Seeing Bob Dylan live in Augusta, Maine, in 2002 with my brothers was my first concert experience.
Since then, I’ve seen him more than a dozen times in a variety of locations. My iTunes library has every Bob Dylan album ever produced. He’s on my musical Mount Rushmore along with Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and James Taylor.
After going through the myriad Dylan concert posters I’ve collected over the years, I decided to investigate the legend’s lyrics in search of anything jewelry-related.
Here are the top 10:
“Diamond Joe”
Have you ever seen the movie Masked and Anonymous? No? Good, it’s terrible. But “Diamond Joe” is one of the only redeemable moments of the flick. This clip is also proof that if Dylan is involved in a movie, it’s probably going to be pretty weird.
“Boots of Spanish Leather”
Say what you want about Dylan’s love life, but you have to admit he is quite the romantic.
In this tune, he offers “something fine/made of silver or of golden/either from the mountains of Madrid/or from the coast of Barcelona,” and “diamonds from the deepest ocean.”
Not to mention, his lady can also accessorize with boots of Spanish leather. That’s a pretty good deal.
“Black Diamond Bay”
This sounds about right:
“He tried to grab the woman’s hand/said, ‘Here’s a ring, it cost a grand’/She said, ‘That ain’t enough.’”
“Isis”
Said every jewelry designer ever:
“I was thinkin’ about turquoise, I was thinkin’ about gold/I was thinkin’ about diamonds and the world’s biggest necklace.”
“Just Like a Woman”
Amphetamine and pearls are a dangerous duo.
“She Belongs to Me”
I think every woman would be content with “an Egyptian ring that sparkles before she speaks.”
“Wedding Song”
This song doesn’t explicitly mention jewelry, but you can’t have a wedding without bling. I think a musically inclined jeweler could build a great promotion around this song.
“One More Cup of Coffee”
If there’s not a website devoted to Bob Dylan lyrics that could double as pick-up lines after this, then I don’t understand the Internet at all.
“Your breath is sweet/your eyes are like two jewels in the sky,” is a good way to start a song and make a move on someone at the same time.
“Things Have Changed”
One of the best of Dylan’s recent songs, “Things Have Changed” features this gem:
“I’m looking up into the sapphire-tinted skies/I’m well dressed, waiting on the last train.”
The music video—which includes footage from the movie Wonder Boys—is fantastic by Dylan standards. Much better than his turn as the most frightening Santa Claus of all time. Stay in your lane, Bob.
“Silvio”
You can’t buy yourself out of the doghouse, according to this song from the otherwise forgettable album Down in the Groove.
“Silvio/silver and gold/won’t buy back the beat of a heart grown cold.”
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