Whne John Lennon first met Bob Dylan, Lennon challenged him to write a song as good as "Eight Days a Week." Dylan told Lennon he could write a better song using just one day of the week--Friday.
Years later, when Dylan was touring Ireland, he met Bob Geldolf of the Boomtown Rats and told him the story about Friday. Geldolf bragged that he could outdo both of them---the next day the Rats recorded "I Don't LIke Mondays." Know your rock history, fools.
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Not a moment goes by during this song when I can keep myself from crying. It was the last slow song played at my Senior Prom. Just a few days later Johnny was shipped overseas to Vietnam, and not too long after that I got that terrible letter. His parents even decided to play this song at his funeral. There was not a dry eye in that church. I miss you Johnny, and this song is just a reminder of the turbulent times that the 60's were, and it's comforting to know that Dylan is still appreciated.
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Though more subtle than The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, his song was about the civil rights movement. It tells the tale of one miss Rosa Parks, who rushed to the bus stop one morning. She began to head to the back almost instinctively, but when she saw her friends all forced to sit in the back, she made her decision. She would take the front seat and break oppression. Now African Americans nation wide can look forward to fun weekends, instead of being forced to get down every Friday.
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Brilliant allegory for the Vietnam War, thursday was when countless young men were killed in the senseless lost struggle and Friday is the day that the war ended. Alas, like the weekend, peace is fleeting and will again be replaced by more "weekdays" (hardships,) but there will always be another weekend someday soon.
Beautiful song, tragic and cynical but hopeful. Dylan's forgotten masterpiece.
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I remember when this first came out. Bummed it wasn't going to be released on LP, but buddy working at the university's radio station got me a copy from the Columbia rep. After last class on Fridays, we'd all gather in my dorm room, smoke some weed and get in the mood listening to this tune. Heard Scorsese originally wanted to call his Dylan documentary 'Which Seat Can I Take' but the studio suits insisted on No Direction Home.
