One of my favorite Christmas videos comes from a former motorcyclist, better known as a poet and songwriter.
Bob Dylan was almost killed in 1966 when he crashed his Triumph 500 cc Tiger 100 near Woodstock, N.Y. It’s still a little unclear what happened, since apparently no ambulances were called to the scene.
Fortunately, he lived on and stayed off motorcycles after that. Last year, he released his Christmas album. It’s hard to tell when he’s making fun of things and when he’s paying homage to them, or if he’s somehow doing both. Who cares? It’s fun to watch.
One of the highlights of promoting the book was when CBC Radio At Noon played Gotta Serve Somebody at the end of the interview. Researching the book reminded me how many people don’t really want to be free, or can’t even imagine freedom. How many free men were in Kellestine’s barn the night of April 6, 2006? Far safer to follow and blame whoever’s up ahead.
This version of Gotta Serve Somebody shows him at the 1980 Grammys. I’m not so sure about the Tony Orland tux, but the song holds up well. His gospel stuff of the time, which is kind of Christmasy, is better with the hands of true gospel singers like Etta James or Aaron Neville. The Queen James version has some bikes at the start, so it’s not totally out of place with this blog.
Last year’s Christmas album wasn’t his first foray into Yule material. He read The Night Before Christmas as well as anybody, with no hint of sarcasm in his voice.