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Temporary Like Achilles
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Wikipedia article
"'Temporary Like Achilles'" is a song by Bob Dylan. It was released as the second track of side three of his double album 'Blonde on Blonde' on June 20, 1966. The song was written by Dylan, and produced by Bob Johnston. It was recorded at Columbia Music Row Studios, Nashville on March 9, 1966.
As of August 2020, Dylan has never played the song live in concert, and it is the only track from 'Blonde on Blonde' not to have been played by him in tour rehearsals.
Background and recording
In October 1965, Dylan recorded two versions of a song called "Medicine Sunday" in New York with Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Rick Danko, and Richard Manuel of The Band, both versions consisting of one verse and chorus, and neither lasting more than a minute.
Several months later, on March 9, 1966, between 9:00 pm and midnight, four versions of "Temporary Like Achilles" were recorded by Dylan and a band. "Temporary Like Achilles" finishes with the lines "You know I want your lovin/Honey, but youre so hard", a reworking of "I know you want my lovin/Mama, but you're so hard" from "Medicine Sunday." Take 4 was released on 'Blonde on Blonde', and Take 3 was later released on 'The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 19651966'.
The song is described as a "slow, smoky blues" by Gill. It seems to be narrated by someone who has been rejected by a woman who is now with another person. In 1987, lyrics for "Temporary Like Achilles", handwritten by Dylan, were sold at auction for $7,577. They were bought from a collector by the Minnesota Historical Society in 1988.
Lyrical interpretation
Classics scholar Owen Ewald has suggested that the song is inspired by the 'Iliad', and Thomas Strunk, noting that Dylan was a member of the Latin club at High School also believes that the classical poetry influenced Dylan, borrowing from the song in the title of his paper "Achilles in the Alleyway: Bob Dylan and Classical Poetry and Myth." Dylan mentioned 'The Odyssey', and specifically Odysseus' trip to see Achilles in the underworld, in his Nobel Prize in Literature acceptance speech.
Geoff Ward says that "the layered ironies of 'Temporary Like Achilles' or 'Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again' mock both the authenticity cult of folk music, and the waftings of the incoming hippie generation, in one swoop."
Critical reception
The album 'Blonde on Blonde' was positively received by critics. Craig McGregor in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' praised the song as "entirely successful, uniquely and unmistakably Dylanish, a gentle and moving love song." An opposing view was expressed by Norman Jopling in 'Record Mirror', who said in his review of the album that "One of the worst tracks on the set is 'Temporary Like Achilles' .... There's some good Fats Domino styled piano for the intro, but the pleading, almost whining lyric is not very special." The piano on the track, by Hargus "Pig" Robbins, has been praised by Margotin and Guedson and by Gill, who calls it "beautifully evocative,"
Personnel
Credits adapted from the 'Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track' book.
'Musicians'
*Bob Dylanvocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica
*Charlie McCoyguitar
*Robbie Robertsonguitar
*Wayne Mossguitar
*Joe Southguitar, bass guitar
*Al Kooperorgan
*Hargus Robbinspiano
*Henry Strzeleckibass
*Kenneth Buttreydrums
'Technical'
*Bob Johnstonproduction
Notes
References
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