All Along The Watchtower - Hip Hop Fan Reacts To Bob Dylan

The harmonica sounds like the wind blowing across an empty and eerie landscape. Such an ominous and unsettling sound

What i love about Syed is that if he doesn't understand the lyrics he doesn't get turned off, he gets more interested!

I'm 76 years old and have been a Dylan fan since the 60's. I'm so happy you have discovered him. May his music live on!

There's a story about Hendrix, when he was living in New York and he was very poor, his girlfriend sent him out to buy some food with the $5 they had left, and he came home with a Dylan record in his hand. That's how much he loved his music.

This channel needs more views. A reactor actually listening to the music is a great thing

“I pity the poor immigrant who hates his life, and likewise fears his death” This line from this album has stuck with me for 30 years

You are the BEST!!! Most people have no clue yet you are brilliant on Bob Dylan!!! 78 years old and I watch you always. Love Dylan.

Musically, this is THREE chords, running down and back up, over, and over,and over, for the entire song. Just brilliant.

I think you have already become the Bob Dylan of lyric analysis--the best. Extremely entertaining. With Dylan, you have to remember that you are never going to get every point or every meaning. However, I do think Dylan knows exactly what he is saying; he chooses every word, every phrase, every intonation intentionally. I am mesmerized by his wordsmith and lyrical beauty of his phrases, so I tend to worry less about his meaning. Fortunately, we have you for this job. Keep up the fantastic work.

Written by a genius and transformed by a genius

I love the John Wesley Harding album and this is my favourite song on it. Princes is plural in this song. The Watchtower could be a metaphor for where the elite of society live, in a metaphorical fortress but always worried about their security. Outside of that is an uncontrolled area where anything might happen and the two riders might be forces that are about to change everything or are some kind of ambassadors. They are approaching the watchtower not escaping - maybe they become captives. On the other hand, the joker and the thief might be representing the viewpoint of the people (or certain people) who are living in this oppressed society unhappy with the way things are. It's almost an ecological viewpoint, referring to the exploitation of the Earth by those that don't value or care for it.

57 years later, that song can still make me shiver.

Thank the stars that there is someone doing Dylan reactions and is really digging into the lyrics and music. I was born in 1957 and have been a Dylan fanatic since the early '70s. I sometimes try and imagine being in my 20s and stumbling upon Dylan. What a treasure trove to dive into with fresh, young ears. Keep up the great work Syed!

You can go over Dylan's lyrics a 1000 times and each time you can get something different. Simply magical and brilliant! I have seen many, many interviews with Dylan. More often then not even he could not explain where the lyrics came from. I am so glad I had him throughout my life time.

The thief is the businessman, the joker is the politician. The prince is the monarchy. The wildcat is the rebel who doesn't conform to the first 3 characters. That's my take on it. Especially if you break down the verses in-between.

How lucky have we been to live in the same time as this amazing soul? The comments below reflect that perfectly. I felt the chill the moment you did, Syed, and I've played the song/album a thousand times. I agree with the view that the joker and the thief were/are two sides of Dylan, but what the hell does it matter? What fascinates me is the explosive burst of creativity in the guts that Dylan must have experienced when the song started to come to him. Imagine that! And, whatever he says to the contrary, it is always, always, for us! Thank you, Bob, and Good bless you.

A great mysterious song. Dylan is so full of hidden meanings because he creates an emotional soundscape, using words, voice and music together. Everything he does is authentic, which is why he touches so many people on so many levels. And why he never sings a song the same way twice, because he sings for the moment. Listen to Murder Most Foul for a journey through the dark heart of America, or to the live video of One More Cup Of Coffee from the Rolling Thunder tour to see him at his greatest. You won't regret it.

John Wesley Harding is a very sparse-sounding album .. full of brilliant tunes and haunting imagery. ps: when Dylan does this song LIVE, he does the Hendrix version :)

It's possible the joker and the thief are the two riders approaching the castle, escaping something and riding towards safety while they brave the winds and wild animals. There are so many ways to interpret this song.

I've been hearing All Along the Watchtower since kindergarten, but the thing about poetry is, if it's good, it lends itself to lots of interpretations but still gives a sense of emotion, which it certainly does to me. I've always seen it as that winds of change are blowing and a revolution of sorts is on its way, and the corrupt politicians and the corporate class and the ruling elite are getting really nervous. This after all is a common theme in his songs of the time.