OK, so it should be obvious to people that "Desolation Row" is clearly a good place to be, and, my own personal opinion is that it is a metaphorical refuge for people, who for whatever reason disagree with the social norm, and wish to escape from this life.
Dylan sets the scene beautifully by negatively describing what he can see, from the chaos, to the corruption and the general feeling of emptiness. Then, revels that he is peacefully witnessing all of this destruction in comfort from Desolation Row.
The next two verses describe the lifes of those lviing on Desolation Row, from Cinderella who is now as glamorous as a film star, to the Good Samaritan who is neither "making love or else expecting rain" but instead getting right to go out and have fun.
The next verses, however, returns to a tone of negativity, as Dylan describes Ophelia's feeling of self pity and boredom. Ophelia is of course from Hamlet, in which she commits suicide, and Dylan is showing how the mundaness of her life in the real world is what drove her to this. Once again though Dylan revelas that this negative character is not in Desolation Row, but, instead spends her time wishing she was.
"Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood," is an amazing metaphor, as, this character is clearly their to represent Dylan himself, in that it could either be the idea of him being a intellectual disguised as a political dreamer and/or the fact that Dylan, like Einsteain was a famous Jewish person who was not always taken seriously by society despite their obvious intelligence.
"Now you would not think to look at him But he was famous long ago For playing the electric violin On Desolation Row," conjures up images of Dylan going electric for the first time at the Newport festival, where he was greeted with boos and jeers by his own fans. In this song, Einstein is only passing through Desolation Row, a place he once called home, which is Dylan showing that he no longer feels he is able to live in this sheltered place, a reference perhaps to the feelings of animosity towards him from his own fans at the time. Or just a general sense of loss at the lack of understanding most critics and fans had of him at that time.
Another negative character, living outwish Desolation Row is introduced in the next verse. "Dr Filth" to me is most likely to be some kind of American psychiatrist specialising in forms of mind control, in an attempt to keep the masses of the population down and keep them under order. His "patients" are now aware of what is happeing to them, however, and those on Desolation Row can hear them attempt to put an end to this.
The next two verses, are for me, Dylan at his very best: i.e his wittiest, most bitter and twisted and very accurate writtings on society. Casanova, is of course a name now used to describe people seen as being handsome and strong lovers who are popular within mainstream society, When Casanova tried to go to Desolation Row though after his career has been ruined once the press decided he was yesterday's news when they "poisoned him with words" he is now trying to escape from this torment by going to Desolation Row. The people living there howveer know he is just vain and a tool of the media therefore he is not allowed in. In the next verse Dylan, gives the most direct clue, as to what the song is about, with the "super human crews" and "insurance men" from the "castles" their to represent orginisations such as the C.I.A. and the F.B.I. who held files on people deemed too be to influential with the masses.
In the final verse, after the long break Dylan reveals what we already knew, that this song isn't about Cinderella, or Einsteain, or Robin Hood or the Hunchback of Notre Dame or any of the other people mentioned by name in the song. It's about the people they represent witin society: Those who hate their jobs, those who have their political and other ideas laughed at because they are deemed to wild, those who are discriminated against because of their appearance .. etc. |
