Mr Tambourine Man

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"Hey Mr Tambourine Man play a song for me..."

How do you play a song on a tambourine?

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Thursday, 29 January 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

'authentic tambourine shaking experience'

― doomies, Thursday, 29 January 2004 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

From the lyrics, it seems all you need is a bit of jingle jangle to get him to follow.

Of course, his request for a ride on the "magic swirlin' ship" is a little ridiculous. If you had the money for that, would you be standing around playing a bloody tambourine?!

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 29 January 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

What I want to know is why does Dylan feel the need to identify him as both Mr. and Man? Is he being ironic? Is Mr. Tambourine Man a women?
I think we should be open to that possibility.

― Huck Me Gently (Horace Mann), Thursday, 29 January 2004 15:28 (twenty-two years ago)

What I want to know is why does Dylan feel the need to identify him as both Mr. and Man?
This presumes that Mr. Tambourine Man refers to his profession, and not his actual name. Maybe Dylan knew the Man family, with all of the unusual names such as the father, Trumpet, or the three boys, Saxophone, Tambourine and Trombone. Seems their mother wanted to keep up the tradition, though the kids couldn't play a single note. Talentless buggers. So maybe, just maybe, Dylan is mocking the family.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 29 January 2004 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

So, the Man family operate a freight business. Tambourine has a couple of boats to his name, a dark grey one, and one once owned by John Lennon, built by David Nixon, and given a paint makeover.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 29 January 2004 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Unfortunately, no. See, Trumpet Man had a canoe, and Dylan and Tambourine used to sit by the river's edge staring at the canoe. In later years, thanks to serious drug consumption, Dylan referred to this measly canoe as a magic swirlin' ship.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 29 January 2004 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Doesn't Tambourine Man = Drug Dealer? It would certainly make the "magic swirlin' ship" ride make more sense.

― rainman (rainman), Thursday, 29 January 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Would the jingle jangle be the sound of the dealer making change?

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Thursday, 29 January 2004 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

LOL @ Jonathan :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 29 January 2004 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

seven years pass...

there's a version at the end of this gene clark compilation (flying high) that pops into my head all the time. it's super-slow, like lumbering. he's playing with a full band, lots of plodding ugly-sounding electric guitar and most notably a piano (clark maybe?) that adds this chintzy new-pop intro/bridge riff. it sounds like the 80s. makes me imagine dinosaur boomer ravaged-by-substances wrinkled faces, that sort of thing.

but it's kind of amazing! clark's voice soars and all that. the harmonies are gorgeous, every word very slowly, quiveringly sung. it's exasperating, like hearing "happy birthday" sung slowly and elaborately for someone who doesn't care.

n e ways, what are some other good versions of this song? i think it might be an "anthem" for me, in other words i'm getting in touch with my inner troubadour these days.

― puerile fantasies (Matt P), Monday, 29 August 2011 19:35 (fourteen years ago)

haven't heard that clark version! sounds rad.
fave dylan versions are probably the live 66 versions, with the almost free form harmonica coda.
clarence white-era byrds acoustic version is nice too.

― tylerw, Monday, 29 August 2011 19:37 (fourteen years ago)

this one is pretty weird
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsvH7iVJ6jg
it's ok, listening now.

― tylerw, Monday, 29 August 2011 19:38 (fourteen years ago)

haha, that's great. maybe i'm misremembering just how slow the original is. did this song need a beach boys cover? i think it did.

― puerile fantasies (Matt P), Monday, 29 August 2011 19:43 (fourteen years ago)

yeah the valli version might be the closest we get to the beach boys.

― tylerw, Monday, 29 August 2011 19:44 (fourteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X34myQMWuyY
ooh this IS good.

― tylerw, Monday, 29 August 2011 19:46 (fourteen years ago)

his voice never fails to amaze.

lol @ the drums tho

― satisfying punishment for that thing he said about lesbians (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 29 August 2011 19:53 (fourteen years ago)

speaking of over-covered dylan songs & the byrds, this one is nice
pity that the really gorgeous Clark & mcguinn duo stuff never got recorded until it had morphed into the mcguinn hillman & clark material which is terribly produced

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsKjVQR0gBA

― buzza, Monday, 29 August 2011 20:49 (fourteen years ago)

BTW, Roger McGuinn is the only Byrd who plays on their hit cover of "Mr. Tamborine Man", despite the others being proficient on their instruments (despite their inexperience on electric instruments). On the rest of the like-named album, the band plays themselves and it sounds fine.

― Lee547 (Lee626), Tuesday, 30 August 2011 04:55 (fourteen years ago)

I love the Dylan version that kicks off the Budokan live LP.

― ban this sick stunt (anagram), Tuesday, 30 August 2011 08:18 (fourteen years ago)

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