Blood on the Tracks: An Album Review 

By: Emily Eade 

Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan was the legend's comeback album from his most notable political period, known as the “voice of a generation” the decade before. This 10-song album is also known as the musician's “breakup album”. The album consists of raw heart-wrenching emotions that encapsulated the rise and fall of a relationship. 

The opening track of the legends album is the song, “Tangled Up in Blue”. Also considered one of the musician's exceptional songs. The song can be taken to be inspired by his marriage falling apart and the changes that follow. This can be seen through the lyrics, “Split up on a dark sad night. Both agreeing it was best. She turned around to look at me. As I was walking away I heard her say over my shoulder ‘We'll meet again someday on the avenue’.” 

“Simple Twist of Fate”, is the second song on the album. The song starts off with a mellow feel that follows with candid lyrics. Throughout the song can be felt this heartbreaking yearning for sanctuary after an encounter that left him a broken man. This can be seen through the lyrics, “Felt an emptiness inside to which he just could not relate.”

Another hit off the album is, “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go”. This track did not take inspiration from the divorce, but from a romance that blossomed in the process of it. Dylan found an admiration towards his housemaid that was forced to end for the sake of his children. The lyrics, “I've been shooting in the dark too long. When something’s not right, it’s wrong. You're gonna make me lonesome when you go” perfectly describes the pain he was in that transformed into a love that ended short. 

The last hit on this album is, “Shelter from the Storm”. The lyrics perfectly encapsulate that he is feeling lost in this storm of emotions during the divorce and can’t find shelter from the storm because Sara was his shelter. “I've heard newborn babies wailing like a mourning dove. And old men with broken teeth stranded without love. Do I understand your question, then. Is it hopeless and forlorn? "Come in," she said, "I'll give ya Shelter from the storm"

Although we don’t know what inspired the musician to write such a heartfelt album, we all have our thoughts and opinions. Some believe Blood on the Tracks was inspired by a series of short stories written by Anton Chekov. Whereas others believe it was inspired by the decline of his relationship between him and his then-wife.