Changing of the Guards

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"Changing of the Guards" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released in 1978 as a single and as the first track on his album Street Legal. As an A-side single it failed to reach the Billboard Top 100. However, it was included on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3, released in 1994.

Musically, "Changing of the Guards," like much of Street Legal, has a strange sound, certainly unique for Dylan if not unique in general. This is in part effected by a trio of female back-up singers, a prominent saxophone in between verses, and a hauntingly dynamic chord progression. The chord progression has a certain catch that is very noticeable: there is a repeating cadence, which, by landing on the dominant chord, "begs" for resolution. However, rather than resolving it with the tonic chord, it is resolved with the relative minor chord. This creates an almost tragic feel in the song: everything sounds as if there will be a normal, major and happy-sounding tonic chord; but instead, the song falls into the unusual and dark-sounding relative minor chord. Interestingly, the song speeds up slightly over the course of the song, only noticeable by playing the beginning and the end of the song back to back.

Lyrically, this song has provoked much critical insight, both positive and negative. According to Oliver Trager, "Changing of the Guards" has been criticized as a "song in which Dylan unsuccessfully and cynically parodies his anthemic self in haunting fashion..." (104) But many have found much depth and meaning in the song's lyrics. Michael Gray sees this song as a thorough description of Dylan's journey, from the beginning of his musical career, about sixteen years prior (the opening line is "Sixteen years"), through his marriage and divorce with Sara Dylan, up to his soon-to-be-announced conversion to Christianity (220-3). Indeed, much religious and biblical imagery is readily apparent in this work, especially apocalyptic imagery (not new ground for Dylan). Dylan once commented: "It means something different every time I sing it. 'Changing of the Guards' is a thousand years old'" (Trager 104). However, even the song's critical supporters admit that there is a good amount of opacity in this song's lyrics: "Like much in 'Changing of the Guards,' the intended meaning of this passage is opaque..." (Gray 221)

"Changing of the Guards" has only been played live during the tour immediately following its release in 1978.

The main saxophone refrain at the end of the chorus' sounds very similar to the theme to the BBC's popular Animal Hospital show of the 1990s.

[edit] Covers

"Changing of the Guards" has been covered by:

[edit] References

  • Giller, Don and Lozano, ed. The Definitive Bob Dylan Songbook. Amsco Publications, 2003.
  • Gray, Michael. Song & Dance Man III: The Art of Bob Dylan. Continuum, 2000.
  • Trager, Oliver. Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Billboard Books, 2004.

[edit] External links