#246 / Town And Country

Mississippi* is one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, and I've always focused most on some lines near the end of it:

Well my ship’s been split to splinters and it’s sinkin' fast
I’m drownin’ in the poison, got no future, got no past
But my heart is not weary, it’s light and it’s free
I’ve got nothin’ but affection for all those who’ve sailed with me.

Recently, thinking about the contrast between the world of Nature and the world we build within it, I have been reminded about some lines near the start:

City’s just a jungle; more games to play
Trapped in the heart of it, tryin' to get away
I was raised in the country, I been workin’ in the town
I been in trouble ever since I set my suitcase down.

The metaphor of the "town" and "city" versus the "country" goes way back to Eden. For better or worse, we are living in the city.

Time to unpack that suitcase and get to work.



* You can get all the lyrics to Mississippi right here.