Acapulco

Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run.
Goin' down to see fat gut
Goin' to have some fun.

In 1967 Bob Dylan is hanging out with the Band in a basement,
allegedly with a bad neck after the alleged motorcycle accident.
Although 'grounded', possibly handicapped, and possibly drug
free, Dylan attempts to get a bit  'around' in his lyrics as
usual.

In "Fun in Acapulco" there is a reference to Taj Mahal and
Acapulco. Taj Mahal is, if my ears serve me well, however not
mentioned in the recorded version for Basement Tapes (which seems
to be based on The Bands version?). While Dylan traveling places
in lyrics often can kick you mind straight to places, Basement
Tapes, and especially the lyrics of this song, does not create
impressive 'place branding'.

Possibly Elvis Presley's jump from the cliff in the movie "Fun in
Acapulco", sold Acapulco better? This is the only thing I
remember from the movie when I watched it as a child. I can't
even remember the girls Ð but I guess I had other interests?

It is fair to say that Dylan pays a tribute to Elvis, but more
directly to a girl named Rose. Rose "never does me wrong" and
"give it to me for a song", he sings. And he heads down to "Rose
Marie's, 'bout a quarter after three", while there is "no one
around" at Taj Mahal. Acapulco or any other tourist attraction
can just be a bridge to a more exciting encounter?

While it can be questioned if Basement Tapes really gets out of
the basement place- and lyricwise, records around that time are
famed for the surreal makeup of old historical characters in new
places and constellations (like Columbus driving a truck and so
forth), John Wesley Harding went more in to plain biblical
'trippin'.

Maybe someone should make a site of names/characters (fictive and
real) in Dylan songs? It may already exist?


Anders Hög Hansen
24 March 2006
andershog at yahoo.com