gun
You stay to the left, and then you lean to the right
Feel the sunlight on your skin, and the healing virtues of the wind
Key West, Key West is the land of light

[Verse 4]
Wherever I travel, wherever I roam
I'm not that far from the convent home
I do what I think is right, what I think is best
Mystery Street off of Mallory SquareTruman had his White House there
East bound, West bound, way down in Key WestTwelve years old, they put me in a suit
Forced me to marry a prostitute
There were gold fringes on her wedding dress
That's my story, but not where it ends
She's still cute, and we're still friends
Down on the bottom, way down in Key West
I play both sides against the middle
Trying to pick up that pirate radio signal
I heard the news, I heard your last request
Fly around, my pretty little Miss
I don't love nobody, give me a kiss
Down on the bottom, way down in Key West

[Chorus 4]
Key West is the place to be
If you're looking for immortality
Key West is paradise divine
Key West is fine and fair
If you lost your mind, you'll find it there
Key West is on the horizon line

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