If you’ve read my blogs before, this is the fourth installment of an unlikely theme for a music blog. Rock and Roll Jesus blogs are the most read of the blogs I have written over the last 9 years. It began with Spirit in the Sky (Norman Greenbaum) on August 15, 2017, followed by Presence of the Lord (Blind Faith with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood) on May 24, 2018 and Still haven’t found what I’m looking for (U2) on February 23, 2024. Today I offer Gotta Serve Somebody written by Bob Dylan. The constant theme to these songs is Christian principles in rock and pop songs by contemporary artists. While these songs won’t make it onto a Hillsong compilation, they do say something about themes which the artists are trying to promote.
Gotta Serve Somebody comes from the album, Slow Train Coming, released in 1979. This was the first track on side 1. Slow Train Coming is the first of a trio of Christian theme albums that Dylan released between 1979 and 1981.In 1980, Dylan released Saved and in 1981 he offered up Shot of Love
In 1978, Bob Dylan’s energy was tapped out from constantly being on the road, and on top of other pressures in his life, his last album Street Legal didn’t do so well. Legend has it that he saw a vision of Christ that year a few months after a fan threw a silver cross on the stage while Dylan was performing. Some musicians in his touring band were members of a Southern California-based organization named the Vineyard Fellowship. A girlfriend of Dylan’s, a Vineyard member named Mary Alice Artes, asked pastor Ken Gulliksen to speak to the singer. This led to Dylan beginning an intensive study of the Vineyard. It was this action which would go on to influence Dylan’s writing style for the next few years and led to the trio of albums.
Slow Train Coming was Dylan’s first release since becoming a born-again Christian. Much of the album thus deals with Dylan’s faith and Christian teachings. While the religious nature of the record alienated many of Dylan’s older fans, the album also gained Bob a new wave of Christian fans.
The song talks about the finding meaning in life through serving God. The song’s main message was highlighted in the lyrics, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody/Well it could be the devil or it could be the Lord/But you’re gonna have to serve somebody”. John Lennon thought this song was “embarrassing” and wrote Serve Yourself in response to it. The song criticized Dylan’s preaching and instead asserted: “you gotta serve yourself/Ain’t nobody going to do it for you”. In 1980, Dylan’s song was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a male. Dylan performed the song at that same ceremony. Later, Devo would cover this song live as their Christian rock alter-egos, Dove. Natalie Cole covered this on her 1999 album, Snowfall n the Sahara. This cover version featured a new verse that Dylan had written especially for Cole.
If you’re unfamiliar with the song, here are the lyrics:
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Might be a rock ‘n’ roll addict prancing on the stage
Might have money and drugs at your commands, women in a cage
You may be a business man or some high degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a state trooper, you might be an young turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a construction worker working on a home You might be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody’s landlord you might even own banks
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be working in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may call me Terry, you may call me Jimmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say
You’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Here’s a YouTube link to the song for your audio-visual experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-CffhydlDo
Let us know what you think after indulging us by reading this blog!
Do You Believe in Magic 