Poetry of Music: “My Back Pages,” with Dylan & pals

I figure any time you get George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Neil Young & Tom Petty to sit in on one of your songs, you know you’re having a good day.

Here’s Bob Dylan‘s “My Back Pages” with friends…..I put the words below, so you can sing along, too:

My Back Pages, by Bob Dylan

Crimson flames tied through my ears, Rollin’ high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads, Using ideas as my maps – “We’ll meet on edges soon” said I
Proud ‘neath heated brow
Ahh, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that, now

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
Rip down all hate, I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull, I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep somehow
Ahh, but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now

Girls’ faces formed the forward path
From phony jealousy
To memorizing politics
Of ancient history
Flung down by corpse evangelists
Unthought of, though somehow
Ahh, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now

A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty Is just equality in school
Equality, I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow
Ahh, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now

In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I’d become my enemy In the instant that I preach
My existence led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ahh, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt somehow

Ahh, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now