The album sold well, reaching #37 on the Billboard charts in the U.S., #38 in the UK, finally earning gold status in the United States. Still, most critics panned it as an extremely poor live document, and one of the low-points of both Dylan and the Grateful Dead's discographies, a fact which is, for all intents and purposes, irrelevant to the success, or 'importance' of the album as an historical document.
Columbia saw the benefit of not only the initial release, but a re-release in cassette format, in early 1989. And, as was always the case with the Grateful Dead, (with or without Mr. Dylan) their extensive live touring, and sold out shows, world-wide, contributed the bulk of the band's extensive revenues.
After the passing of Jerry Garcia, the band continued as The Other Ones, and continue to play to extremely well-attended live shows, with Bob Dylan, on nearly-annual, large outdoor venue mini-tours with the band, despite continuing (and, apparently irrelevant, as far as the group's and Dylan's fans are concerned) critical 'panning.'
Unlike the actual tour, no Grateful Dead songs are featured, just seven Dylan tunes. This fact could reflect that there are literally hundreds of band-sanctioned Grateful Dead live recordings available, but relatively few which include Bob Dylan, himself widely regarded as one of the most influential American song-writers in US history, and widely regarded as a cultural icon in many other parts of the World. Whether the recordings should be evaluated as artistic, critical 'successes', or extremely valid, perhaps even treasured historical douments of these two widely-respected artists, is an academic question, at best, and an extremely subjective one, at least.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, with editing to 'balance' the distorted tone regarding the relevance, or impact, of critics' opinions on the actual subjects of the article, as initially written up in the sparse wikiPedia note on the band biography.
Gotta Serve Somebody
Bob Dylan & Grateful Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage
You may be a business man or some high-degree thief
They may call you doctor or they may call you chief
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes you are
You're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes you are
You're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Yes, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Yes, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king sized bed
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody) yes, indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say
Still, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Yes, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Ah, yeah
(Serve somebody)
In "Gotta Serve Somebody," Bob Dylan speaks to the universal idea of serving a higher power. He uses a wide array of occupations and lifestyles to show that everyone is subject to this, no matter who they are or what they do. The first few verses of the song introduce us to ambassadors, gamblers, and the heavyweight champion of the world, all of whom will, eventually, have to serve somebody. He goes on to mention rock 'n' roll addicts, businessmen, and even state troopers. He reminds us that the expertise, wealth, or status of an individual doesn't change the fact that they will one day have to serve somebody.
The song also acknowledges that the person we serve might vary. Dylan notes that it "may be the devil or it may be the Lord," reminding us that there are two sides to every coin, and it is up to us to choose which path we follow. He finishes the song by saying it doesn't matter how we identify ourselves or what we call ourselves; at the end of the day, we'll all find ourselves serving somebody.
Interestingly, Dylan wrote "Gotta Serve Somebody" while he was taking a break from recording some of his gospel music. Many fans and critics saw this as a return to his Christian roots and drew comparisons between this song and his earlier works. The song's message resonated with many people; it received a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Line by Line Meaning
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may hold high political office and represent your country.
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may enjoy taking risks and being social.
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be the greatest in your field or occupation.
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
You may be wealthy and known for your extravagant lifestyle.
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
No matter who you are or what you have accomplished, you will ultimately be accountable to a higher power.
You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
You may be a performer or artist with a following.
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage
You may have indulged in vices and addictions that control you.
You may be a business man or
Some high-degree thief,
You may be successful in your career or involved in criminal activities.
They may call you doctor or they may call you chief
You may hold a position of power or authority in your field.
You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may be serving the law or rebelling against it.
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may hold a prominent and influential position in the media industry.
You may be rich or poor
You may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name
No matter your circumstances, you will always have a higher power to answer to.
You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may work manual labor or in the trades.
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You may have achieved great success or live humbly, but either way you still must serve.
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody's landlord
You might even own banks
You may have substantial wealth and possessions, but they do not absolve you of accountability.
You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may profess morality or be involved in corruption, but either way you cannot escape serving a higher power.
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may work a humble job or have a skill, but you still must serve.
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir
You may have an illicit relationship or inherited great wealth, but you still must serve.
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You may have personal preferences and indulgences, but they do not free you from accountability.
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed
Your material circumstances do not preclude you from having a higher power to answer to.
You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say
You may address me however you please, but the truth remains the same: we all must serve somebody.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind