{"id":6739,"date":"2011-03-08T07:48:15","date_gmt":"2011-03-08T13:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jesusneedsnewpr.net\/?p=6739"},"modified":"2011-05-03T16:55:02","modified_gmt":"2011-05-03T16:55:02","slug":"john-piper-rewrites-bob-dylans-gotta-serve-somebody","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesusneedsnewpr\/2011\/03\/john-piper-rewrites-bob-dylans-gotta-serve-somebody.html","title":{"rendered":"John Piper rewrites Bob Dylan's 'Gotta Serve Somebody'"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Piper says that Bob Dylan got THIS right.<\/a><\/p>\n

What did Dylan get sooooooo<\/em> right? His song ‘Gotta Serve Somebody’!<\/p>\n

Says Piper…<\/p>\n

In 1979 Bob Dylan recorded the song “Gotta Serve Somebody.” For those who listen with biblically informed ears the refrain echoes Paul and Jesus:<\/em><\/p>\n

Paul: “You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Romans 6:16<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n

Jesus: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24<\/a>).<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Piper then says…<\/p>\n

This is one of the truest songs Dylan has written. John Lennon was so angry with it that he wrote an obscene counter-song, “Serve Yourself,” which was so bad, Yoko Ono published an apologetic explanation of it in 1998.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But even though Dylan got this sooooo<\/em> right, <\/em>he didn’t get it all right. So Piper decided to do it better. (In JP’s defense, he says his version isn’t better…) But perhaps it’s just righter<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Here’s Dylan’s version of ‘Gotta Serve Somebody’… <\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Find more artists like Bob Dylan<\/a> at Myspace Music <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

HERE’S Piper’s version of ‘Gotta Serve Somebody’…. <\/strong>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

“Gotta Serve Somebody (Remix)” by John Piper<\/p>\n

You may like Bob Dylan or you may think he’s trash,
\nYou may not remember when he had a mustache,
\nYou may think the man is stoned, his throat is full of tacks,
\nYou may wish his blood had been poured out on the tracks.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,
\nYou’re gonna have to serve somebody.
\nWell, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,
\nBut you’re gonna have to serve somebody.<\/p>\n

You may be a modern Jew, and think your Bobby’s great,
\nYou may be from Hibbing, by a simple twist of fate,
\nYou may think religion is a crock and a sham,
\nYou may shut your ears at the blood of the Lamb.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You may have a ponytail and know how to preach,
\nYou may have been baptized on the Malibu beach,
\nYou may love the album, “Saved,” and hope that it is true,
\nOr you may think that Bobby’s brain was tangled up in blue.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You may be a racist and wish times had never changed,
\nYou may hate the sixties when it all got rearranged,
\nOr you may be a Democrat on Capitol Hill,
\nYou may sing the story of the death of Emmett Till.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You may think the globe is getting hotter every day,
\nYou may follow Albert Gore and be a prot\u00e9g\u00e9.
\nOr you may drive an SUV and never be chagrinned,
\nYou may give the answer: Ice, is blowin’ in the wind.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You may swear by Kindle, or you may swear by Nook,
\nYou may love your iPad screen, or you may love your book,
\nYou may have a radio and let the jockey choose,
\nOr you may love Pandora ’cause it follows all your cues.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You may be emergent now and worship on a rug,
\nYou may think that doctrine is a bourgeois drug,
\nYou may call yourself Reformed, with a torn pair of jeans,
\nYou may specialize in church for cool libertines.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You may love philosophy and you may love Descartes,
\nYou may love Beethoven’s flair, and you may love Mozart,
\nYou may love Bob Kauflin and the sounds of Sovereign Grace,
\nOr you may wish the world was full of a thousand Lecraes.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You might use a manly gel to make your hair a mess,
\nOr you may wear a coat and tie the way the bankers dress,
\nYou may preach like Francis Chan and think that hot is cool,
\nOr you may be as nonchalant as Keller on a stool.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed, . . . .<\/p>\n

You may swear by Narnia or you may swear by Grit,
\nYou may think an actor is a trained hypocrite,
\nYou may love the culture, and you may love the world,
\nOr you may see her sensual, with a finger curled.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You may think that Dylan was a shelter in the storm,
\nOr you may think his single rule was disobey the norm,
\nYou may think it’s too late: he’s a victim of renown,
\nOr you may hope he’ll turn again when the deal goes down.<\/p>\n

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody . . . .<\/p>\n

You may see him tryin’ to get to heaven on his own,
\nYou may think he’s lost his way like a rollin’ stone,
\nBut you can see one thing is clear, it’s shining in the night,
\nYou may like it, you may not, but Dylan got this right:<\/p>\n

You’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed,
\nYou’re gonna have to serve somebody.
\nWell, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,
\nBut you’re gonna have to serve somebody. SOURCE.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Thanks Jen for sending this to me<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John Piper says that Bob Dylan got THIS right. What did Dylan get sooooooo right? His song ‘Gotta Serve Somebody’! Says Piper… In 1979 Bob Dylan recorded the song “Gotta Serve Somebody.” For those who listen with biblically informed ears the refrain echoes Paul and Jesus: Paul: “You are slaves of the one whom you…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":412,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church","category-pop-culture"],"yoast_head":"\nJohn Piper rewrites Bob Dylan's 'Gotta Serve Somebody' - Jesus Needs New PR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesusneedsnewpr\/2011\/03\/john-piper-rewrites-bob-dylans-gotta-serve-somebody.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"John Piper rewrites Bob Dylan's 'Gotta Serve Somebody' - Jesus Needs New PR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"John Piper says that Bob Dylan got THIS right. 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