Yes, I've always thought the use of the 'n' word was a problem. Not because it shouldn't be used, but because it didn't serve any real function in the song. The jury was all-white, and if it's true that black people also didn't think Carter innocent, then it comes from left-field and rather undermines the focus in the song on racism. But musically it does pretty much blow away such reservations.
It's not a favourite, but I've always liked Joey, too. Most of the negativity seems to be about its glorifying a gangster, but that seems to miss the point to me. The singer is clearly a member of the gang ("I saw the old man's limousine head back to the grave..."), and when he sings "Someday, if God's in Heaven..." he imagines that God is just another Godfather. It's a story, and we see the story through the eyes of the storyteller.
I really like this interpretation. I always saw the narrative as more reportorial. I think you are right that many people object to the glorification of a gangster, but I think there are other annoyances people react to. The song is longish, and the lyrics can be overly literal: “Born in Red Hook, Brooklyn” (an objectively banal opening line). And then there is the droning chorus: “Jooooo-ee! Jooooo-ee!” Nonetheless, like every Dylan song, it has its virtues: “He could see them coming as he lifted up his fork.” Who knows what lyrical touch is Dylan’s and which is Jacques Levy’s, but it is a strong and coherent narrative. Still, I think of it as a merely interesting song in a catalog of fantastic songs. I’m with Rob on this one.
Oh, yes, as I say, it's not a favourite. Would it creep into his top 100 songs? Almost certainly not, but as Rob observed, it's far better than Ballad in Plain D. I interviewed Martin Carthy years ago and he said he thought Dylan had only written one truly rotten song. Let me guess, I said. Ballad in Plain D? "Yes, it's a piece of junk," Carthy replied. "He must've said to her: 'I'm gonna get you in a song.' And he didn't. He missed by a fucking mile!" (All the same, missing so badly probably taught him how to get it right a decade later on Idiot Wind.)
Back to Joey, yes, some of the writing is, as you say, over-literal... as is the introduction of an accordion to illustrate the line about an accordion. But there are a lot of similarly poor lines in Hurricane ("don't forget that you are white"), a song that doesn't seem to attract much criticism. (Mind you, it does sound a whole lot better.)
Good point about "Hurricane." It is easy to overlook its lyrical misses because it has so much else going on. As for "Ballad in Plain D," I am sure it has its defenders as well although I can't imagine why.
Yes, I've always thought the use of the 'n' word was a problem. Not because it shouldn't be used, but because it didn't serve any real function in the song. The jury was all-white, and if it's true that black people also didn't think Carter innocent, then it comes from left-field and rather undermines the focus in the song on racism. But musically it does pretty much blow away such reservations.
Excellent interview, by the way.
It's not a favourite, but I've always liked Joey, too. Most of the negativity seems to be about its glorifying a gangster, but that seems to miss the point to me. The singer is clearly a member of the gang ("I saw the old man's limousine head back to the grave..."), and when he sings "Someday, if God's in Heaven..." he imagines that God is just another Godfather. It's a story, and we see the story through the eyes of the storyteller.
I really like this interpretation. I always saw the narrative as more reportorial. I think you are right that many people object to the glorification of a gangster, but I think there are other annoyances people react to. The song is longish, and the lyrics can be overly literal: “Born in Red Hook, Brooklyn” (an objectively banal opening line). And then there is the droning chorus: “Jooooo-ee! Jooooo-ee!” Nonetheless, like every Dylan song, it has its virtues: “He could see them coming as he lifted up his fork.” Who knows what lyrical touch is Dylan’s and which is Jacques Levy’s, but it is a strong and coherent narrative. Still, I think of it as a merely interesting song in a catalog of fantastic songs. I’m with Rob on this one.
Oh, yes, as I say, it's not a favourite. Would it creep into his top 100 songs? Almost certainly not, but as Rob observed, it's far better than Ballad in Plain D. I interviewed Martin Carthy years ago and he said he thought Dylan had only written one truly rotten song. Let me guess, I said. Ballad in Plain D? "Yes, it's a piece of junk," Carthy replied. "He must've said to her: 'I'm gonna get you in a song.' And he didn't. He missed by a fucking mile!" (All the same, missing so badly probably taught him how to get it right a decade later on Idiot Wind.)
Back to Joey, yes, some of the writing is, as you say, over-literal... as is the introduction of an accordion to illustrate the line about an accordion. But there are a lot of similarly poor lines in Hurricane ("don't forget that you are white"), a song that doesn't seem to attract much criticism. (Mind you, it does sound a whole lot better.)
Good point about "Hurricane." It is easy to overlook its lyrical misses because it has so much else going on. As for "Ballad in Plain D," I am sure it has its defenders as well although I can't imagine why.