Bob Dylan: the 10 best opening lines of his songs, according to Far Out Magazine

The science of the opening line. It's almost a discipline unto itself in the field of songwriting. A few days ago on these pages we celebrated an Italian specialist, Francesco De Gregori, with an in-depth playlist dedicated to 20 of his songs with dazzling opening lines. Now, let's move straight on to his mentor, Bob Dylan, and take a look at the interesting list compiled by Far Out magazine of his 10 best opening lines from his vast body of work.
"When Leonard Cohen was asked what he thought of Dylan being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature — Dale Maplethorpe recalls in the introduction — he replied: 'It's like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the highest mountain.' In other words, an almost superfluous accolade for something that was plain for everyone to see. Bruce Springsteen, too, has repeatedly spoken about how much Dylan's work influenced his own writing: 'I always say he's the father of my country. He was the first to give me an image of an America I recognized, true and authentic.' One of Dylan's defining traits is his ability to grab the listener from the very first words. Often a single line is enough to set the mood and establish the characters and themes of a song. Here, according to Far Out, are ten of the best opening lines the songwriter ever wrote."

Bob Dylan's best opening lines

Below is Far Out's ranking of the best opening lines in Bob Dylan's songs (full feature here).

10. “There must be some kind of way out of here, said the joker to the thief”
(“All Along The Watchtower”, da “John Wesley Harding”, 1967)

9. “Your breath is sweet, your eyes are like two jewels in the sky”
(“One More Cup Of Coffee”, da “Desire”, 1976)

8. “Mama, take this badge off of me, I can’t use it anymore”
(“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”, da “Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid”, 1973)

7. “If your memory serves you well, we were going to meet again and wait”
(“This Wheel’s On Fire”, da “The Basement Tapes”, 1975)

6. “They’re selling postcards of the hanging”
(“Desolation Row”, da “Highway 61 Revisited”, 1965)

5. “Once upon a time you dressed so fine, threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn’t you?”
(“Like A Rolling Stone”, da “Highway 61 Revisited”, 1965)

4. “Early one morning the sun was shining, I was laying in bed, wondering if she’d changed at all”
(“Tangled Up In Blue”, da “Blood On The Tracks”, 1975)

3. "Come gather round people wherever you roam, and admit that the waters around you have grown"
("The Times They Are A-Changin'", from "The Times They Are A-Changin'", 1964)

2. “Darkness at the break of noon, shadows even the silver spoon”
(“It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”, da “Bringing It All Back Home”, 1965)

1. “Crimson flames tied through my ears, rolling high and mighty traps”
(“My Back Pages”, da “Another Side Of Bob Dylan”, 1964)

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