If you see her, say hello; the multiplicity of what Dylan is. – Untold Dylan (2024)

By Tony Attwood

“If you see her, say hello” is one of those songs that has within it has a complete multiplicity of what Dylan is. And it is also one of those songs that some of the “experts” on Dylan seem to go off on their own journey and miss what is so obviously there for us.

The early version of the song that opens disk three of the Bootleg Series 1-3, reminds us that Dylan is, or was, a fine guitarist, a man who could pluck unusual chords from nowhere to give his songs unexpected twists and meanings within the music that reflects the lyrics.

If you really want to hear early Dylan seeking to express himself both musically and lyrically, this track is a beautiful example. Even the typical wailing harmonica in its standard place as the penultimate verse, has a point as the song becomes more and restless in the lyric and the music.

In this early recording however Dylan holds himself back much more than in the version on Blood on the Tracks, keeping us lyrical and poignant until we get to “and I never gotten used to it” and then the angst takes over.

The version that most of us know intimately however is the one from that masterpiece of an album “Blood on the Tracks” which simplifies the musical accompaniment considerably. Here, it comes after the wild craziness of “Lily Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” and in total contrast to the previous track it is tentative beyond anything on the earlier version.

Indeed, it is an interesting experiment to play the end of “Lily” running as it does at hyper speed. It’s final line is “Most of all she was thinking about the Jack of Hearts…” Then there is the harmonica verse which seems to leave us with just the organ playing. The between track pause and then that oh so slight, so unsure, we get the rocking between A and G, which symbolises all uncertainty whenever it starts a pop, rock or folk song.

It is in fact a total and utter contrast to the previous track, and all the more powerful for that.

So what we start with is a hesitant lost love song, just as in the early version, and it feels like we have something of a rarity here. What we end with is a typical Dylan song of disdain. It is, “Once upon a time you looked so fine…” and “You’ve got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend” all over again.

Half disdain half lost love. Now there’s a thing.

If you listen to the Blood on the tracks recording in perfect silence you can hear a slight upping of the ante as the second verse comes in. But still it is peaceful, as the singer describes his lost love. OK he’s heard she is in Tangier, and Tangier is not necessarily a nice place to be – or at least it certainly wasn’t around the time the song was written. I can attest to that out of personal experience. Marrakesh wasn’t as great as that song suggested etiher.

But they’ve had a falling out, but it is accepted. It happens. He was really hurt, but he’s not blaming her. If that’s what she needs to do ok.

OK except…

Three things happen in the song. First it speeds up quite alarmingly as it goes through – which is unusual. Dylan and his band a professionals and they know how to keep time. So it seems deliberate. As does the increasingly frantic singing. Just compare the way the song ends with that gentle lilting opening. What on earth has happened?

Or consider the way the singing of the opening verses starts with a rising scale on the bass. It sounds like an old time folk song. By the last verse the bassist can’t actually play the scale and has to drop a note, it is all getting so frantic.

the rising scale at the start is old time folk

In this version the chords reflect the changing message by being a combination of rock blues chords and classic folk song. It is in D major and the blues chord C major is heard suddenly quite unexpectedly at the end of the second line (which takes the sequence GDCA).

Then we’ve got the standard chords built around the key of D –Bm, G, D, G. But the “damage” is done with that single unexpected C major chord. Through it, the potential for all hell being let lose appears.

If you see her, say hello, she might be in Tangier
She left here last early Spring, is living there, I hear

That opening is interestingly light. “Spring” is even skittish, as Spring can be. A time to grow and move upwards, and that’s what she did. And he’s really just sending her his best, saying, “I still think of you.”

Say for me that I’m all right though things get kind of slow
She might think that I’ve forgotten her, don’t tell her it isn’t so

Then with the opening of the next verse there is still no hint of what is on the horizon.

We had a falling-out, like lovers often will
And to think of how she left that night, it still brings me a chill

The “chill” is there in the music – oh how it is there. If you’ve never listened to it in this way, go back and play this, because it is an amazing turn of the moment. We go from light to dark in one line. And there is no way back, for “separation” is almost shouted out…

And though our separation, it pierced me to the heart
She still lives inside of me, we’ve never been apart

The next verse does the same trick. It starts without malice

If you get close to her, kiss her once for me
I always have respected her for busting out and getting free

But then, listen to what happens with “happy” it is called out, almost sarcastically. Sarcasm? This is not where we started at all. And then we have “the bitter taste still lingers”

So he is still blaming himself, but oh how bitter he is. This crops up again with “used to it”, and the edge is there in the voice – he’s in pain, and he’s moving back to those songs of disdain.

Now the rising scale is gone and the speed is really moving, and we find again in the last first that shouting out of “way”. He’s just become frantic in what started as a peaceful lost love song.

Sundown, yellow moon, I replay the past
I know every scene by heart, they all went by so fast
If she’s passing back this way, I’m not that hard to find
Tell her she can look me up if she’s got the time

He’s hurting, and he’s ready to pass the blame.

All the songs on the site

If you see her, say hello; the multiplicity of what Dylan is. – Untold Dylan (2024)

FAQs

What are the two distinct characteristics of Dylan's songs? ›

Answer: Two distinct characteristics of Dylan's songs are: i) Dylan's songs are prose poems with layers of inner meaning. ii) His songs are constantly recognisable by his distinctive nasal-twang vocals.

What album is if you see her say hello on? ›

"If You See Her, Say Hello" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his 15th studio album, Blood on the Tracks (1975).

How many Dylan songs are there? ›

How many songs did Bob Dylan write? Dylan has written over 600 songs, according to The New York Times.

What kind of music is Dylan? ›

Bob Dylan is an American musical icon of folk and rock music and the voice of his generation. He moved from folk to rock (folk/rock) infusing his lyrics with poetry and setting the standard for lyric writing.

What is the characteristic of the song? ›

What are the characteristics of songs? - Quora. Songs are generally made up of melody, harmony, and rhythm. The melody is the part that you sing, the tune that everyone recognizes. The harmony is the background music against which the melody is sung, other chords and notes that give context to the melody.

What does the song Hello mean? ›

Adele said it's about "reconnecting." "'Hello' is just about reconnecting with everyone else and myself," said the 27-year-old singer to Lauer.

Is Hello a breakup song? ›

Speaking on the song's lyrical content, Adele told Nick Grimshaw on The Radio 1 Breakfast Show: "I felt all of us were moving on, and it's not about an ex-relationship, a love relationship, it's about my relationship with everyone that I love.

Who sings "If You See Her"? ›

"If You See Him/If You See Her" is a song written by Terry McBride, Jennifer Kimball and Tommy Lee James, and recorded by American country music artist Reba McEntire, along with the duo Brooks & Dunn.

What song did Dylan say was the greatest ever written? ›

As BBC Radio 2 put it in 2011: Wichita Lineman is “one of those rare songs that seems somehow to exist in a world of its own – not just timeless but ultimately outside of modern music”. Bob Dylan reportedly called it “the greatest song ever written”, as noted on the cover of Dylan Jones' book.

Who owns Dylan's music? ›

NEW YORK, January 24, 2022 — Sony Music Entertainment (SME) today announced it has fully acquired Bob Dylan's entire back catalog of recorded music, as well as the rights to multiple future new releases, in a major expansion of SME's six-decade relationship with the artist.

What was Dylan's biggest all time hit? ›

Original release
No.TitleLength
1."Mr. Tambourine Man" (album, Bringing It All Back Home, March 1965)5:31
2."Subterranean Homesick Blues" (album, Bringing It All Back Home, March 1965)2:22
3."I Want You" (album Blonde on Blonde, June 1966)3:09
4."Positively 4th Street" (non-album single)4:12
2 more rows

What was Dylan's first album? ›

Bob Dylan is the debut studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on March 19, 1962, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Columbia talent scout John H.

What is Bob Dylan's net worth? ›

Bob Dylan's business ventures

Beyond his fantastic music career, Dylan's whopping net worth of $500 million has also come from several partnerships and business ventures.

Who discovered Dylan? ›

Dylan moved to New York City in 1961 and began to perform in clubs and cafés in Greenwich Village. He met the record producer John Hammond, with whom he signed a contract for his debut album, Bob Dylan (1962).

What are the characteristics of Bob Dylan? ›

He is a talented wordsmith, known for his poetic lyrics and ability to communicate complex ideas through his music. He has a restless and curious spirit and has experimented with many different musical styles throughout his long career.

What are the characteristics of song of songs? ›

It is unique within the Hebrew Bible: it shows no interest in Law or Covenant or the God of Israel, nor does it teach or explore wisdom, like Proverbs or Ecclesiastes—although it does have some affinities to wisdom literature, as the ascription to the 10th-century BCE King of Israel Solomon indicates.

What are the distinct characteristics of musical music? ›

The key elements of a musical include dialogue, music, song, choreography, and characters. Musical theatre is a captivating and immersive art form that integrates these elements seamlessly to create powerful and memorable theatre.

What are the unique characteristics of art song which are present in the composition? ›

An art song is characterized by serious lyrics and piano accompaniment. Art songs are composed in several forms, including strophic form, which repeats the same music for each verse of the poem, and through-composed form, which has different music for each verse of the poem.

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