It’s easy to break Bob Dylan’s career into segments: we’ve already noted the shift from the political to the personal and the shift from acoustic to electric, both of which were examples of Dylan changing his musical direction. Now we come to a shift that was caused by an unplanned event changing him.
In July of 1966, just two months after the release of Blonde on Blonde, Dylan was in a serious motorcycle accident. Though the extent of his injuries remains unclear, the more lasting impact was emotional. Dylan ceased touring, withdrew from the limelight and concentrated on his life as a family man.
He simplified things musically as well, holing up with The Band to record more than a hundred rootsy tracks, many of which would find a home eventually on The Basement Tapes (I’ll get to that fabulous double album in a few weeks). Following those sessions he returned to Nashville to record John Wesley Harding, a minor masterpiece that — for me — ranks just below my Dylan Six.
These songs were both musically and lyrically a far cry from the mind explosions on Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde. The session band consisted of just bass, drums and slide guitar, while Dylan played acoustic guitar, harmonica and occasional piano.
The songs were much shorter than most of his recent output as well, with Dylan often taking just three verses to spin his simple morality tales loaded with Biblical allusions. This was countrified folk music rooted not in the present day but in the time of the Old and New Testament.
‘I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine’ is one of my favorite John Wesley Harding tracks. It’s a hauntingly simple account of a dream in which Dylan joins a mob that kills St. Augustine for delivering unwelcome news. This song (and album) contains Dylan’s earliest exploration of Christianity and hints at his future conversion. He also draws a parallel to murdered union worker Joe Hill, who turned up in a song called ‘I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night’ often sung by Joan Baez.
Alive as you or me,
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery,
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold,
Searching for the very souls
Whom already have been sold.
“Arise, arise,” he cried so loud,
In a voice without restraint,
“Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint.
No martyr is among ye now
Whom you can call your own,
So go on your way accordingly
But know you’re not alone.”
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine,
Alive with fiery breath,
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death.
Oh, I awoke in anger,
So alone and terrified,
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried.
Meet Me In Montauk 
I had always thought that the next album to follow his accident was Nashville Sessions with “Lay Lady Lay.” I had heard at some point that the changed singing style on Nashville Sessions was somehow a byproduct of his accident and his conversion to Christianity. Apparently, I was wrong since this album still reflects more of the older Dylan sound that I like. I’ve never liked “Lay Lady Lay,” or at least the way he sings it, Just creeps me out.
I never knew he had a motorcycle accident, so this is all news to me 🙂 Seriously, I appreciate how you use these theme weekends to fill your readers in on some of the history behind particular musicians. You do all the reading and researching, then produce these bite-sized tidbits day after day. By the time we’ve read them all, we have (or, at least, I have) a far better chance of getting certain questions right on Jeopardy in the future 🙂 You ought to get some sort of public service award, so the least I can do is give you this public show of gratitude 🙂
As for the song itself, it’s pleasant enough. I don’t know that I’d stop and listen twice if it weren’t for the context you provide (unlike “Lay Lady Lay,” which I like very much and think Dylan sings quite well!) Did he convert because of some spiritual reawakening that happened after this accident? Why are the extent of the injuries unknown? Is there conjecture about what may have happened that was never confirmed? The context, as you see, fascinates me.
I agree. I think this is a much-neglected album, and this song is probably my favorite from the album as well. I enjoyed your comments. What’s funny to me, in a way, is that there was such a fuss during the ’66 tour about him going electric. Then, the next album is acoustic again, and another change of direction leaves fans and critics confused once more.
Doesn´t Bob sing “and bowed my head and prayed” in the last line of the song?
That´s what i hear at least.
I hear “cried,” which also rhymes with “terrified.” But I do hear what could be read as a “p-” sound in that word.
I pull all of the lyrics from Dylan’s Web site, though I have noticed he often goes off script, so to speak.