Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man"

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Weird, rather pointless question. Is the Mr. Jones in "Ballad of a Thin Man" a:

a. neurotypical

b. an aspie

c. an aspie pretending to be neurotypical

d. or strangely, a neurotypical putting on an aspie performance


I just love the venom in this song.

I've never thougfht of it like that but I supose you could look at it as him being an aspie or aspie pretending to be neurotypical and that's why he doesn't get what's going on, or the jokes.

Personally I take it as being about a 'straight' - in the 60's sense- journalist trying to pretend he understands the music and art of the self-proclaimed freaks who are winding him up because they can see through him and now he doesn't get what they're doing.

I was told that when your only tool is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. I don't think Bob Dylan was on one side of this great divide of either one way or the other.


Does everything have to be divided into Aspie/Neurotypical? I really hadn't thought of it.

Merle

In my younger days, I thought Dylan was singing that song to me: You know something's happening, but you don't know what it is...(ominously).

Later I came to see Mr. Jones as the Establishment. Bob was sneering at it.

dp

Uh...e, none of the above?

How about the Beatles' "Fool on a Hill?"

Day after day,
Alone on the hill,
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still,
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

Well on the way head in a cloud,
The man of a thousand voices is talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him,
Or the sound he appears to make,
And he never seems to notice,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

And nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do.
And he never shows his feelings,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

woah ooh,
Round and round and round.

He never listens to them,
He knows that they're the fool
They don't like him,
The fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

Here is the Mr. Jones song:

You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, who is that man?
You try so hard
But you dont understand
Just what youll say
When you get home

Because something is happening here
But you dont know what it is
Do you, mister jones?

You raise up your head
And you ask, is this where it is?
And somebody points to you and says
Its his
And you say, whats mine?
And somebody else says, where what is?
And you say, oh my god
Am I here all alone?

Because something is happening here
But you dont know what it is
Do you, mister jones?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, how does it feel
To be such a freak?
And you say, impossible
As he hands you a bone

Because something is happening here
But you dont know what it is
Do you, mister jones?

You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To just give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations

Youve been with the professors
And theyve all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
Youve been through all of
F. scott fitzgeralds books
you're very well read
Its well known

Because something is happening here
But you dont know what it is
Do you, mister jones?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan

Because something is happening here
But you dont know what it is
Do you, mister jones?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word now
And you say, for what reason?
And he says, how?
And you say, what does this mean?
And he screams back, you're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home

Because something is happening here
But you dont know what it is
Do you, mister jones?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin around
You should be made
To wear earphones

Because something is happening here
But you dont know what it is
Do you, mister jones?