Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Encyclopedia
"Lay Down Your Weary Tune" is song written by Bob Dylan
in 1963. It was originally recorded for his album The Times They Are a-Changin'
, but it was ultimately left off of that record
. Dylan's studio recording of the song was eventually released on his 1985 box set Biograph
. In the liner notes
to Biograph, Dylan claims that in the song he was trying to capture the feeling of a Scottish ballad he had just heard on a 78 rpm record. The specific ballad Dylan was referring to has not been identified, but speculation includes "The Water is Wide
", "O Waly, Waly" and "I Wish, I Wish". "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" was covered
by The Byrds
on their 1965 album Turn! Turn! Turn!
's house in Carmel, California in the autumn of 1963. During the same visit, he also wrote the song "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
". Dylan had originally wanted to sing "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" with Baez at her October 12, 1963 concert at the Hollywood Bowl
, but Baez was not yet comfortable with the song. Dylan recorded the song in a single take
on October 24, 1963, during the sessions for The Times They Are a-Changin. However, he decided to replace it on the album with the song "Restless Farewell
", a song he wrote as an angry response to a Newsweek
reporter who in late October 1963 published a story about Dylan that Dylan did not approve of. In the interim, Dylan played "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" at a concert at Carnegie Hall
on October 26, a performance that was eventually released on the album Live at Carnegie Hall 1963
.
interpreted it as Dylan describing an auditory "vision" of a message from the universe or deity personified in music. Williams has also noted that throughout the song we hear Dylan struggling to put into words the melody that haunts him. Like Williams, author Seth Rogovoy similarly interpreted it as a song devoted to Dylan's musical muse
, like the later "Mr. Tambourine Man
". In his controversial 1970 article "Bob Dylan and the Poetry of Salvation", sociologist Steven Goldberg
identified it as a song with which Dylan's focus changed from politics to mysticism. Music critic Michael Gray interprets the song as "a vision of the world, that is, in which nature appears not as a manifestation of God but as containing God in every aspect."
of A major
, and begins with the chorus
:
The song's chorus and five verses share a similar fourteen bar melody, although the melody is varied slightly each time. The version of the melody used for the chorus has greater guitar
accompaniment than the verses, based on the chords of A major, D major
and E major
, providing a literal "strength of strings" to the chorus.
The verses do not attempt to tell a story, but provide a series of images of nature. The chorus is in the second person, and apparently is someone—possibly a deified personification of music—offering Dylan rest and freedom from his burdens. In the verses, sounds from nature are contrasted with man-made sounds, particularly in lines such as "The morning breeze like a bugle blew," "The crashin' waves like cymbals clashed," "The cryin' rain like a trumpet sang," "The branches bare like a banjo moaned" and "The water smooth ran like a hymn." But the chorus continually reminds us of the divide between natural and man-made sounds with the line "No voice can hope to hum," carrying the implicit meaning "No human voice can hope to hum."
"Lay Down Your Weary Tune" echoes some of the Elvish songs in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The tune precisely fits the words to the song Legolas
sings about the maiden Nimrodel. The themes are similar as well, particularly in the fourth verse of Legolas' song:
"Lay Down Your Weary Tune" also echoes Ralph Waldo Emerson
's poem "Each and All" and Rev. J. M. Gates
' folk song "Oh Death, Where Is Thy Sting?".
band The Byrds acquired "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" through Dylan's publisher and included a rendition of it on their second album Turn! Turn! Turn!, released in December 1965. Upon hearing The Byrds' version, Dylan told the band's frontman Roger McGuinn
"Up until I heard this I thought you were just another imitator...but this has got real feeling to it." Dylan's enthusiasm for the group's recording of the song was not shared by The Byrds' manager
Jim Dickson, as he explained to author Johnny Rogan
in 1989: "They didn't do it as well as they could have done ... it was too monotonous and didn't bring its message across. The lyrics didn't come across in the music." Dickson's dissatisfaction with the group’s interpretation of the song was echoed by The Byrds' producer
Terry Melcher
, who noted during an interview that "the production was lousy" and that the recording was "sloppy from start to finish." The Byrds' version of "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" features the band's bassist
Chris Hillman
contributing to the song's harmony vocals
and as such, marks his vocal debut on a Byrds' recording.
Besides Bob Dylan and The Byrds, artists who have recorded the song in the 1960s include Bill Henderson, who released the song on When My Dreamboat Comes Home in 1965 and Jim and Jean
, who released it on Changes in 1966. Other artists who subsequently covered the song include McGuinness Flint
, Ashley Hutchings
, Fairport Convention
, Tim O'Brien
and The 13th Floor Elevators
.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
in 1963. It was originally recorded for his album The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin opens with the title track, one of Dylan's most famous songs. Dylan's friend, Tony Glover, recalls visiting Dylan's apartment in September 1963, where he saw a number of song manuscripts and poems lying on a table. "The Times They Are a-Changin'" had yet to be recorded,...
, but it was ultimately left off of that record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. Dylan's studio recording of the song was eventually released on his 1985 box set Biograph
Biograph (album)
Biograph is a 53-track compilation spanning the career of Bob Dylan, from his 1962 debut album to the 1981 LP Shot of Love. Released in 1985 by Columbia Records, on both a 5-LP and a 3-CD Box set, it was one of the earliest and most successful examples of the CD Box set...
. In the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
to Biograph, Dylan claims that in the song he was trying to capture the feeling of a Scottish ballad he had just heard on a 78 rpm record. The specific ballad Dylan was referring to has not been identified, but speculation includes "The Water is Wide
The Water Is Wide (song)
"The Water Is Wide" is a folk song of Scottish or English origin that has been sung since the 1600s and has seen considerable popularity through to the 21st century...
", "O Waly, Waly" and "I Wish, I Wish". "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
on their 1965 album Turn! Turn! Turn!
Turn! Turn! Turn! (album)
Turn! Turn! Turn! is the second album by the folk rock band The Byrds and was released in December 1965 on Columbia Records . Like its predecessor, Mr. Tambourine Man, the album epitomized the folk rock genre and continued the band's successful mix of vocal harmony and jangly twelve-string...
Writing and performance
Dylan wrote the song at Joan BaezJoan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
's house in Carmel, California in the autumn of 1963. During the same visit, he also wrote the song "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
"The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" is a topical song written by the American musician Bob Dylan. Recorded on October 23, 1963, the song was released on Dylan's 1964 album The Times They Are a-Changin and gives a generally factual account of the killing of 51-year-old barmaid Hattie Carroll by...
". Dylan had originally wanted to sing "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" with Baez at her October 12, 1963 concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
, but Baez was not yet comfortable with the song. Dylan recorded the song in a single take
Take
A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.-Film:In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup"...
on October 24, 1963, during the sessions for The Times They Are a-Changin. However, he decided to replace it on the album with the song "Restless Farewell
Restless Farewell
"Restless Farewell" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his 3rd studio album The Times They Are a-Changin in 1964. It is based on the Irish folk song The Parting Glass. In 1995 Dylan performed the song live as part of the Sinatra: 80 Years My Way television special celebrating entertainer Frank...
", a song he wrote as an angry response to a Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
reporter who in late October 1963 published a story about Dylan that Dylan did not approve of. In the interim, Dylan played "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" at a concert at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
on October 26, a performance that was eventually released on the album Live at Carnegie Hall 1963
Live at Carnegie Hall 1963
Live at Carnegie Hall 1963 is a six-song live set by Bob Dylan. It was released as an EP by Columbia Records in 2005. The songs were recorded on October 26, 1963 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.-Track listing:#"The Times They Are A-Changin'" - 4:04...
.
Interpretation
Music critic Robert Shelton has described "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" as Dylan's "first withdrawal song", while journalist Paul WilliamsPaul Williams (Crawdaddy! creator)
Paul Williams is an American music journalist and writer. Williams created the first national US magazine of rock music criticism :Crawdaddy! in January 1966 on the campus of Swarthmore College with the help of some of his fellow science fiction fans...
interpreted it as Dylan describing an auditory "vision" of a message from the universe or deity personified in music. Williams has also noted that throughout the song we hear Dylan struggling to put into words the melody that haunts him. Like Williams, author Seth Rogovoy similarly interpreted it as a song devoted to Dylan's musical muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
, like the later "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
". In his controversial 1970 article "Bob Dylan and the Poetry of Salvation", sociologist Steven Goldberg
Steven Goldberg
Steven Goldberg is a native of New York City and was president of the sociology department at City College of New York from 1988 until his retirement...
identified it as a song with which Dylan's focus changed from politics to mysticism. Music critic Michael Gray interprets the song as "a vision of the world, that is, in which nature appears not as a manifestation of God but as containing God in every aspect."
Music and influences
The song is in the keyKey (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of A major
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
, and begins with the chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
:
- Lay down your weary tune, lay down
- Lay down the song you strum
- And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings
- No voice can hope to hum.
The song's chorus and five verses share a similar fourteen bar melody, although the melody is varied slightly each time. The version of the melody used for the chorus has greater guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
accompaniment than the verses, based on the chords of A major, D major
D major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
and E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
, providing a literal "strength of strings" to the chorus.
The verses do not attempt to tell a story, but provide a series of images of nature. The chorus is in the second person, and apparently is someone—possibly a deified personification of music—offering Dylan rest and freedom from his burdens. In the verses, sounds from nature are contrasted with man-made sounds, particularly in lines such as "The morning breeze like a bugle blew," "The crashin' waves like cymbals clashed," "The cryin' rain like a trumpet sang," "The branches bare like a banjo moaned" and "The water smooth ran like a hymn." But the chorus continually reminds us of the divide between natural and man-made sounds with the line "No voice can hope to hum," carrying the implicit meaning "No human voice can hope to hum."
"Lay Down Your Weary Tune" echoes some of the Elvish songs in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The tune precisely fits the words to the song Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
sings about the maiden Nimrodel. The themes are similar as well, particularly in the fourth verse of Legolas' song:
- Beside the falls of Nimrodel
- By water clear and cool
- Her voice as falling silver fell
- Into the shining pool.
"Lay Down Your Weary Tune" also echoes Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
's poem "Each and All" and Rev. J. M. Gates
J. M. Gates
The Reverend J.M. Gates was an American Christian preacher and Gospel music singer.-Biography:From 1914 to his death, Gates was the pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Rock Dale Park, Atlanta, Georgia. He had a very prolific recording career, recording over 200 sides between 1926 and 1941,...
' folk song "Oh Death, Where Is Thy Sting?".
Cover versions
Although Dylan's recording of the song went unreleased during the 1960s, the Los Angeles folk rockFolk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band The Byrds acquired "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" through Dylan's publisher and included a rendition of it on their second album Turn! Turn! Turn!, released in December 1965. Upon hearing The Byrds' version, Dylan told the band's frontman Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
"Up until I heard this I thought you were just another imitator...but this has got real feeling to it." Dylan's enthusiasm for the group's recording of the song was not shared by The Byrds' manager
Talent manager
A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry...
Jim Dickson, as he explained to author Johnny Rogan
Johnny Rogan
Johnny Rogan is an author of Irish descent best known for his books about music and popular culture. He has written influential biographies of The Byrds, The Smiths and Van Morrison. His writing is characterised by "an almost neurotic attention to detail", epic length and a sometimes hostile...
in 1989: "They didn't do it as well as they could have done ... it was too monotonous and didn't bring its message across. The lyrics didn't come across in the music." Dickson's dissatisfaction with the group’s interpretation of the song was echoed by The Byrds' producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Terry Melcher
Terry Melcher
Terrence P. Melcher was an American musician and record producer, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of American West Coast rock music. His greatest contribution to the culture of the time was producing The Byrds' innovative hits "Mr Tambourine Man" and "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and his...
, who noted during an interview that "the production was lousy" and that the recording was "sloppy from start to finish." The Byrds' version of "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" features the band's bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Chris Hillman
Chris Hillman
Christopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
contributing to the song's harmony vocals
Vocal harmony
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
and as such, marks his vocal debut on a Byrds' recording.
Besides Bob Dylan and The Byrds, artists who have recorded the song in the 1960s include Bill Henderson, who released the song on When My Dreamboat Comes Home in 1965 and Jim and Jean
Jim and Jean
Jim and Jean, composed of Jim Glover and Jean Ray were an American folk music duo, who performed and recorded music from the early to the late 1960s....
, who released it on Changes in 1966. Other artists who subsequently covered the song include McGuinness Flint
McGuinness Flint
McGuinness Flint was a rock band formed in 1970 by Tom McGuinness, former bassist and guitarist with Manfred Mann, and Hughie Flint, former drummer with John Mayall; plus vocalist and keyboard player Dennis Coulson, and multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle...
, Ashley Hutchings
Ashley Hutchings
Ashley Stephen Hutchings is an English bassist, vocalist, songwriter, arranger, band leader, writer and record producer. He was a founder member of three of the most noteworthy English folk-rock bands in the history of the genre; Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Albion Band...
, Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
, Tim O'Brien
Tim O'Brien (musician)
Tim O'Brien is an American country and bluegrass musician. In addition to singing, he plays guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bouzouki and mandocello...
and The 13th Floor Elevators
13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators were an American rock band from Austin, Texas formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland, which existed from 1965 to 1969...
.
External links
- Lyrics: Lay Down Your Weary Tune