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| "Just Like a Woman" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Bob Dylan | ||||||||||
| from the album Blonde on Blonde | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Obviously 5 Believers" | |||||||||
| Released | August, 1966 | |||||||||
| Format | 7" single | |||||||||
| Recorded | March 8, 1966 | |||||||||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||||||||
| Length | 4:53 (album version) 2:56 (single edit) |
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| Label | Columbia | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Bob Dylan | |||||||||
| Producer | Bob Johnston | |||||||||
| Bob Dylan singles chronology | ||||||||||
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Just Like a Woman is a 1966 song written by Bob Dylan. It appears on the second side of his classic 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. It was released as a single in the US and peaked at #33. The magazine Rolling Stone ranked the song as number 230 in their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time[1]
Dylan wrote this ballad on Thanksgiving Day 1965 while touring in Kansas City. It was allegedly inspired by New York socialite Edie Sedgwick, who frequented Andy Warhol's Factory at around the same time Dylan was introduced to Warhol and had a tendency to catch the attention of musicians (The Velvet Underground's Lou Reed wrote "Femme Fatale" about Sedgwick at about the same time, released on 1967's The Velvet Underground & Nico).
"Just Like A Woman" has also been rumored to be written about Dylan's relationship with fellow folk singer Joan Baez. In particular, the lines "Please don't let on that you knew me when/ I was hungry and it was your world" seem to refer to the early days of their relationship, when Baez was more famous than Dylan.[citation needed]
The song has been criticized for supposed misogyny in its lyrics.[2] Alan Rinzler, in his book Bob Dylan: The Illustrated Record, describes the song as "a devastating character assassination...the most sardonic, nastiest of all Dylan's putdowns of former lovers."[3] In 1971 New York Times writer Marion Meade wrote that "there's no more complete catalogue of sexist slurs," and that in the song Dylan "defines women's natural traits as greed, hypocrisy, whining and hysteria."[4][5] Dylan biographer Robert Shelton noted that "the title is a male platitude that justifiably angers women," although Shelton believed that "Dylan is ironically toying with that platitude."[4]
However, music critic Paul Williams, in his book Bob Dylan: Performing Artist, Book One 1960 - 1973, has countered by pointing out that the song is sung in an affectionate tone from beginning to end.[3] He further comments on Dylan's singing by saying that "there's never a moment in the song, despite the little digs and the confessions of pain, when you can't hear the love in his voice."[3] Williams also contends that a central theme of the song is the power that the woman has over Dylan as evidenced by the lines "I was hungry and it was your world."[3] Bill Janovitz, in his Allmusic review has noted that in the context of the song, Dylan "seems on the defensive...as if he has been accused of causing the woman's breakdown. But he takes some of the blame as well; he was clearly taken by the woman at first, but apparently matured a little and saw through 'her fog, her amphetamine, and her pearls.'" Janovitz concludes by noting that "It is certainly not misogynist to look at a personal relationship from the point of view of one of those involved, be it man or woman. There is nothing in the text to suggest that Dylan has a disrespect for, much less an irrational hatred of, women in general."[2]
Dylan played the song at George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's Concert for Bangladesh in 1971.
This song was not released as a single in the UK. Manfred Mann's version hit #10 there in 1966.
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In the news and media
- In a February 2000 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, presidential candidate Al Gore answered two questions by singing parts of "Just Like a Woman."
- In Woody Allen's 1977 Oscar-winning film Annie Hall, Allen's character goes on a date with a rock journalist who recites the chorus of "Just Like a Woman" when recalling a Dylan concert.
- In Stephen King's novel Carrie, a notebook is found that the title character had filled with the repeated lyrics, "Nobody has to guess/That Baby can't be blessed/Till she finally sees that she's like all the rest".
Cover versions
The Kooks, Nina Simone, Gregg Allman, Joe Cocker, Van Morrison, Jeff Buckley, Manfred Mann, Rod Stewart, Richie Havens, Something Corporate, and Counting Crows amongst others, have all covered this song.
- Manfred Mann released their version on 29 July 1966 (b/w "I Wanna Be Rich"). It went to #10 in the English charts.
- Guitarist Bill Frisell covers this song on his album "Have a Little Faith".
- The Panics cover this song on their EP, Factory Girl, and on a bonus EP, Join The Dots, released with their album Cruel Guards.
- Les Fradkin released a provocative cover of it on his 2006 CD "If Your Memory Serves You Well".
- Stevie Nicks covers the song on her 1994 album Street Angel.
- Charlotte Gainsbourg and Calexico covered the song for the 2007 Bob Dylan biopic, I'm Not There
References
- ^ "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/3. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
- ^ a b "Just Like a Woman". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:jxfrxzerldke. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ^ a b c d Williams, Paul. (1990). Bob Dylan: Performing Artist, Book One 1960 - 1973. Xanadu Publications Ltd. pp. 190-191. ISBN 1-85480-044-2.
- ^ a b Shelton, R. (1986, 1997). No Direction Home. Da Capo Press. p. 323. ISBN 0-306-80782-3.
- ^ Trager, O. (2004). Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Billboard Books. pp. 347–348. ISBN 0-8230-7974-0.
External links
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