Song of the Day 9/2: Bryan Ferry, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”
Donald Trump has finally found a way to get people to stop talking about the Epstein Files: Let them think he’s dying.
His bruised hands and cankles and lack of public appearances are fueling the speculation, but it was his out-of-character speculation about the state of his soul (“I wanna try and get to heaven if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole.”) that has people convinced he’s knockin’ on heaven’s door. With anybody else you’d suspect it’s a ploy for sympathy, but nobody’s every going to sympathize with Donald Trump. Most people are hoping death is at home and in the mood for visitors.
Bob Dylan’s original version of this rock standard was written for Slim Pickens’ death scene in Sam Peckinpah’s 1973 film “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid,” which Dylan also acted in. Released as a single, it became his last Top 20 Billboard hit. It’s been covered hundreds of times, most successfully by Guns N’ Roses.
Probably the most affecting version was recorded by Warren Zevon when he was on death’s front stoop in 2003, but I featured that one when Trump came down with COVID five years ago. So here’s a live version by one of my favorite Dylan interpreters, erstwhile Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry, who included it on his 2007 LP “Dylanesque.”
He’ll never give us the satisfaction. All he cares about is Keeping us from talking about his predilection for prepubescent, well, you know the noun I’d like to use that satisfies the allitération in this sentence. This Guy is a cockroach. He’ll be here when the rest of us are gone. Give up and get away from him. Let him have all the money and the guns and the ugly tarted up women. They’re guaranteed to make him more miserable than a terminal illness. Keep him alive with them.
Lake Street Dive heads to the beach on Sept. 4! Experience the incredible talent of Lake Street Dive as they grace the stage at Freeman Arts Pavilion in Selbyville, DE.
They are now and forever The Band That Got Away.
Was all set to book them at the Gild Hall, had an agreement with their agency, but another producer had another group scheduled for the same day. It didn’t work out and, unfortunately, that’s when the band hit it big. We could no longer afford them.
They’re also great people. I’ve seen ’em four times. If you haven’t, go!
Hmmm, think I wrote a blog piece about them. Hang on, let me check…YES! With lotsa tunes, all highly recommended. But if you can choose only one, check out their Halloween tribute to the Mamas And The Papas’ version of ‘Dedicated To The One I Love’. That, right there, is Lake Street Dive:
https://delawareliberal.net/2014/02/04/the-band-that-got-away/