In Defense of Bob Dylan's "Ballad In Plain D"

[@alanbrown8527]

Thank you for standing up and defending this romantic masterpiece of young love. Anyone who has experienced first love can find themselves in this wonderful song.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Alan. Marvelous and extremely relatable song, indeed.

[@alanbrown8527]

@@CalicoSilver It’s even more remarkable when you consider he was only 22 when he wrote it. He wrote another romantic masterpiece from a more mature point of view 11 years later with “If You See Her, Say Hello” among many others.

[@CalicoSilver]

It is indeed amazing, the poetic insight and expression at such an early age. @@alanbrown8527

[@ferociousgumby]

This song has a history with me. Way back in the mid-'60s, I would listen to Dylan with my brother Arthur (5 years older than me, already in university, and he'd bring a little weed when he came home to visit). For some reason we had just fastened on to the Another Side album, having failed to bond with his first (though Freewheeling was getting closer). Another Side was loaded with gems, not the least of which is the blazing glory of Chimes of Freedom. But Ballad in Plain D was the one we both loved. We would smoke up when the parents were at choir practice and listen to this song almost obsessively, mostly because it seemed to be a very rare glimpse of the inner Dylan. He was for the most part pretty defended by his own brilliance, with his slashing, crashing, flashing imagery protecting the hypersensitive soul within. We had all sorts of conjecture about this song: who was it about, anyway? (We know nothing of Suze Rotolo at the time, though her picture was right there on the cover of Freewheeling). Arthur seemed to think it was the same girl from Spanish Harlem Incident ("your pearly eyes so fast and slashin'/And your flashin' diamond teeth"). The fact that "her skin it was bronze" seemed to point that way, though I was later to realize Suze was more blonde-ish. But whoever it was about, this was a romantic obsession of Byronic proportions, a grand drama of love and destruction played out beneath a bare light bulb and plaster from the walls sifting down. It was just so naked, so flat-out ("Her sister and I in a screaming battle-ground"), so near-violent, with poor Suze (though we didn't know it was Suze) cowering in the shadows. Her wicked mother and sister seemed to come straight out of a bad fairy tale like Cinderella. The ending, with Dylan blinded with tears and running into the night, was heartbreaking, but also completely unlike the folk hipster we knew and loved. So vulnerable, so devastated! To have lost "the could-be dream lover of my lifetime" due to other people's narrowness and cruelty. And the denouement, with Dylan lying on the bed in a dark room with tree branches knocking on the window and rain coming in. "Are birds free from the chains of the skyway?" More than vivid, this song grabs you by the guts and pulls you right in. I don't know why other people don't like it. My brother's denouement is sadder. Arthur lived on the streets for several years, coping with severe mental illness, before dying in a fire in 1980. I wasn't able to listen to Dylan for ten years, until caving in and buying Desire ("Your pleasure knows no limits, your voice is like a meadowlark/But your heart is like an ocean, mysterious and dark"). I was back on again. Then came another long dry period, and realizing KZbin wasn't gonna post any Dylan - you had to try to find bootlegs by someone called Elston Gunn. This changed a few years ago, and we hit the jackpot with his entire life's work right there in front of us, for free. And like everyone else, I felt like Rough and Rowdy Ways was what enabled me to survive the pandemic. I'd sit there very late at night and listen to it and listen to it and cry my guts out. When you go on the Dylan channel, his tour itinerary appears in the description, where and when, and how to get tickets. To quote one of his own songs, Minstrel Boy: he's still on that road.,

[@CalicoSilver]

Wow, thanks for this amazing comment. So well-written and heartfelt. I read it three times! You nailed it here. I have nothing to add to your excellent comments. Thanks again. Jeff

[@TomCwimpRock]

I always liked this song a lot. You can easily tell by the melody, the mood and tone of the song that Dylan felt deep regret despite the bitterness and anger expressed in some of the lyrics. I’ve also been puzzled by the low regard that writers have shown towards it. Glad you’ve come to its defense Jeff.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Thomas. I think that even by 1964 listeners had almost come to expect obfuscating lyrics and symbolism and the like from Dylan, so when he hit them with an honest, no-holds-barred, nail-on-the-head lyric like "Ballad in Plain D" (the title itself suggests the straightforward no-nonsense nature of the song), they received it as if it were somehow "beneath" Dylan to write something so raw and pointed in a universally accepted way. Plus, Dylan uttered something and the Dylan cult bowed obediently: he uttered a regret of having written the song, so the cult took that to mean that they should not regard the song either..... haha!

[@jaw444]

​@@CalicoSilver did you hear anyone other than media critics express those criticisms? i never did but i never talked with anyone about it. if someone asks me 'what's your favorite Dylan song,' i can't answer that in any objective way but the last time someone asked me, on a Dylan page somewhere, that immediately came to me. i love that song, i started listening to it in spring of 1965 and have listened to it a lot. Beautiful work of art, putting into words, music and song a whole range of human feelings that are so personal and deep, it was written soon after the 'incident,' but it was also about the whole relationship. And like you said, if you've been through those kinds of feelings and experiences, it's song that goes to the heart, one of his greatest masterpieces. i never used to give an answer when someome one ask "what's your favorite Dylan song,' but recently i gave that song as my answer, it stands for itself, it needs no explanation. the truth in it is eternal, although it seems not everyone has t hose experiences in a lifetime, just as not everyone has a child or many other powerful unique experiences. .

[@CalicoSilver]

@@jaw444 Wow, thank you very much for this excellent comment. You perfectly described how great this song is. Yes, I've mainly read criticisms about this song from the academics, the critics, the biographers, and other such people......people I've long ago stopped listening to (or reading). Haha! I enjoyed Dylan so much more when I put down all that stuff and just listened to him for myself. Thanks again. Jeff

[@andydepaule3296]

Has been one of my favorites since the 60's. Full of depth and the feeling it's a read story and not a fantasy.

[@trudy5963]

I'm not very crazy about the song, but know he had the right to express his pain and regret.

[@CalicoSilver]

And he did so very honestly and emotionally.

[@stephenperkins2892]

I understand why Dylan regrets it, but it’s so full of raw emotion and every word from it reads true and resonates with people. Definitely one of his most relatable songs. Captures the feeling of having conflicting emotions about someone, having regret and hatred combined with compassion and love.

[@CalicoSilver]

Hi Stephen. Thanks for your comment - you nailed it so well, I think. Here is what I wrote in response to another commenter: I love how Dylan sets aside any obfuscating or oblique approaches to his expression here (as anyone would do in a moment of a rush of competing emotions) and just lays it all out, right or wrong, sparing no one the depth of his emotions, in a very real and honest way. Why some listeners cannot understand or appreciate this is beyond me, but then again perhaps some people do not experience emotions like this in general. Thanks for your comment. Cheers. Jeff

[@mistery-ed7900]

Ballad In Plain D is probably my favorite Dylan song ever. I was 13 or 14 when I first heard that album and that song stood out among all the great songs on that album. My copy of the album I bought in Japan while in the Navy. The only album that wasn't jazz. My favorite song on my favorite Dylan album.

[@CalicoSilver]

Wow, it is so great to hear from fans who admire this song. So many times I've read and heard the opposite.....but I think many people hear that Dylan expressed some regret about the song and so they automatically discard it. That is a mistake, because this is a great song indeed. Thanks, Ed. Jeff

[@mistery-ed7900]

@@CalicoSilver These critics are dopes. Even as a kid I apparently felt what those critics couldn't. They put their heads above their hearts and their heads are empty.

[@CalicoSilver]

@@mistery-ed7900 So true, Ed!! We must be a lot alike. Like you said, even as a kid we seem to hear and feel in Dylan what the "experts" seem to always miss. I never knew whether that meant that I was wrong (probably, haha) or that they were ignorant of what was right there before the eyes and heart. Also, I think a lot has to do with whether one is able to read and assimilate poetry or not. It takes practice to be able to do it (for many of us) but it seems that most critics don't bother to try.....and the result is obvious.

[@letsif]

Written in the traditional ballad troubadour style, this songs lament is true, raw, skillfully executed, in the moment and totally justifiable as art. It hits you in the gut and sticks.

[@CalicoSilver]

Indeed. You said it all in one sentence. Thanks. Jeff

[@janepiepes2243]

Well said !!!

[@freddiesainte-marie2447]

As a Dylan disciple I resonate with your astute and inciteful breakdown of this piece, which also holds a close place in my heart. The complexity of all those emotions placed within the beautifully simple musical framework is the poetic genius that is Dylan. Would love to hear your thoughts on some other Dylan songs that I hold dear such as To Ramona, I Don't Believe You, Spanish Boots of Spanish Leather, Spanish Harlem Incident ...

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks Freddie! I will add these suggested songs that my queue. I love those songs also. Cheers. Jeff

[@jamesbowers5882]

Songs that you pick are also some of my favorites, restless farewell is another. Though we kissed in the wild blazing nighttime her lips were watery and wet now the morning is clear it's like I ain't here she acts like we never met......

[@ahyaok100]

If I'm not mistaken, he was seeing Joan Baez at the same time and Rotolo had just had an illegal abortion of what would have been their kid. He seems to blame the mother and sister in part for the breakup but maybe wasn't blaming himself enough. We've all been guilty of putting too much blame where it doesn't belong during a rough time especially when you're young and not as wise. It just makes the song all the more real and relatable to me.

[@CalicoSilver]

I've not read or heard (or at least do not recall reading or hearing) about the abortion thing, but if that is true, I can imagine how much more intense the emotions would be behind this song.

[@Jennie-ks6ul]

Yep I read that she went to Spain on a boat thus boots of Spanish leather to have an abortion. The mother and sister were probably trying to protect Suze and so alienated Bob. His first true 💕 love.

[@roberthill7444]

Great analysis as usual Jeff. I've always thought of this song in the way you talk about it here but you open up Bob's songs for me. You talk about the songs in a way I wish I could. Have a great day Jeff. Thanks again, Bob, Bristol, England.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Robert. I appreciate it. Jeff

[@benjimoore5244]

I can truly say this is one of my favourite Dylan songs lyrically, I fail to understand why some people don’t get the beauty of his raw emotions and how accurately he describes his feelings. I always loved when he says ‘and I in my armour, turning about’ as he is ready to defend himself and attack her verbally, this immediately tells me exactly how he must feel in this moment.

[@CalicoSilver]

Excellent comment, thanks!

[@jaw444]

it's so visual, alive and raw. ouch.

[@wstacer]

Thank you for this great review. In 1964 I didn't understand this song, but years later I came to appreciate it. I really liked how you handle this emotionally charged poetic song.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Willard. I appreciate your kind and encouraging comments. Jeff

[@THEJR-of5tf]

There is no need to defend this song. Dylan is voicing the emotions we have all gone through growing up. Anyone who can critique this song has either never been truly in love or has misunderstood the lyrics. I have loved this song since I first heard it.

[@CalicoSilver]

I agree 100%. No need to defend it at all. I will never understand why so many others seem to think this is a low point in his songcraft. You are right - anyone who has been in love and lost it knows exactly what this song is about. Thanks for your comment. Jeff

[@THEJR-of5tf]

@@CalicoSilver Ballad in Plain D is far more powerful than people give it credit for. The Line "The words to say I'm sorry I haven't found yet" says it all about the song and the emotions involved. I think Suze loved Dylan. perhaps her sister was envious. I don't know, but it is aHeartfelt song beautifully written.

[@svenknutsen8937]

I always loved the line: "Are birds free from the chains of the skyways?" BTW: I think "... plain D" is featured somewhere in "Renaldo & Clara".

[@CalicoSilver]

Hi Sven. I love that last line also. Perfect. Yes this song, performed by Gordon Lightfoot, can be heard for a minute or two in Renaldo and Clara.

[@aisforapple2494]

I've always have loved 'Ballad In Plain D' and always assumed it was about Suze Rotolo. The last two verses are sheer melancholy eloquence.

[@CalicoSilver]

Indeed! So under appreciated. Thanks.

[@RickM01]

Jeff, thanks for taking your time and bringing this song to the fore. This song seems so heart wrenchingly personal - sadness and anger with misgivings in such a poetic way like a painting. Timeless. When I was a teen and listened to it, I didn't know it was about Dylan's relationship with Suze Rotolo and her sister Carla and their mom. I didn't know anything about Dylan's personal life. I tried to write teen angst love poetry in high school using this song as a template. It was terrible and I threw that notebook away - so embarrassing. This is one of my favorite's from Another Side. One minor thing though. I think when Bob sang "scrapegoat" he meant "scapegoat" - however, there it is. Just nitpicking. I know, how could I? I too am a half wit or at least between a whole wit and a quarter wit. Ballad In Plain D is truly an eloquent ballad in the true sense that it tells a story and Bob openly bares his soul, singing so intensely with the sound of pain and almost despair in his voice. More of that to come, obviously.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Rick. Your words are right on the mark, I think. Thanks for posting them. Yeah, the official lyrics say "scapegoat" and that is what I always took it to mean when he mis-sang it as "scrapegoat", haha. Thanks again for your comment. Cheers. Jeff

[@SMV447]

I totally agree--the awkwardness may be embarrassing, but it probably was good for you to try! I was a teenage girl once, and I think that receiving an awkward love poem would have been refreshing! (My husband of many years sings to me, which I love!)

[@Arlene4HO]

Suze and Bob lived in our hometown of Schenectady, NY with the Alper family just before he made his first album. He wrote some of his early songs in Schenectady. They were an interesting couple, I thought their love would last forever. Dylan performed at a few cafes in Upstate NY early on. I really enjoyed this video.

[@CalicoSilver]

@@Arlene4HO Thank you for your interesting and informative comment! Much appreciated.

[@quaid667]

I love your Dylan videos. Although i have been into Dylan since i was a teenager, my perception of his artistry has changed. You have helped in that change. Thank you sir. Great video.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thank you very much! I am very happy that others are enjoying my appreciative commentaries on this man's great work. Cheers! Jeff

[@electricfence61]

One of the best videos you have done Jeff, thank you. Totally captivating.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Mick. I just thought of it and did it on the fly with no preparation.....funny how those are often the best videos! Just like my kind of "vacations": get in the car and start driving and see what happens. Haha.

[@MrTroposphere]

You nailed it CalicoSilver. (You also nailed Clinton and Andy, nice work!) I've always felt since I first heard this apocalyptic song aged 12 that very possibly Dylan saved his own life by exteriorising a nightmare. If all this had stayed inside him it might easily have killed him. The wailing of broken hearts is the gateway to God (Jalalauddin Rumi.)

[@MDali-el4zm]

Excellent analysis of this song! It is a snapshot of the painful breakup between two young lovers whose hearts are broken.I think Dylan regrets that he wrote it because it is so personal. And that's why i love it.

[@CalicoSilver]

True. This song really nails it. Thanks for your comment.

[@mistery-ed7900]

I just listened to 4 Nanci Griffith songs posted as a tribute. She passed away on Friday. I didn't know that. A favorite singer songwriter of mine. Going to play an album or two today in memory.

[@CalicoSilver]

Oh no!! I love Nanci Griffith. So sorry to hear the news. She always seemed like such a genuinely good spirit. Thanks for telling me.

[@mistery-ed7900]

Listening to you has me going through all the emotions I always go through when I hear the song but even more so.

[@CalicoSilver]

Yeah, I kinda got into it while making this video.....like a method actor! Hahaha. But seriously, that is what reading Dylan's lyrics does to me. I have absolutely no doubt that he is the finest poet of our lifetimes, hands down. Thanks again, Ed. Jeff

[@dedhippi]

one of my favorite Dylan quotes is from Ballad in Plain D: "with unseen consciousness I possessed in my grip, a magnificent mantlepiece though its heart being chipped, noticing not that I already slipped..." anyone watching this video will know the rest. Thanks

[@CalicoSilver]

Indeed, what great poetry, IMO.

[@mickey8355]

I`m not sure if anybody mentioned this in previous comments, but I just wanted to add that Suze is pronounced like "Suzie". Suze Rotolo mentions that in her book "A Freewheelin Time". Not sure if you got a chance to read it. I`m guessing by now you did read it. It covers a lot of her relationship with Dylan. And you are spot on. Another heartbreaking song he wrote for Suze "Tomorrow Is A Long Time". It was definitely written be someone who was feeling a deep loss.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Ralph. I'd heard it pronounced both ways over the years but never knew for sure. No, I have not read her book, but I should. I think I kinda got burned out on reading Dylan books a few decades ago and haven't read many since. I really do love "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" also - beautiful song. Thanks again for your kind comment. Cheers. Jeff

[@yvondufresne607]

I fully agree to all of your comments and I relate to Bobdylan story since I have been in this situation. I always have loved this song. Thank you

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks Yvon. Yes I know what you mean. I am sure many can relate to this song, indeed.

[@trudy5963]

Yep, he "burst on the scene, already a legend".

[@gavinbutler5219]

Great review jeff, it's a very moving song and it shows the universality of bobs writing, how we can all relate to such moments.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Gavin. Very moving song, indeed. Hits the nail on the head. Jeff

[@danwood4631]

Another insightful review!

[@redonyou9560]

Thank you! I've always loved that song too, but couldn't quite figure out why exactly! Now that question seems to disappear

[@CalicoSilver]

It is a most powerful and to-the-point expression of what many of us can relate to, isn't it? Thanks for your comment.

[@terrisavibbertwithoutpreju4432]

Ballad in plain D was my favorite on that album..and there are numerous profound truths that are universal to all within that song💜

[@CalicoSilver]

So very very true. Thank you.

[@jaw444]

I apprreciate this posting. i come back to it whenever for some reason i'm listening tis o Ballad in Plain D on you tube. i like how your comments draw people into conversation. I noticed something i want to ask you about, it came up today when i was listening to another Ballad in Plain D on you tube and somewhere else not on you tube, i read some lyrics, and they were not like what i had always heard listening to the song, countless times, and not just that song but another song too, it might have been on Freewheelin, i heard that today too, and in both cases, i pulled up the recording of the song from the record which was the only version i've ever heard, and i can't remember what the other lyric was but in both cases, it sounds like what i always thought it was, though i didn't read it in any written lyrics, just listening to the song. What you wrote is maybe the second time i've heard that, and i wanted to ask you if you've heard version of the song that uses those lyrics you wrote, or if it's from a Lyrics book. The line is,

[@CalicoSilver]

I am pretty sure I just downloaded the lyrics from the BobDylan.com website and used those as I made the video.

[@wund3rful]

They have no idea about artistry or emotion. They remark on Dylan's work like he is a child (especially the early 60's stuff) and they are the adults in the situation so high above it. Dylan can critique his work, its an entirely separate world than the observer and listener. When you come in and act like you get it like he does you're out of your mind. Plain D is beautiful, from the title to the poetic muses to the bitterness. If you can't relate or see the beauty in the rawness you are suppressing your own emotions because you're probably scared to look in the mirror. Suze Rotolo gets it, and I'm so glad you brought that up, because she understands creativity and art.

[@CalicoSilver]

Haha, so true, so true, Nicholas. Suze basically summed up the whole thing in her comments on the song, which was about her, so I figure her comments mean more than anyone else's except Dylan....maybe even more than Dylan's in this case! Haha.

[@tayamorris4758]

It is a great song I love all of Dylan’s work glad I was in at the start of his brilliant career

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks Taya. I love all of Dylan’s work too. Cheers! Jeff

[@Slothrop67]

I'll admit that Plain D is pretty low on my totem pole of Dylan songs. Yes, it's about a real moment in his life and yes, it's infused with passion, anger and regret (how could the end of a major love affair not be). I know those feelings all too well. But, here's my problem with it. The specific events are particular to only Dylan. Not the feelings but the specific personal events. If you juxtapose Plain D with another break up song like You're a Big Girl Now; you might see what I'm trying to say. You're a Big Girl Now is a masterpiece of the pain, regret, self questioning, blame, etc with the end of a major relationship. It is universal yet becomes quite personal to each person that has been through a similar experience (who hasn't). But Plain D? No, I can't internalize it. Those events are specific to Dylan which makes it a song for one to completely relate. Just my opinion why it isn't in my personal top echelon of Dylan songs.

[@CalicoSilver]

Yes, I understand what you are saying. Thanks for your comment, Tony. Cheers. Jeff

[@stephenlee1756]

I completly agree with you. Ballad in Plain D has a few good lines, but he was trying too hard to be 'poetic'. And Dylan was quite right to call himself a schmuck for putting it on a record - Suze's sister and mother had no "right of reply" and his words about them are very cruel. The song is entirely about Dylan's own pain and does not have the universal relevance which is one of the hallmarks of his genius.

[@phildavison9100]

Best song Bob ever wrote

[@CalicoSilver]

I am so happy to meet other fans of this great song. Thanks for commenting, Phil. Jeff

[@ExplodingPsyche]

I'm a bit shocked by this title. I could never have imagined this song needed a defense. I've always thought it was one of Dylan's best songs lyrically, detailing his breakup with Suze Rotolo. I haven't actually watched the video, which I'll do tonight. As someone else mentioned in these comments, this song contains one of his most incredible lines, "Are birds free from the chains of the skyways?"

[@CalicoSilver]

The title refers to the many many people who have stated that this is Dylan’s worst song, a sentiment with which I strongly disagree. Like you, I think it is a marvelous song, for reasons I go over in the video. Thanks for your comment. Jeff

[@ExplodingPsyche]

@@CalicoSilver Worst song?!? Beyond my comprehension how anyone could think that. Maybe a very young person. It's a very visual song, for lack of a better term. I've always seen this play out in my mind when listening to it.

[@rivkahlapidus797]

I think this song is raw and painful and beautiful. Others disagree with me. He is not taking a newspaper article and turning it into a song (Hattie Carroll)- he is being the age that he is, the person that he is, the feelings that he felt. Kudos.

[@CalicoSilver]

Amen.

[@maggiebryan2355]

Never miss this song when I listern to the album very honest song

[@CalicoSilver]

I love how Dylan sets aside any obfuscating or oblique approaches to his expression here (as anyone would do in a moment of a rush of competing emotions) and just lays it all out, right or wrong, sparing no one the depth of his emotions, in a very real and honest way. Why some listeners cannot understand or appreciate this is beyond me, but then again perhaps some people do not experience emotions like this in general. Thanks for your comment. Jeff

[@maggiebryan2355]

@@CalicoSilver we all have moment when our emotion take over and stuff floods out without a filter

[@thelucid8349]

Brilliant video !!

[@CalicoSilver]

Thank you for your kind comment. Jeff

[@alex_angri]

I always thought this song had his most powerful and heartfelt harmonica solo

[@CalicoSilver]

I agree! Thanks.

[@FFuss0]

best song from his best record

[@shmuelben2412]

Dylan could easily have written it differently but he chose to tell you what on his mind there are those who find it difficult if it. Have they not gone through something similar in their lives or maybe they are lying to themselves ..Thanks Jeff.

[@CalicoSilver]

Exactly! Thanks, Shmuel.

[@grahamhobbs3501]

A bit tangential, but I always remember in the late 70s reading Anthony Scaduto's biography of Dylan and being annoyed ( ;) ) that he mentions an incident during during an early road trip where Bob makes the (mysterious) comment to his companions 'The birds are chained to the sky' - and the author never picked up the later use of the line... (I was 18 or 19 at the time)

[@CalicoSilver]

Hi Graham. I found, after a while, that most Dylan biographers seem to be amazing experts on events and chronologies and recording details, etc., but not so expert on Dylan's lyrics (to put it mildly), so I am not surprised by what you've written here. Thanks for your comment. Jeff

[@johnnyman2268]

Suze Rotolo had an abortion. Was Dylan the father? I haven’t read her book yet but I plan on it . I don’t think any mention is made of it in the new Dylan biopic.

[@mickey8355]

A masterpiece! Thanks.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks, Ralph. So glad to see that others consider this song a marvel like I do. Cheers! Jeff

[@SMV447]

Hello Jeff! I really love this video---it's so sincere, thoughtful, and well-researched (e.g., Suzi's comments at the end of the video). I've listened to it about 3 times now and I crack up laughing every time you throw your venom at them (they deserved it!). Re the song itself: I agree that it is a wonderful song and appreciate that the fresh wounds that he had when he wrote it are so stark and brutally honest. I also found it interesting that for all the harsh words in the song, none of them were aimed at Suzi herself. Instead, his feelings about himself and Suzi's mom and sister were the targets of his anger. But all that being said, I think that the relationship was doomed, with or without the meddlers: Hey, the guy was only about 23 years old at the time, going from obscurity (as Baez once said, "really scruffy") to stardom in a few short years. And although I believe that Dylan did really love Suzi, he just wasn't in a position to have a stable, mature relationship. In addition to his studio work, he was touring. In addition to all that, he was in transition from his folk/protest days and shifting to more personal topics. I think he needed and wanted an intense romantic relationship with someone who could support and appreciate his artistic genius, yet he probably didn't have the time, energy, or maturity to write, record, perform, and tour, while also giving his love relationships the time and energy they needed in order to be sustained. (As he discovered with Joan B and Sara L). Can you be deeply in love and at the same time feel trapped? For many young men, especially Dylan, who encountered criticisms, public adoration, and temptations of all sorts, I think the answer is "yes." Maybe the big fight was a dramatic excuse for him to end the relationship. And yet, I have to give him credit for not only acknowledging the pain he had caused Suzi, but also that he had the maturity to say "I'm sorry" (lovely contradiction, since he says "I haven't found " the words!) and hopes "whoever she's met will be fully aware of how precious she is." I think there is a major tension between his artistic and emotional needs to create, record, and give live performances to his adoring fans, while at the same time longing for the warm sweetness of having a committed romantic relationship with someone you love. "Another Side" had so many personal romantic tracks that I sometimes wonder if he needed those intense emotional experiences in his life in order to create such beautiful songs.

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks for your excellent comments, Sherrie! I really enjoyed and appreciated them. Cheers. Jeff

[@SMV447]

@@CalicoSilver No, THANK YOU for your thoughtful and perceptive insights...and for generously sharing them through your KZbin channel. All the best, Sherrie

[@Slothrop67]

Hey Jeff, You convinced me to give the song another chance. I've been in a heart shattering relationship twice in my life. And all advice rang hollow because a hydrogen bomb had just gone on in my soul. But I just didn't like the melody. But I truly didn't give the song a lyrical chance or enough real consideration. One reason being, I absolutely love that album and couldn't wait to get to the next song. But you've convinced me to give it another listen. I've always had a vision of Dylan and me sitting in a Waffle House while he relates how much his heart is broken and how much he hates the mother and sister. And I'm the friend telling Bob, "Jeez Bob. Those are two bitches that you just don't need in your life, And can you imagine Thanksgiving with those two if you stay with Suze?" and all the while my eyes keep wandering over to the menu and I'm wondering if I can get bacon on the cheeseburger. Yeah, I've been a pretty vacuous friend on occasion. And I feel horrible about this but I've listened to all of "Ballad in Plain D" maybe three or four times in my life whereas I've listened to "Sylvia's Mother" probably hundreds of times and loved it every time. Mrs. Avery just really pisses me off!

[@CalicoSilver]

My dad has always had a saying (not original but it was from him that I first heard it): "if that's the worst thing that ever happens, you're going to be just fine". You know, a blanket response to expressed pain or frustration that works sometimes and not other times. One of those "dad" kinds of things. Well, when my heart was shattered for the first time (a much beloved gal to whom I was sure I'd be married soon suddenly left me back in my young college days), my dad said, "son, you know that saying I always use? the one about the worst thing that happens? well, this IS one of worse things that happens.....and in a while you'll see that IT TOO will pass". And of course it did. And that was a very illuminating experience. Of course there are MUCH worse things that can happen to a person than a gal dumping us, haha! But the point is that AT THE TIME it seems like the worst, but it passes. Everything passes. Scars are left, sure, but everything passes. Even WE pass, eventually. But yes, I remember how different friends react to our pain.....some empathize deeply; others want us to just get over it and focus on the menu, haha. I'm sure I've been both kinds of friends at different times too.

[@Slothrop67]

@@CalicoSilver He's absolutely right. I couldn't agree more. Now my dad had some sage advice for me one while we were at the race track. He said, "Son, if anyone says that they want to introduce you to Jesus, I want you to grab your balls and wallet and run like hell because odds are that they're after one or both." Never once took the cigar out of his mouth and or looked up from the racing form while saying it. I miss his humor.

[@mark950-d7d]

Those who can't, criticize (?) Your analysis is right on

[@CalicoSilver]

You know what they say about analysis.....well, just consider the first four letters of the word......haha! Sometimes I wonder why I bother with this stuff.....but it is just so much fun! Thanks, Mark. Jeff

[@matthewzuckerman6267]

A profound time for him, yes, and a deeply felt song. But I think writing it taught him all the ways in which you should NOT write an intensely personal song. I interviewed Martin Carthy once and here's what he said about it: "I seriously think he's only written one truly rotten song..." "Let me guess," I interrupted. "Ballad in Plain D?" "Absolutely! Ballad in Plain D is a piece of junk. It's a piece of junk and he knows it's a piece of junk. I think he knew it fairly soon afterwards. He must've done. He said to her: 'I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you in a song.' And he didn't. He missed by a f***ing mile. It's nice he's acknowledged it. We've all done stupid things in our lives, and probably the first rule is to acknowledge it." Having said that, it does have an enchanting tune and is well performed. And if he hadn't got it so wrong here, then he might not have got it so right a decade later on Blood on the Tracks. Just my opinion, mind you. Well, mine, Carthy's and Bob's ;)

[@CalicoSilver]

First of all, my comment is not meant to be an ad hominem attack on you personally, Matthew. I appreciate and thank you for your input. However, it blows my mind how people can think that this is a "truly rotten song" or a "piece of junk" just because it expressed unpleasant vindictive emotions in parts of the lyric. Have these people never actually listened to this song? In the very song itself he is acknowledging his vindictiveness, his over-reaction, his lack of excuse for his thoughts and behavior.....does no one notice that? I honestly don't think most people actually listen to Dylan's lyrics. They hear some phrase or verse that they like or don't like, and that's that....the thinking stops there. Some plucked out of context phrase like "even the president of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked" they remember and cheer like trained monkeys from the audience, but they never actually listen to the lyrics that surround their pet phrases and verses. Yes Dylan seemed to regret (or at least once said that he regretted) writing this song. Of COURSE he did! He even did so RIGHT THERE IN THE SONG ITSELF. He didn't write the song, and then only later regret it. He regretting it right there in the song. No one seems to notice that for some reason. Who doesn't regret an emotional response of this kind as expressed in this song? Does that make the song a BAD song? Is it really any worse than a song expressing similar emotions but in more pleasantly poetic and flowery language? Good grief. I guarantee you that more people would more readily grasp the depth of emotion in this song than on most songs on Blood On The Tracks. But critics can't seem (or refuse) to grasp the former while claiming to grasp the latter (a claim I strongly question, given the lack of depth of thought and insight consistently exhibited by the great majority of them). If this song was so deeply "regretted" by Dylan as some kind of "only truly rotten song" he ever wrote, why has it remained on every subsequent re-issue of this album? The song is brilliant and uniquely powerful in its own way, and I strongly question the honesty and/or the intellectual capacity of any professed critic who cannot recognize it as such.

[@CalicoSilver]

I also want to say that I strongly disagree with the notion that there are "ways in which you should NOT write an intensely personal song". Wow, there are right ways and wrong ways? Sounds like something a college professor of creative writing might bloviate. Sorry but even though I am not some kind of artistic-subjectivity-extremist, I could not disagree more with such a statement. Again, nothing personal. We are just on the opposite ends of the spectrum on this matter.

[@matthewzuckerman6267]

​@@CalicoSilver And this is no personal attack on your opinions. One of my close frinds (now sadly departed) also loved the song and we had many a heated conversation about it. It is possible, even in these heated days, to have different opinions and to belive someone is mistaken without questioning their honesty and/or intellectual capacity. Carthy (one of the biggest influences on Dylan's early career) and Dylan himself are both men with a great understanding of song, and their opinions have to count for something. The reason Dylan, Carthy and I regard it as such a bad song is not because it deals with unpleasant vindictive emotions, but because it does so in a very immature way, with the young writer simply not in control of what he is attempting to do. Indeed, Dylan is the modern master of expressing unpleasant vindictive emotions, and I would guess that if he hadn't got it so wrong here, he'd never have learned to get it so right later on. As for Dylan's leaving the song on the album, well, the only time he has ever altered a previously released album was the addition of "The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar" to "Shot of Love". But he did specifically state his regret for writing the song in an interview with Bill Flanagan. Flanagan: "What about Ballad in Plain D?" Dylan: "Oh! Yeah. That one... That one I look back on and say 'I must have been a real schmuck to write that.' I look back at that particular one and say, of all the songs I've written, maybe I could have left that alone. But if that's the only one I look back on and say I shouldn't have written, I think that's a pretty good record. That's maybe 500 to one." And please don't make the mistake of thinking that Carthy and I are pedantic critics who only admire "pleasantly poetic and flowery language", and if he or I have said anything to suggest that, then please point it out to me. P.S. For all that we disagree, I still clicked "like" on your video. I like the fact that you took time and effort to express your opinion articulately and well. I don't have to agree with an opinion to respect it.

[@CalicoSilver]

@@matthewzuckerman6267 Hi Matthew. Thanks for your kind response. I agree that we can agree to disagree and do so kindly. Thank you. As for Dylan's comments on his lyrics, he also commented that Blood On The Tracks was not necessarily autobiographical, despite everyone's insistence that it was ("I recorded an entire album based on Chekhov short stories....critics thought it was autobiographical....that was fine.") No doubt Dylan was a much more mature person in 1974 than in 1964, which is reflected in the comparisons between the songs he was writing. But I completely discount any idea that just because a song reflects an emotional immaturity, that renders the song garbage. Ballad in Plain D is amazingly well written and extremely potent in its own way. It IS different than a song like You're A Big Girl Now, yes, but that difference does not render it "junk". But that is just my opinion, of course. Haha! Thanks again for your kind comment, and best wishes to you. Jeff

[@matthewzuckerman6267]

@@CalicoSilver I think the difference in our views is that you see the emotional immaturity as the subject of the song while I see it as poorly written because of that emotional immaturity. There is no way either of us can prove our positions, of course. In fact, the only reason I have commented here is because I know I couldn't make you dislike a song that you admire. Who would want to do that? Conversely, I would love to learn to admire a song that I dislike, which is why I clicked on your video in the first place. That I haven't learned to love it is, I believe, the song's fault, not yours! But it does have an enchanting tune, based on "Because All Men Are Brothers", which itself is based on the Passion Chorale by Bach... who borrowed it himself from H. L. Hassler’s ‘Mein Gmüth ist mir verwirret’ in “Venusgärtlein.” Love and theft, eh?

[@gavinmccabe2908]

I couldn't agree more. Plain D is possibly one of my favourites of all Dylans ballads. The lyrics are just gut wrenching, especially the penultimate verse. The wind knocks my window The room it is wet The words to say I'm sorry I haven't found yet I think of her often and hope whoever she's met Will be fully aware Of how precious she is Like you say, Dylan encapsulates the loss of that first passionate love with searing honesty. I remember hearing it and feeling less alone in my own emotions about an early failed relationship that I thought would last a lifetime. This 'review' fits into the long line of people berating the song. Nearly made me vomit: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXbKdaOnrbyaqMk

[@CalicoSilver]

Thanks Gavin. I have only seen a few videos on that "Bob Dylan Revisited" channel and unfortunately I don't care much for them.....at all. Nothing against him personally but I find his comments vacuous.

[@janepiepes2243]

Please don't read it aloud . It needs the music ...that's part of this whole thing..Please don't analyze this and talk about it. Okay the song . Gosh, anything can happen ..just okay the song .

[@chadpittman3025]

And ma in her kerchief and I in my cap

[@davideveson1049]

Dylan has never written a junk song!

[@CalicoSilver]

Not even "If Dogs Run Free"? Hahaha. Just kidding, David. I agree with you. Even songs like "Wiggle Wiggle" seem to have their purposes in the context of the albums, or just in general - I seem to hear more in "Wiggle Wiggle" than most people.....but maybe I'm an idiot.....that is possible, too. Haha! Thanks for your comment, David. Cheers. Jeff

[@davideveson1049]

Even his mad Christmas song gets to you eventually.

[@jameshannigan6551]

Jeff spellbinding as always. In terms of the emotional and personal expression it’s obviously profound. But for me I’m not a fan of the song musically. The word “plain” in the title gives it away. To me this was all story and no song.

[@CalicoSilver]

Hi James. I actually like the song musically - it has more than 3 chords! Haha. ;-)

[@jameshannigan6551]

When the last time you hummed the melody ;)

[@CalicoSilver]

@@jameshannigan6551 You honestly believe there is not a good melody in this song? I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree here, James.

[@laughliketheflowers]

That's interesting with a lot of good points. Bob's songwriting had not peaked and the song is not concise and includes unnecessary bits and I don't like the sound of his voice much. it has good bits and is a slice of life from his point of view. It's a bit too personal, if anything. The biggest problem with the song is that it's dishonest. It never mentions what Suze's mum and sister tried to protect her from. So, it's like Bob's diary, semi-fiction, trying to make himself feel better, which is more or less what Clinton Heylin says. It has some very good bits, like the opening and the description of the quarrel, but I think his voice sounds flat and the poetry is lousy on some songs on this album. If only he had written it a year later! It would have been more poetic, sung with a better voice and probably more honest. It is, nonetheless, at least as good as most "top" songwriters' best, IMHO.

[@CalicoSilver]

I like that the song is not trying to be an objective rundown of events, but a passionate regretful bitter subjective (and perhaps unfair) outpouring from a guy who just went through what most of us eventually go through with relationships. I'm in that group of fans (small though it may be) that feels this is one of his finest songs. It's all subjective, haha!

[@laviniana1]

Wish he'd p[lay a few bars to remind me. I know the name. but dont rememberers the song. Bet you'll never play it. Frustrating .

[@CalicoSilver]

KZbin/Sony will not let me post any of Dylan's album tracks due to copyright issues. However, it only takes a few seconds for YOU to find the song on the official Dylan KZbin channel, or any other free online music streaming service like Spotify, etc..