Friday 18 January 2008

Bob Dylan sold his soul to the devil

The other night at the tile factory, I had a sudden urge to listen to old Bob Dylan songs. In particular, Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, Visions of Johanna, and Leopard-Skin Pill-box Hat. All songs from Blonde on Blonde

So here I am, right now, listening to them, reminiscing and thinking "What damn fine songs"

And I remembered that just when I first discovered Bob Dylan he went all Christian on me. and by co-incidence, I went all Christian on me too, so I bought his album Slow Train Coming (1979). It's OK. Got a few good tracks.

Now I've come to my senses and it seems Bob has too. Because quite frankly, his albums from his Christion period (Shot of Love, Saved and Slow Train Coming) were shit.

And as was sitting here listening, I wondered how Bob got out of Christianity. So, like you do, I googled it. And found that Bob had sold his soul to the devil and was never truly saved. He experienced a false conversion.

The evidence is damning.

He introduced the Beatles to marijuana, his band The Band (we miss you Rick Danko) were bad boys, his album covers had tarot & eastern mysticism, and, his marriage broke down. Clear signs of demonic possesion.

Then, during his "conversion" he showed signs of being influenced by false Vineyard theology, and his church attendance stuttered and then stopped.

He said in an interview “Whoever said I was Christian? Like Gandhi, I’m Christian, I’m Jewish, I’m a Moslem, I’m a Hindu. I am a humanist.” (San Luis Obispo (California) Register for March 16, 1983).

Here's the money-shot. I quote from the web site linked above.
In a rare interview with Ed Bradley, aired on the 60 Minutes program, June 26, 2005, the 63-year-old rock singer said that his early songs were “almost magically written … kind of a penetrating magic.”

He also said that he made a bargain with the devil.

Question: Why do you still do it? Why are you still out here?
Dylan: It goes back to that destiny thing. I made a bargain with it a long time ago, and I’m holding up my end.
Q: What was your bargain?
Dylan: To get where I am now.
Q: Should I ask whom you made the bargain with?
Dylan: With the chief commander.
Q: On this earth?
Dylan: (laughing) On this earth and the world we can’t see.

It could be argued that Dylan was referring to a bargain he made with God, but that makes no sense. As Brian Snider wrote to me on this matter: “Who makes a bargain with God to be a rock star? Everyone knows you make that deal with the devil. Down at the crossroads.” This refers to the old Blues concept of selling one’s soul to the devil. Bluesman Robert Johnson and others have sung about it.


I know it's a bit late, but, welcome back, Bob

19 comments:

Sinisi Renzo said...

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TIUCHE said...

well i don't understand....but you say, you are an atheist? But you believe in the devil, this does not make sense. Because if there is the devil then know for sure that there is God!
Anthony Flew, father of atheism...believes in God now....

Anonymous said...

just learned that there is so much "space" within an atom that if we were to remove all the "space" in your body it would sit nicely on the head of a pin...kinda seems like u got saved and the enemy got you hooked into a sin u just love too much to give up...Mr. Z. will die in a few short years and then u know as well as he that then will come the judgement...better stay jagged up like Mr.Z. cause if u guys come down u two gunna get really scared cause i don't even know u but im scared for both of u...see ya at the judgement...i'll be the guy shaking his head slowly with a tear cause if not for Gods grace and mercy I could see me in your soon to be singed shoes...how u say..."repent" in french?

Anonymous said...

The day will come when you, like Bob Dylan, will regret the day you were born. The Bible says God is not like man. He cannot lie. He says there is a real heaven and a real hell, and unless you repent of your sin and invite Christ in your life, you shall certainly find yourself in hell. You can choose not to believe it. That is your right. However, just be mindful of the fact that your refusal to believe will by no means change anything.

Anonymous said...

If you want to get saved, at any time, and need to talk to someone please email me. I can help you.

just.jenna at wildmail dot com

God bless you

Anonymous said...

wOw, these were some awesome comments! I pray that you and Bob Z. will truly turn from the foolish error of rejecting a so REAL GOD. Only a fool says that there is no GOD. Foolish arrogance and false pride will send you to eternal damnation...it may be a joke to you now, but I know for a fact, as every Believer does, that all who have gone before you, w/ that same rejection, no longer reject Christ now. Repent while you still can. GOD will show Himself to anyone tat asks...only pride will stop you from asking....and if it does, that's your choice.

Anonymous said...

I have been an informed musician since I was 14. For 30 years I had added 15 to 20 Dylan songs to my repertoire. I owned every Dylan cd. I always thought Dylan was the most talented of all. When this interview and the Scorsese movie "No Direction Home" came out I was devastated. There is no doubt that Dylan is talking about Satan. In the movie he talks about going to the "Crossroads". Anyone know who Robert Johnson is? I felt betrayed for a long time. After much research, I realized how many Satanist types are in rock-n-roll? Led Zeppelin, the Stones, AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, David Bowe, Danzig, The Eagles, etc. The list goes on and on. To everyone, don’t believe me, look up things for yourself. Simply start looking by researching the name Aleister Crowley. Thanks for you're great website. God bless

Anonymous said...

Bob Dylan is O.K. in my book. You can't talk to the Devil, you can only talk to God. There is no place like a crossroad. I liked several of Bob's songs on Slow Train and I am trying to play and sing them. I feel the spirit of the Lord take me over when I sing "I believe in you".
I have built up so much faith in the Lord because of Bob Dylan. As far as the pot thing, everybody was smoking pot back in the 70's. Don't put him down for that. And, look at Willy , is he also a devil worshiper? Quit being a false witness. I saw the interview on 60 minutes. He said Commander in chief. He was talking about the Lord not Satan. Who in world would admit to the world that he talked to Satan and made a deal. He did say that he was touched by Jesus in Arizona. I wish I could play his songs in churches to convert all these Atheist back to the Lord. Bob has a real message for everyone and it comes from the Lord. "Blowing in the Wind" was not written by the Devil. When are you going to wake up, Bro. If Bob made a deal with the Devil, then it backfired. Because i have a strong spirit because of bob Dylan and his music. God bless you all, Amen.

Aleister said...

First of all...you can't sell your soul(no evidence for one) to a fiction(no evidence for satan either) and second of all...Bob Dylan is jewish...he doesnt believe in satan....DON'T BE A TOTAL DOLT!

Joel Gonzalez said...

I don't blame Bob for dropping out church. There iss so many rip-off churches. The church system I'd broken. The Catholics pray to idols, among other discrepancies.

The JW's are are wrong because they miss the boat on Love. Misssing family get togethers on Christmas. Among other outrages ideas of how Gpf eanys us to behave


The Mormons with their multiple wifes, ong other wahy believes.

And, yhe mega vhurches with thier grievies wolfs taking home the thithings and becpme multimillionairs.

Hang in there Bob. I know about the deal you made.

Joel Gonzalez said...

I wrote this reply. JGonzalez1100@satx.rr.com

Joel Gonzalez said...

I made several spelling errors on my previois reply. I hope you get my point. Thank you reader.

Joel O Gonzalez said...

Suppose that Bob Dylan made a deal with God, what would be the deal?

On one side Bob gets to be rich and famous. On the other side, what does God gain?

He said commander in chief, of this world and the world we can't see. The devil would not be the commander in chief of the world we can not see.

In the book, "Bob Dylan- The Essential Interviews". Chapter 19,
"Jesus put his hand on me. It was a physical thing. I felt it all over me. I felt my whole body tremble. The glory of the Lord knocked me down and picked me up."

Either he is a liar or he is telling the truth. He came to Christ through a revelation, a personal experience with Jesus.

And, why can't this be possible?
God works in mysterious ways. One thing is a fact, that; the song "I Believe in you" has brought me to my knees.

Bob has never claimed to making a deal with the Devil. Yet, some of these comments mentioned on this sight have condemned him as a devil worshiper.

Why would the Devil bargain for Dylan's soul? Was Dylan that close to going to heaven for sure than the devil did not want him to get away? Think about it.

Anonymous said...

God is keen on you.

Anonymous said...

...and your belief doesn't make that belief true, either.

Unknown said...

Got to serve somebody, there is no neutral ground; when are you gonna wake up? The times they are a changing, the answer is blowing in the wind. And, the pump don't work cause the vandals took the handle. There are many here among us, who feel that life is but a joke. And, all the authorities just stand around and boast. But, you better start swimming cause you are going to sink like a stone. And you are gonna be left without a home. Where the wind will be outrageous and may catch something contagious. When are you going to knock on heavens door? I believe in you, so don't take that road to the valley below. Cause the times they are a changing. Don't tell me you can not find the door, when its standing right in front of you. Just like the time before and the time before that. God don't make promises that he don't keep. The first one now will later be last. You will never pass this way again. Don't get lost in the rain. Jump on that slow train.

Andrew Steiner said...

There is no God or Satin . This is the life and the only life we have . Do good and feel good,Help people be kind.
When your gone your gone ..

Andrew Steiner said...

Satan ... LOL

Simon said...

Bob admits that he put on a religious act at times, as well as doing other controversial things, just to draw attention to himself and to smear or change his own public image. It can't be trusted what he said or did were anything more than acts of fickle, pretentious egoism... unless you still buy-bull (say it phonetically) that has been used to superstitiously brainwash the masses for millenia. That brings us to the final point of the whole thing about "selling your soul to the devil at the crossroads"... it's an old peice of African (read: non-Abrahamically-based) folklore which has been tarnished by the ignorance of the public and their susceptibility to Judeo-Christian Western imperialism and forced endoctrination. Research into the nature and roots of said folklore expounds this very clearly and objectively.