Bob Dylan’s twenty-fifth studio album, Down in the Groove (1988), was met with negative reviews by critics, and almost twenty years later Rolling Stone magazine called it the worst in the musician’s creative baggage.
Perhaps this is a fair statement, but one of the tracks is definitely worth listening to. We are talking about the beautiful composition Death Is Not the End (“Death is not the end”).
The History and Meaning of Death Is Not the End by Bob Dylan
The history of the song Death Is Not the End began in 1983, when the Infidels album was being recorded. It was already ready then, but Bob Dylan decided not to include it on the new record (as well as some other works that later became famous).
However, a bootleg soon appeared with Dylan’s songs not included in the Infidels. It was heard by The Waterboys who liked Death Is Not the End and performed it on Dave Fanning’s Irish radio show in 1986. The listeners also liked the song, and they regularly ordered it.
After that, Death Is Not the End was released on Dylan’s album Down in the Groove. As backing vocalists, he invited Brooklyn rhythm and blues performers from the Full Force group to participate in the recording of the song, which did not please many of his fans.
We will not analyze the meaning of the song Death Is Not the End because of its obviousness.
And the most successful version of Death Is Not the End (forgive me, Bob Dylan fans) belongs to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, with whom it was sung by Kylie Minogue, PJ Harvey and other performers. This composition was included on the album Murder Ballads (1996).
Interesting Facts
- Scottish writer Ian Rankin has a novella Death Is Not the End named after the song.
- Metallica has a song with the same name.
- Death Is Not the End is the only song on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ album Murder Ballads that doesn’t involve anyone getting killed.
- In Nick Cave and Friends’ version, the text of Death Is Not the End is slightly shortened.
Death Is Not the End Lyrics Bob Dylan
When you’re sad and when you’re lonely
And you haven’t got a friend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all that you held sacred
Falls down and does not bend
Just remember that death is not the end
chorus:
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end
When you’re standing on the cross-roads
That you cannot comprehend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all your dreams have finished
And you don’t know what’s up the bend
Just remember that death is not the end
When the storm clouds gather around you
And heavy rains descend
Just remember that death is not the end
And there’s nowhere there to comfort you
Helping hand to lend
Just remember that death is not the end
Oh, the tree of life is growing
Where the spirit never dies
And the bright light of salvation
Shines in dark and empty skies
When the cities are on fire
When the burning flesh of men
Just remember that death is not the end
And you search in vain to find
Just one law abiding citizen
Just remember that death is not the end
Death Is Not the End Lyrics Bob Dylan
When you are sad and when you are alone
And when you don’t have a single friend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all that you held sacred
Falling down irrevocably
Just remember that death is not the end
Chorus:
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end
When you stand at a crossroads
And you don’t know what to do
Just remember that death is not the end
And all your dreams have been shattered
And you don’t know what lies ahead
Just remember that death is not the end
When storm clouds gather above you
And the rain falls
Just remember that death is not the end
And no one to console you
And lend a helping hand
Just remember that death is not the end
Oh, the tree of life grows there
Where the spirit does not die
And the bright light of salvation
Shines in the dark and empty sky
When the cities are on fire
And people are on fire
Just remember that death is not the end
When you try in vain to find
At least one inhabitant, living by the law,
Just remember that death is not the end
