Gotta Serve Somebody

Last updated
"Gotta Serve Somebody"
Gotta Serve Somebody cover.jpg
Single by Bob Dylan
from the album Slow Train Coming
B-side "Trouble in Mind"
ReleasedAugust 20, 1979 [1]
RecordedMay 4, 1979 [1]
Studio Muscle Shoals Sound Studios
Genre
Length5:25
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Bob Dylan
Producer(s)
Bob Dylan singles chronology
"Changing of the Guards"
(1978)		"Gotta Serve Somebody"
(1979)		"Precious Angel"
(1979)
Audio sample
"Gotta Serve Somebody"

"Gotta Serve Somebody" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as the opening track on his 1979 studio album Slow Train Coming . [4] It won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1980. [5] It was later anthologized on the compilation albums Biograph (1985), Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3 (1994), The Essential Bob Dylan (2000), The Best of Bob Dylan and Dylan (2007). [6]

Contents

Background

The song was recorded in May 1979 at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Sheffield, Alabama and produced by Jerry Wexler. The title never appears as such in the lyrics, though numerous mentions of "You're gonna have to serve somebody" come close. The B-side, "Trouble in Mind", was a Dylan original that was recorded for Slow Train Coming but was ultimately left off it.

In the final verse, Dylan makes a then-current but now obscure reference ("You may call me RJ, you may call me Ray"), paraphrasing the act of comedian Bill Saluga, who performed as "Raymond J. Johnson Jr."

Reception

As Dylan's first release during his "gospel" period, "Gotta Serve Somebody" was met with divisive reviews; John Lennon famously criticized the song and wrote a parody titled "Serve Yourself" in response. [7] [8] Nevertheless, the single won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Male in 1980. [9] The effort is still Dylan's latest top 40 hit on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 24 and remaining on the chart for 12 weeks. [10] [11] The song did best in Canada, where it spent two weeks at No. 23. [12]

Cash Box said that the "bluesy instrumentals" were the song's highlight and that "Dylan avoids a preachy tone with humorous asides." [13] Record World said that "Dylan's fervent vocals, laced with a gospel female chorus, and subdued keyboard/guitar lines make this an important statement." [14]

In 2016, Rolling Stone magazine featured the song as No. 43 on its list of "100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs". [15] A 2021 Guardian article included it on a list of "80 Bob Dylan songs everyone should know". [16]

Covers

Shortly after the song's release, Devo, in disguise as a Christian-based cover band, Dove, performed "Gotta Serve Somebody" regularly on the last leg of their Duty Now for the Future tour, [17] featuring Devo mascot Booji Boy on vocals, stating "We used to do devil music like that band Devo, but then Jerry (...) sat on a Bob Dylan record", parodying Dylan's recent conversion. [18]

The song has been covered by over 50 additional artists. Among the most notable versions are those by Shirley Caesar, Willie Nelson, Natalie Cole, Pops Staples, Etta James, Aaron Neville, Mavis Staples, Eric Burdon and Judy Collins. [19]

A 2011 live recording from Levon Helm and Mavis Staples appears on the 2022 album Carry Me Home .

American funk band Vulfpeck covered the song in their 2022 album Schvitz. [20]

Live performances

Dylan has performed the song over 500 times in concert between 1979 and 2021. The live versions he has performed in more recent years feature almost entirely new lyrics, as seen in his "Mondo Scripto" art exhibition in 2018. [21] A live version performed with the Grateful Dead in 1987 was included on the officially released live album Dylan and the Dead . [22] An additional seven versions of the song (five live performances from 1979-1980, a studio outtake and a tour rehearsal) were included on the box set The Bootleg Series Vol. 13: Trouble No More 1979–1981 in 2017. [23] The song was performed on Saturday Night Live, Oct. 20th 1979. Eric Idle was the host that night.

The song was prominently featured in the Sopranos' episode "House Arrest" in the year 2000, [24] and Mountain's version was used for 2021 Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints of Newark .

Charts

Chart performance for "Gotta Serve Somebody"
Chart (1979)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [25] 96
US Billboard Hot 100 [26] 24

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Dylan discography</span> Catalogue of published recordings by Bob Dylan

American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has released 40 studio albums, 96 singles, 18 notable extended plays, 54 music videos, 15 live albums, 17 volumes comprising The Bootleg Series, 29 compilation albums, 22 box sets, seven soundtracks as main contributor, thirteen music home videos and two non-music home videos. Dylan has been the subject of seven documentaries, starred in three theatrical films, appeared in an additional eight films and 10 home videos, and is the subject of the semi-biographical tribute film I'm Not There. He has written and published lyrics, artwork and memoirs in 11 books and three of his songs have been made into children's books. He has done numerous collaborations, appearances and tribute albums. The albums Planet Waves and Before the Flood were initially released on Asylum Records; reissues of those two and all others were on Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tangled Up in Blue</span> 1975 song by Bob Dylan

"Tangled Up in Blue" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, which was released as the opening track on his 15th studio album Blood on the Tracks (1975). The song was written by Dylan and produced by David Zimmerman, Dylan's brother. Released as a single, it reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song concerns relationships and contains different narrative perspectives. Dylan has altered the lyrics in subsequent performances, changing the point of view and details in the song.

<i>World Gone Wrong</i> 1993 studio album by Bob Dylan

World Gone Wrong is the 29th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on October 26, 1993, by Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Sick (Bob Dylan song)</span> 1998 single by Bob Dylan

"Love Sick" is a minor-key love song by American musician and Nobel laureate Bob Dylan. It was recorded in January 1997 and appears as the opening track on his 30th studio album Time Out of Mind (1997). It was released as the second single from the album in June 1998 in multiple CD versions, some of which featured Dylan's live performance of the song at the 1998 Grammy Awards. The song was produced by Daniel Lanois.

"With God on Our Side" is a song by Bob Dylan, released as the third track on his 1964 album The Times They Are A-Changin'. Dylan first performed the song during his debut at The Town Hall in New York City on April 12, 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Someday Baby</span> 2006 song by Bob Dylan

"Someday Baby" is a Grammy Award-winning blues song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as the fifth track on his 2006 album Modern Times. The song had considerable success, garnering more airtime on U.S. radio than any other track on the album. It spent twenty weeks on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs chart, peaking at #3 in November 2006. It was also anthologized on the compilation album Dylan in 2007.

"High Water " is a song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as the seventh track on his 31st studio album "Love and Theft" in 2001 and anthologized on the compilation album Dylan in 2007. Like much of Dylan's 21st century output, he produced the track himself under the pseudonym Jack Frost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Things Have Changed</span> Bob Dylan song

"Things Have Changed" is a song from the film Wonder Boys, written and performed by Bob Dylan and released as a single on May 1, 2000, that won both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. It was also anthologized on the compilation albums The Essential Bob Dylan in 2000, The Best of Bob Dylan in 2005 and Dylan in 2007.

"Simple Twist of Fate", a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, was recorded on September 19, 1974, and was released in 1975 as the second song on his 15th studio album Blood on the Tracks.

"You're a Big Girl Now" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his 15th studio album, Blood on the Tracks, in 1975. It is one of five songs on the album that Dylan initially recorded in New York City in September 1974 and then re-recorded in Minneapolis in December that year. The latter recording, made on December 27, 1974, became the album track.

<i>Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan</i> 2003 compilation album by Various Artists

Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan is a tribute album independently produced by Jeffrey Gaskill of Burning Rose Productions, Ltd. and released under license on the Sony/Columbia label in 2003. The compilation features traditional and contemporary gospel singers performing songs written by Bob Dylan during his "born again" period (1979–81).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita May (song)</span> 1976 single by Bob Dylan

"Rita May" is a song by Bob Dylan, originally recorded during the sessions for the album Desire, but released only as the B-side of a single and on the compilation album, Masterpieces. The song is based on the 1957 rockabilly song "Bertha Lou". Some listeners believe that the lyrics of the song refer to writer Rita Mae Brown, who had complained of the lack of opportunities for casual lesbian sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silvio (song)</span> 1988 single by Bob Dylan

"Silvio" is a folk rock song written by Bob Dylan and Robert Hunter and released by Dylan as the seventh track of his 1988 album Down in the Groove. Performed alongside the Grateful Dead, the song was released as the album's only single and spent eight weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at #5 on July 1, 1988.

"Down Along the Cove" is a song written and originally performed by Bob Dylan for his album John Wesley Harding. Dylan recorded the song in one take at Columbia's Studio A, Nashville, on November 29, 1967.

"You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" is a song by Bob Dylan. Recorded in September 1974, it appeared as the fifth track on Dylan's album Blood on the Tracks, released in January 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jokerman (song)</span> 1984 single by Bob Dylan

"Jokerman" is a song by Bob Dylan that appeared as the opening track of his 1983 album Infidels. Recorded on April 14, 1983, it was released as a single on June 1, 1984, featuring a live version of "Isis" from the film Renaldo and Clara as its B-side.

"Ring Them Bells" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in 1989 as the fourth track on his album Oh Mercy. It is a piano-driven, hymn-like ballad that is considered by many to be the best song on Oh Mercy and it is the track from that album that has been covered the most by other artists.

"When He Returns" is a gospel song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and released as the ninth and final track on his 1979 album Slow Train Coming. The title and content of the song explicitly reference the Second Coming of Jesus. In contrast to the bigger band arrangements on the album's other eight tracks, Dylan's vocal on "When He Returns" is accompanied only by Barry Beckett on piano. The song was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama and produced by Jerry Wexler.

"Pressing On" is a gospel song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and released as the sixth track on his 1980 album Saved. When the album was released it was considered by many critics to be "one of the few bright spots on the album" and has stood the test of time by being covered by more than half a dozen artists in the 21st century. The song was produced by Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett.

Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour is the current ongoing tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in support of his 39th studio album Rough and Rowdy Ways (2020). The tour began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 2, 2021 and is scheduled to continue through to 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 Philippe Margotin; Jean-Michel Guesdon (27 October 2015). Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Running Press. p. 645. ISBN   978-0-316-35353-3.
  2. 1 2 Cynthia A. Jarvis; E. Elizabeth Johnson (1 January 2015). Feasting on the Gospels: Chapters 1-9. Presbyterian Publishing Corp. p. 214. ISBN   978-0-664-23553-6.
  3. 1 2 Dave Henderson (1999). Touched by the Hand of Bob: Epiphanal Bob Dylan Experiences from a Buick Six. Black Book Company. p. 70. ISBN   978-1-902799-00-1.
  4. ↑ "Gotta Serve Somebody | The Official Bob Dylan Site". bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  5. ↑ "1979 - The 22nd Annual Grammy Awards - Grammy.com". Grammy.com. Retrieved 2014-06-30.
  6. ↑ "Gotta Serve Somebody | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  7. ↑ "Remembering Bob Dylan and John Lennon's Wild '66 Limo Ride". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  8. ↑ "John Lennon – Serve Yourself Acetate". recordmecca.com. 29 April 2012. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  9. ↑ "22nd Annual GRAMMY Awards".
  10. ↑ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Worst Bob Dylan Songs". Rolling Stone. 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-06-30. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  11. ↑ "Bob Dylan Gotta Serve Somebody Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  12. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1979-11-24. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  13. ↑ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 25, 1979. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  14. ↑ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. August 25, 1979. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  15. ↑ "100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2018-06-30. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  16. ↑ "Beyond Mr Tambourine Man: 80 Bob Dylan songs everyone should know". the Guardian. 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  17. ↑ "DEVO Live Guide - 1979". huboon.com. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  18. ↑ "Dove, the Band of Love – "Gotta Serve Somebody"". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2020-01-18– via YouTube.
  19. ↑ "Cover versions of Gotta Serve Somebody written by Bob Dylan | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  20. ↑ VULFPECK /// Serve Somebody , retrieved 2023-01-06
  21. ↑ "Bob Dylan Lyrics Are the Star in Halcyon Gallery's Mondo Scripto". Rockarchive. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  22. ↑ "Gotta Serve Somebody | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  23. ↑ "Trouble No More – The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  24. ↑ Patten, Timothy Van (2000-03-26), House Arrest (Crime, Drama), James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Chase Films, Brad Grey Television, retrieved 2021-05-04
  25. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  26. ↑ "Bob Dylan Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.