The Gospel According to Bob Dylan

I owned this record album by Bob Dylan way back in the day. It’s stored in my garage with a lot of old vintage Christian rock. I always thought the words were profound. As I listen to this song and think upon the lyrics I see more depth in them than the first time I listened to them. Whatever is going on in Bob Dylan’s life you can see that someone shared the Gospel with him as he expressed through these lyrics. 

Precious Angel – by Bob Dylan

Precious angel, under the sun,
How was I to know you’d be the one
To show me I was blinded, to show me I was gone
How weak was the foundation I was standing upon.

Now there’s spiritual warfare and flesh and blood breaking down.
You either got faith or you got unbelief and there ain’t no neutral ground.
The enemy is subtle, how be it we are deceived
When the truth’s in our hearts and we still don’t believe.

Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
You know I just couldn’t make it by myself.
I’m a little too blind to see.

My so-called friends have fallen under a spell.
They look me squarely in the eye and they say, “All is well.”
Can they imagine the darkness that will fall from on high
When men will beg God to kill them and they won’t be able to die.

Sister, let me tell you about a vision I saw.
You were drawing water for your husband, you were sufferin’ under the law.
You were telling him about Buddha, you were telling him about Mohammed
in the same breath.
You never mentioned one time the Man who came and died a criminal’s death.

Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Ya know I just couldn’t make it by myself.
I’m a little too blind to see.

Precious angel, you believe me when I say
What God has given to us no man can take away.
We are covered in blood, girl, you know our forefathers were slaves.
Let us hope they’ve found mercy in their bone-filled graves.

You’re the queen of my flesh, girl, you’re my woman, you’re my delight,
You’re the lamp of my soul, girl, and you torch up the night.
But there’s violence in the eyes, girl, so let us not be enticed
On the way out of Egypt, through Ethiopia, to the judgment hall of Christ.

Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Shine your light, shine your light on me
Ya know I just couldn’t make it by myself.
I’m a little too blind to see.

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