In The Summertime
I've always felt this song was not about a woman or any earthly relationship, but rather a commmetary, if you will, by Bob on his relationship with Christ.
'I was in your presence for an hour or so, or was it a day I truly don't know'...
During the so-called "Christian years", Bob spoke of how he felt Chirst, or Christ's presence, had actually visited him:"There was a presence in the room that couldn't have been anybody but Jesus.." He seems not to be sure how long this encounter lasted or how it manifested itself in the physical realm, which reminds me of something Paul wrote in the New Testament "whether in the body, I cannot tell, or out of the body, I cannot tell..God knows". That's not a direct quote because I can't recall exactly where in the New Testament it is, but it's similar. Thus we get "for an hour or so, or was it a day I truly don't know".
"Did you respect me for what I did, or for what I didn't do, or for keeping it hid?"
I interpret this as Bob simply saying "Hey, how'd I do? Did I say the things you wanted me to? Should have I taken it farther? Did I say too much orsay it too harshly?" In other words, "am I in your favor?"
"I got the heart and you got the blood, we cut through iron and wecut through mud"
Bob has the "heart", or the God-given talent, to sing of God's wonders, and through Christ's "blood", he has been redeemed in order to do so. Cutting through iron and mud could be a comment on the negative response Bob received upon his conversion and upon his evangelical fervor throughout this period.
"Fools they made a mock of sin, our loyalty they tried to win..But you were closer to me than my next of kin when they didn't want to know or see"Possibly a reference to those around Bob who didn't get Christianity and couldn't accept the fact that Bob had not only accepted it but was actively promoting it through his songs and live performances.The "next of kin" line could be referring to Bob's Jewish family who were upset at what they looked at as turning his back on his heritage.
"Strangers they meddled in our affairs, poverty and shame wastheirs.."
Proverbs 13:18 says "Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured".
Again, probably a reference to those who couldn't accept that their "idol", Dylan, had his own idol. Bob was booed mercilessly on stage during this period, and was considered a traitor and even a sell-out. "Poverty and shame", he thinks, will come to those who mock me and "mock my God" (from 'Shot of Love').
"But all that suffering was not to be compared with the glory that is to be".
Whatever earthly ridicule he endured was worth his reward in the Kingdom that is coming.
"And I'm still carrying the gift you gave, it's a part of me now,it's been cherished and saved..It'll be with me unto the grave and then into eternity"....Now, this is where I start to completely speculate but, to my ears,this is where Bob could be saying he's moving on, not necessarily away from Christ, but onto other things at least in his professional life and possibly onto other things philosophically and spiritually to explore. This sounds past tense to me. "The gift you gave". It sounds heartfelt and thankful, and so powerful was it in his life that it will be with him "into eternity". But still, I can't help but get an image of a trinket from a past lover that you keep...You do cherish it, you look back upon the relationship fondly, but for whatever reason, you had to move on from on it.
And move on, he did..at least in a professional sense. The album this song is on, 'Shot of Love', was far more secular in nature,including a tribute to foul-mouthed comic Lenny Bruce. The following album, 'Infidels', while having some Biblical references, was pretty much completely secular. And no longer was Bob preaching and evangelizing from the stage.
I feel as if 'the summertime' represents the period in his life when Bob first accepted Christ, and I feel as if he looks back on that period in this song fondly and with great awe. And I do feel as if he has "carried the gift" with him. He has sprinkled spiritual references throughout his songs ever since, here and there. He has sang many overtly Christian songs in his live performances, both his own and others'. "The Summertime" was a period so over-powering tha the could not help but to proclaim to the world what he had been through. But summertime inevitably turns to autumn. And while the "gift" is "apart" of him now, he feels as if he's done his partin trying to impart the gift to others.
At least that's my take. Ok, my tag has been made. Ronnie, we'll be waiting on 'Sign On theWindow' .
mac
'I was in your presence for an hour or so, or was it a day I truly don't know'...
During the so-called "Christian years", Bob spoke of how he felt Chirst, or Christ's presence, had actually visited him:"There was a presence in the room that couldn't have been anybody but Jesus.." He seems not to be sure how long this encounter lasted or how it manifested itself in the physical realm, which reminds me of something Paul wrote in the New Testament "whether in the body, I cannot tell, or out of the body, I cannot tell..God knows". That's not a direct quote because I can't recall exactly where in the New Testament it is, but it's similar. Thus we get "for an hour or so, or was it a day I truly don't know".
"Did you respect me for what I did, or for what I didn't do, or for keeping it hid?"
I interpret this as Bob simply saying "Hey, how'd I do? Did I say the things you wanted me to? Should have I taken it farther? Did I say too much orsay it too harshly?" In other words, "am I in your favor?"
"I got the heart and you got the blood, we cut through iron and wecut through mud"
Bob has the "heart", or the God-given talent, to sing of God's wonders, and through Christ's "blood", he has been redeemed in order to do so. Cutting through iron and mud could be a comment on the negative response Bob received upon his conversion and upon his evangelical fervor throughout this period.
"Fools they made a mock of sin, our loyalty they tried to win..But you were closer to me than my next of kin when they didn't want to know or see"Possibly a reference to those around Bob who didn't get Christianity and couldn't accept the fact that Bob had not only accepted it but was actively promoting it through his songs and live performances.The "next of kin" line could be referring to Bob's Jewish family who were upset at what they looked at as turning his back on his heritage.
"Strangers they meddled in our affairs, poverty and shame wastheirs.."
Proverbs 13:18 says "Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured".
Again, probably a reference to those who couldn't accept that their "idol", Dylan, had his own idol. Bob was booed mercilessly on stage during this period, and was considered a traitor and even a sell-out. "Poverty and shame", he thinks, will come to those who mock me and "mock my God" (from 'Shot of Love').
"But all that suffering was not to be compared with the glory that is to be".
Whatever earthly ridicule he endured was worth his reward in the Kingdom that is coming.
"And I'm still carrying the gift you gave, it's a part of me now,it's been cherished and saved..It'll be with me unto the grave and then into eternity"....Now, this is where I start to completely speculate but, to my ears,this is where Bob could be saying he's moving on, not necessarily away from Christ, but onto other things at least in his professional life and possibly onto other things philosophically and spiritually to explore. This sounds past tense to me. "The gift you gave". It sounds heartfelt and thankful, and so powerful was it in his life that it will be with him "into eternity". But still, I can't help but get an image of a trinket from a past lover that you keep...You do cherish it, you look back upon the relationship fondly, but for whatever reason, you had to move on from on it.
And move on, he did..at least in a professional sense. The album this song is on, 'Shot of Love', was far more secular in nature,including a tribute to foul-mouthed comic Lenny Bruce. The following album, 'Infidels', while having some Biblical references, was pretty much completely secular. And no longer was Bob preaching and evangelizing from the stage.
I feel as if 'the summertime' represents the period in his life when Bob first accepted Christ, and I feel as if he looks back on that period in this song fondly and with great awe. And I do feel as if he has "carried the gift" with him. He has sprinkled spiritual references throughout his songs ever since, here and there. He has sang many overtly Christian songs in his live performances, both his own and others'. "The Summertime" was a period so over-powering tha the could not help but to proclaim to the world what he had been through. But summertime inevitably turns to autumn. And while the "gift" is "apart" of him now, he feels as if he's done his partin trying to impart the gift to others.
At least that's my take. Ok, my tag has been made. Ronnie, we'll be waiting on 'Sign On theWindow' .
mac
posted by Julia D | 7:18 PM
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