☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a young man who identifies himself as the illegitimate child of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and feels alienated.
- He mentions his uncle Lenny, who helped him deal with his fears and achieve his dreams.
- He feels rejected by his family because they couldn't keep up with technology, but still wants to return to his family.
- The protagonist mentions various musicians whose music he admires and wants to save.
- The song lyrics deal with the search for identity, alienation, and the desire to be recognized.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "Bastard Son" by
John Wesley Harding are about a young man who identifies himself as the illegitimate child of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. He says that at 22 years old, he doesn't really feel like he belongs to any specific group and doesn't have a real home. He feels alienated as The Band has disbanded and he seems to have no fixed place in the world.
He also mentions his uncle Lenny, who helped him deal with his fears and pursue his dreams. But Lenny is still around and shows him that growing up is worth it.
He also mentions Bruce and James, family friends who introduced him to music. They gave him a harmonica and taught him how to play the banjo. But Bruce gave up and James became a slave to his work.
The protagonist feels rejected by his family because they couldn't keep up with technology. Nevertheless, he wants to return to the family and not end up as the black sheep.
Finally, he mentions various musicians like Warren, Neil, T-Bone, and others, whose music he admires and wants to save. He says that his own songs may be considered unsuccessful by some, but he sings for the people who grew up like him and carry seven basic instincts within them.
Overall, the lyrics of the song are about the search for identity, alienation, and the desire to be recognized, both by family and the music industry.