“I Contain Multitudes” by Bob Dylan
The title of this song (“I Contain Multitudes”) was derived from a Walt Whitman poem that was published way back in 1855. Said poem focuses on how the narrator is someone like an all-encompassing individual. And that is the same tone which the lyrics take. The lyrics go about depicting Bob Dylan as a very-versatile individual in that he has a number of different characteristics and experiences. Or stated differently, this track has what can be deemed as a perplexing title. And the idea it is meant to point to is that this one individual, i.e. the singer, ‘contains multitudes’. This basically means that he is a number of different people, including the likes of “Anne Frank” and “Indiana Jones”, rolled into one.
And again, the way the lyrics play out is that the title of the song is a testament to his diverse adventures. But it can also be interpreted as Bob Dylan possessing the wherewithal to empathize with a vast array of different types of people.
Writing and Release Date
“I Contain Multitudes” was written by Bob Dylan. He unexpectedly released this song as a standalone single (and at the age of 78) on 16 April 2020.
Dylan released this track barely three weeks after another unexpected release “Murder Most Foul“.
Is it Bob who contains Multitudes, or is he speaking for someone else? Satan?
Is that Capo of James Island comenting or some strange satanic satire?
it makes you look inside of your self. looking back= looking at the present=looking at the future.
I think the “I” in the song is America. He is describing America . . . which is dying along with the American dream . . . and America has these multitudes of different faces and aspects that he refers to.
For sure
Or it could be a reference to Dylan’s numerous personas…
The man is a GENIUS !! by far the best album of 2020 and at 78 wow . What will happen to music with no Dylan
“Satanic”? Are you kidding? – It´s more than obvious to me that “His Bobness” refers here to Walt Whitman´s poem “Songs Of Myself”, another stroke of genius.