"Like A Rolling Stone", analysis of Bob Dylan's song.

Essay by sweetbirksHigh School, 12th gradeA+, May 2003

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Not very many songs compare to Bob Dylan's timeless "Like A Rolling Stone". He explores areas that most conventional lyricists and composers do not touch. Bob tells us many of life's lessons in a mere six minutes and nine seconds. The divine Bob describes life before and after the fall from fame and fortune by telling the stories of multiple persons, speaking to them in conversation. The theme of this song is loss, whether is it loss of social status, money, or trust for humanity.

The first stanza tells the listener or reader not to "throw the bums a dime" because it is easy to loan too many peoples money and never be repaid, leaving the possibility of losing everything. The lines of the first stanza address someone as "you", suggesting they are speaking directly to the subject of the stanza. The lyrics of "Like a Rolling Stone," when close read as in the past you (the mystery individual the song is addressing) were rich and flashed your money around, spending and lending your money to people who never had any intent of paying you back.

Dylan uses a similar idea in "A Man of Constant Sorrow," in lines 15 and 16, "If I had known how bad you'd treat me honey/ I never would have come." This line implies that he came a long way to see someone and help them, and was never thanked for his efforts, in the same way the subject of this stanza was never repaid for their charity. Line three goes on that people told you that if you weren't prudent with your money you'd lose everything, and you didn't take them seriously. You used to laugh at those who had less than you, but now you don't laugh at all. You...