1. Trying To Get To Heaven Before They Close | Th...
: The line "Tryin' to get to heaven before they close the door" is often interpreted as a reference to the Jewish service of N'eilah on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, where the "Gates of Heaven" are symbolically closed at the end of the day.
: A nod to the Furry Lewis song "I Will Turn Your Money Green". Musical Facts
: Critics often contrast this song with the more desolate "Not Dark Yet". While both deal with the approach of death, "Tryin' to Get to Heaven" offers at least a prospect of redemption in an afterlife. 1. Trying to Get to Heaven Before They Close th...
: Dylan heavily utilizes "intertextuality," borrowing lines from traditional gospel songs and older blues tracks. "Lonesome Valley" : A traditional American gospel song.
: A reference to the 1966 Nancy Sinatra hit, which some interpret as an allusion to LSD. : The line "Tryin' to get to heaven
The song features a narrator who has traveled "all around the world" but finds himself feeling hollow and empty.
: This is the only song on the album where Dylan plays the harmonica. While both deal with the approach of death,
: The harmonica solo was notably run through a distortion box by engineer Mark Howard to achieve a unique "electric" effect.