Throughout the lyrics of Murder Most Foul we find references to Masonic images and numbers. I cover this in Deconstructing Murder Most Foul…
In addition, there are a number of references to “Wolf”man Jack, which could be references to both Wolfgang Mozart and JFK. However, only Mozart was a Mason — JFK was not. So it is interesting that another of Bob Dylan’s songs in R+RW may contain a reference to Mozart — or may in fact actually be about him.
Why do I say this? Let’s look:
The first line of the lyrics speaks for itself…
All through the summers and into January…
Hmm…Mozart was born on the 27th of January, 1756. Today is his 265th birthday, in fact.
Dylan — or the narrator of the song — is looking for body parts to bring to life someone he has never met. Someone with a ‘sightless eye’. I think that means they’re dead. Mozart died under circumstances supposedly only known to the innermost circle of the Masons.
It must be the winter of my discontent, says Dylan.
Again, a reference to January. Also a reference to Shakespeare’s Richard III — Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by the sons of York…It’s also the title of a book by John Steinbeck, who got it from Shakespeare…
I wish you’d taken me with you, wherever you went…
Mozart traveled continually throughout his short life, traversing all over Europe, meeting just about all of the crowned heads…
Dylan references meeting this man at the Black Horse Tavern on Armageddon Street. Curious, in that Minnegeddon is my term for the unmasking of what actually happened to Wolfgang Mozart that I think is taking place now.
Moonlight Mile may be a reference to the 1970 song by the Rolling Stones
To be or not to be is a reference to Shakespeare’s wavering hero, Hamlet.
You’ve got what they call the immortal spirit. Mozart definitely qualifies for that…
So is Dylan’s intent here to conjure up a kind of Frankenstein, or to bring to life someone he already knows about to help him? Well, he says that.
I will let you decide that for yourself…
Dylagence 