1631 – Bob Dylan – Isis (1976)

Escrita por Bob Dylan, e Jacques Levy, foi gravada em 31 de julho de 1975 e lançada em 5 de janeiro de 1976, no disco Desire. Foi produzida por Don De Vito. Faz alusões ao Egito Antigo, inclusive Isis sendo o nome de uma deusa egipcia. Bob Dylan disse se tratar de uma canção sobre o casamento. Isis fala a lenda de um que casou com uma mulher enigmatica (uma criança mística) chamada Isis. Fala da separação do narrador com ela, sua aventura e seu retorno. O casamento aconteceu em cinco de maio, mas pouco tempo depois do casamento, ele não aguentou e foi embora. Cortou o cabelo e saiu pelo país desconhecido. Entrou em uma lavanderia pra se lavar do passado. Encontra um personagem escabroso que promete mundos e fundos e saem em busca de um tesouro. O sujeito morre e não encontram nada. E então ele decide voltar pra Isis. Ela pergunta se ele vai ficar dessa vez, ele diz que se ela quiser, ele fica. Foi essa parceria entre Bob Dylan e Jacques Levy que se desenvolveu em outras canções e no disco Desire. Isis foi a primeira. Bob cantou e tocou piano e gaita. Scarlet Rivera tocou violino. Rob Stoner tocou baixo. Howie Wyeth tocou bateria. Foi regravada pelos White Stripes, entre outros artistas.

A letra:

I married Isis on the fifth day of May
But I could not hold on to her very long
So I cut off my hair and I rode straight away
For the wild unknown country where I could not go wrong

I came to a high place of darkness and light
The dividing line ran through the center of town
I hitched up my pony to a post on the right
Went in to the laundry to wash my clothes down

A man in the corner approached me for a match
I knew right away he was not ordinary
He said, "Are you lookin' for somethin' easy to catch?"
I said, "I got no money." He said, "That ain't necessary"

We set out that night for the cold in the North
I gave him my blanket, and he gave me his word
I said, "Where are we goin'?" He said we'd be back by the fourth
I said, "That's the best news that I've ever heard"

I was thinkin' about turquoise, I was thinkin' about gold
I was thinkin' about diamonds and the world's biggest necklace
As we rode through the canyons, through the devilish cold
I was thinkin' about Isis, how she thought I was so reckless

How she told me that one day we would meet up again
And things would be different the next time we wed
If I only could hang on and just be her friend
I still can't remember all the best things she said

We came to the pyramids all embedded in ice
He said, "There's a body I'm tryin' to find
If I carry it out it'll bring a good price"
'Twas-a then that I knew what he had on his mind

The wind it was howlin' and the snow was outrageous
We chopped through the night and we chopped through the dawn
When he died I was hopin' that it wasn't contagious
But I made up my mind that I had to go on

I broke into the tomb, but the casket was empty
There was no jewels, no nothin', I felt I'd been had
When I saw that my partner was just bein' friendly
When I took up his offer I must-a been mad

I picked up his body and I dragged him inside
Threw him down in the hole and I put back the cover
I said a quick prayer then I felt satisfied
Then I rode back to find Isis just to tell her I love her

She was there in the meadow where the creek used to rise
Blinded by sleep and in need of a bed
I came in from the East with the sun in my eyes
I cursed her one time then I rode on ahead

She said, "Where ya been?" I said, "No place special"
She said, "You look different." I said, "Well, I guess"
She said, "You been gone." I said, "That's only natural"
She said, "You gonna stay?" I said, "If you want me to, yes"

Isis, oh, Isis, you're a mystical child
What drives me to you is what drives me insane
I still can remember the way that you smiled
On the fifth day of May in the drizzlin' rain

A versão de Bob Dylan:

A versão de Jackie Greene:

A versão de Virgil Kinsley: