What Was It You Wanted

"What Was It You Wanted" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in 1989 as the ninth and penultimate track (or fourth song on Side 2 of the vinyl) on his album Oh Mercy. It was produced by Daniel Lanois.

"What Was It You Wanted"
Song by Bob Dylan
from the album Oh Mercy
ReleasedSeptember 18, 1989
RecordedMarch/April 1989
StudioMobile studio at 1305 Soniat St., New Orleans
GenreFolk
Length5:02
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Bob Dylan
Producer(s)Daniel Lanois
Oh Mercy track listing
10 tracks
  1. "Political World"
  2. "Where Teardrops Fall"
  3. "Everything Is Broken"
  4. "Ring Them Bells"
  5. "Man in the Long Black Coat"
  6. "Most of the Time"
  7. "What Good Am I?"
  8. "Disease of Conceit"
  9. "What Was It You Wanted"
  10. "Shooting Star"

Composition and recording

In his book Bob Dylan, Performing Artist: 1986-1990 and Beyond, Paul Williams characterizes "What Was It You Wanted" as a "special song" in which Dylan attempts to sketch "a picture of what goes on" in his own life. Williams specifically sees the song as "an expansion" of two lines from Dylan's 1973 song "Nobody 'Cept You" ("Everybody wants my attention / Everybody's got something to sell"[1]): Williams notes that there is "always someone who wants something more from [Dylan] more complicated and urgent than an autograph" and that it has been the singer/songwriter's fate to "receive more such entreaties than most celebrities, even Presidents of the United States".[2]

Dylan seemingly agreed with Williams' interpretation when writing about the song in his 2004 memoir Chronicles: Volume One: "If you've ever been the object of curiosity, then you know what this song is about. It doesn't need much explanation". Dylan also cited "What Was It You Wanted" as a song where he "heard the lyric and melody together in my head" when composing it.[3]

Dylan scholar Tony Attwood observes that the song is "in a minor key packed with minor chords", which he claims is fitting since it is narrated by a "lost and bemused individual".[4] The song is also notable for Mason Ruffner's electric guitar part, which Stephen Pate has described as "the main groove of the song with the strong tremolo C#5, F#, A5, progression".[5]

Critical reception

Like Paul Williams, Tony Attwood discusses the song as personal to Dylan but in the sense that it uses "the uncertainty of an artist who has to some degree lost his way, as a theme in his writing". Attwood sees this as part of a larger, successful strategy on Dylan's part "to get his creativity working again" through the "darker times" of the late 1980s when he was writing the songs for Oh Mercy.[6]

In their book Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track, authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon positively appraise the song as "penetrating and hypnotic" and note that it possesses a "throbbing groove".[7] AllMusic rated the song 3-and-a-half out of five stars.[8]

In her book A Freewhweelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties, Suze Rotolo cites it as one of her favorite Dylan songs. She writes that she considers it to be "the essence of Bob Dylan", and notes that "only he could have written it" and that it "showcases his acerbic wit and his ability to twist multiple meanings around his finger".[9]

Live performances

According to his official website, Dylan performed the song only 22 times in concert on the Never Ending Tour between 1990 and 1995.[10] The live debut occurred at Toad's Place in New Haven, Connecticut on January 12, 1990, the longest show of Dylan's career, and the last performance (to date) took place at the Edinburgh Playhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland on April 6, 1995.[11]

Shadow Kingdom

Dylan performed the song in his 2021 concert film Shadow Kingdom: The Early Songs of Bob Dylan. Kitty Empire, writing in The Guardian, cited Dylan's "poignant drawl" on this performance as the high point of the show.[12] Consequence's Katie Moulton likewise considered "What Was It You Wanted" as a "major highlight" of Shadow Kingdom, noting that "[i]n the shifting chiaroscuro, and sung by an octogenarian, the song is simultaneously a plea, an accusation, and a long dark reflection".[13]

This 2021 live version appears on the film’s soundtrack album, Shadow Kingdom (2023).

Cultural references

The narrator asks "What was it you wanted / When you were kissing my cheek?" at the end of the second verse.[14] This is often interpreted as a reference to the Biblical Kiss of Judas.[15][16]

Notable covers

Willie Nelson covered it for his 1993 album Across the Borderline, a performance cited as one of the best ever Dylan covers by a Texas musician.[17] Nelson also performed the song live at Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration tribute show in Madison Square Garden in 1992, which was released as a live album and home video on various formats.[18]

References
  1. "Nobody 'Cept You | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  2. Williams, Paul (2004). Bob Dylan, Performing Artist: 1986-1990 and Beyond. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-281-8.
  3. Dylan, Bob (2004). Chronicles. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-2815-4. OCLC 56111894.
  4. "What was it you wanted? Bob Dylan's song and a version by Willie Nelson | Untold Dylan". 2013-02-20. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  5. "Bob Dylan What Was It You Wanted – NJN Network". 15 September 2010. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  6. "The creativity of Bob Dylan: what was it you wanted? | Untold Dylan". 2018-09-18. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  7. Margotin, Philippe; Jean-Michel Guesdon (2015). Bob Dylan : all the songs : the story behind every track (First ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1-57912-985-9. OCLC 869908038.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. Shooting Star - Bob Dylan | Song Info | AllMusic, retrieved 2021-06-03
  9. Rotolo, Suze (2008). A Freewheelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties. New York: Random House. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-7679-2688-1.
  10. "What Was It You Wanted? | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  11. "Setlists | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  12. "Bob Dylan: Shadow Kingdom live stream review – Dylan's juke joint of dreams". the Guardian. 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  13. "Bob Dylan Creates Intimate Noir in Shadow Kingdom Livestream Concert". Consequence. 2021-07-19. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  14. "What Was It You Wanted? | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  15. "Bob Dylan What Was It You Wanted – NJN Network". 15 September 2010. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  16. Matthew 26:47-50 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. The traito | New Living Translation (NLT) | Download The Bible App Now.
  17. wp_admin (2011-05-10). "10 From Texas: Best Bob Dylan Covers". Texas Music Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  18. "Various Artists - Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration Deluxe Edition (CD/DVD)". www.countrystandardtime.com. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  • Lyrics at Bob Dylan's official site
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