The song was well received for its haunting imagery, which some have compared to that of William Blake. This was partly inspired by the following lines from William Blake's Auguries of Innocence:
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
Dylan was in what has been called his "Christianity Phase" at the time of its recording and release, and the song does contain powerful allusions to Jesus, faith, and spirituality. But it also stands as a secular work, and Rolling Stone magazine described it as a "mature update" of Dylan's 1964 song Chimes of Freedom.
Biblical references include: Cain's "chain of events" - Genesis 4: 1-16 Abraham's seed as sand on the seashore - Genesis 22: 15-18 God's thoughts "more in number than the sand" - Psalm 139: 17-18 The Parable of the Sower - (newborn seed, flowers of indulgence, weeds of yesterday, choked) Mark 4: 13-20 Be of Good Cheer - Mark 6: 47-51 Sparrows/hairs numbered - Matthew 10: 28-31; Luke 12: 6-7.
Every Grain of Sand was cited by Elvis Costello on his list of "500 albums essential to a happy life" as possibly Dylan's finest track.[1]
Every Grain of Sand
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the pool of tears beneath my feet floods every newborn seed
There's a dying voice within me reaching out somewhere
Toiling in the danger and the morals of despair
Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake
Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break
In the fury of the moment I can see the master's hand
Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear
Like criminals, they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer
The sun beams down upon the steps of time to light the way
To ease the pain of idleness and the memory of decay
I gaze into the doorway of temptation's angry flame
And every time I pass that way I'll always hear my name
Then onward in my journey I come to understand
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand
I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night
In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of a wintry light
In the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space
In the broken mirror of innocence on each forgotten face
I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea
Sometimes I turn, there's someone there, other times it's only me
I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand
Every Grain of Sand is a song by Bob Dylan, which speaks about the difficulties of life and the realization of the magnificence and significance of every grain of sand in the world. The entire song is a spiritual reflection of Dylan's life, particularly its most challenging moments. The song opens up with a confession of guilt and overwhelming sorrow, where the singer appeals to a higher power for salvation, using natural imagery like tears, seedlings, and sand.
The lyrics, "There's a dying voice within me reaching out somewhere," expresses a sense of desperation and the need for the guidance that only comes from divine intervention. Dylan seems to have overcome his past mistakes, which he likens to Cain's curse, and talks about the present challenges being an opportunity to break free from the chains of his past.
The chorus of the song, “In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand,” indicates a growing sense of awareness of the beauty of nature and its reflection of the divine order. The song also talks about the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear that choke the breath of conscience and good cheer. Dylan refers to the sun, which "beams down upon the steps of time to light the way," indicating a reference to enlightenment and the path towards salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
In the time of my confession, in the hour of my deepest need
During my confession, when I needed help the most
When the pool of tears beneath my feet floods every newborn seed
When my tears are so abundant that they soak into the ground and nurture new life
There's a dying voice within me reaching out somewhere
A desperate voice in me is trying to connect with something
Toiling in the danger and the morals of despair
Struggling to navigate danger and despair in my life
Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake
I refuse to dwell on any past mistakes
Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break
I recognize the negative pattern of events I'm stuck in and must break free
In the fury of the moment I can see the master's hand
In moments of intense emotion, I perceive a higher power at work
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand
I perceive the higher power's influence in every aspect of nature
Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear
The temptations and regrets of the past
Like criminals, they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer
They have stifled my joy and conscience like criminals suffocating their victims
The sun beams down upon the steps of time to light the way
The sun guides me forward in time
To ease the pain of idleness and the memory of decay
To alleviate the pain of inactivity and decay
I gaze into the doorway of temptation's angry flame
I stare down the fiery path of temptation
And every time I pass that way I'll always hear my name
I'll always be drawn to temptation, and it will always call out to me
Then onward in my journey I come to understand
Through my journey, I learn to comprehend
That every hair is numbered like every grain of sand
That every detail is accounted for in the grand scheme of things
I have gone from rags to riches in the sorrow of the night
I've experienced a dramatic shift from sorrow to joy
In the violence of a summer's dream, in the chill of a wintry light
In the vividness of a powerful dream and the starkness of winter's cold light
In the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space
In the painful dance of loneliness that gradually fades into emptiness
In the broken mirror of innocence on each forgotten face
In the shattered reflection of my once-innocent self on forgotten faces
I hear the ancient footsteps like the motion of the sea
I hear the echoes of the past like the sound of the ocean's waves
Sometimes I turn, there's someone there, other times it's only me
Sometimes I see other people from my past, other times I am alone
I am hanging in the balance of the reality of man
I am caught in the tension between the nature of reality and the nature of humanity
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand
Like every small, seemingly insignificant event in the world, I too am equally significant
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@This_is_my_real_name
IMO the best he's ever done, and, the best version he's ever recorded. And my "listening history" goes back to the "Visions of Johanna" - "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" era, when I was somewhat involved in a leftist radio station (Pacifica -- WBAI), where a friend had the all-night music show (Bob Fass), who was pretty much Dylan's first friend when he arrived in the West Village from Minnesota.
N.B.: The first time I drove to Minneapolis, where I was to be "somewhat involved" with a church in Eden Prairie (having done a 180 from my 1960s East Village hippie era), I drove up the West bank of the Mississippi River -- it was a long drive that night, which gave me plenty of time to bounce "No way!" -- and "Seriously?" -- and "Are you kidding me?" -- and "Yikes, I do really think so!" back and forth in my head.
The road that leads up to Minneapolis (and down from Minneapolis) is called Highway 61.
Ah, memories...
PS: I recently read something from an interview with him that confirmed that it actually was that road, and not "The Crossroads" of Robert Johnson fame.
@vincentcobb4854
Bob ended his show Saturday night with Every Grain of Sand. It brought tears to my eyes.
@111Benzie
How incredible he still plays it. Thank you so much for posting that.
I am so touched.
@andrewpeer7362
Chicago? I was there ❤️🙏
@bonniebluebell5940
@@111Benzie Mid-boomer here...still love him after all these years. God Bless You from Canada.
@lindastraub4239
If you have ever gone through something traumatic in your life, this song reaches out to you with wisdom, comfort, and forgiveness. Truly beautiful.
@bobdylanrobertzimmerman5803
Hello Linda
@yury2749
I'm getting buzzes from it. Always have loved it. But it has me in tears this time.
Your comment is very much on point.
@anne-mariemeiffren7090
@Bob Dylan so, so, and so
@raymondsearch5289
Yes, Linda, you're right. Absolutely beautiful, healing masterpiece!
@peterzang
It’s as profound a song as Bob has written