Nation of Language’s Ian Devaney on his favourite Bob Dylan song
There’s something uncanny about Bob Dylan and the way his songs transcend generations. Whether it’s the universal message of ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’, the unrelenting appeal of ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, or the endless covers of songs like ‘All Along the Watchtower’ and ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’, Dylan has touched a litany of artists from every single one of the seven decades that he’s been active.
One of the most famous instances of Dylan crossing the generation gap is with the 1970 single ‘The Man In Me’. Although the song wasn’t released as a single from New Morning, and Dylan didn’t even touch the song in his live performances until 1978, ‘The Man In Me’ still found its way to iconic status thanks to its appearance in the Coen brothers’ classic 1998 stoner classic The Big Lebowski.
The Coens had a very specific tableau of music that they wanted to pick from. Jeff Bridges’ ‘The Dude’ was to be constantly surrounded by the music of his favourite band, Creedence Clearwater Revival. When John Turturro’s ‘The Jesus’ comes in, the Gypsy Kings’ version of the Eagels’ ‘Hotel California’ provides the perfect counterpoint to The Dude’s hatred of the Eagles.
For both the film’s opening sequence and its hazy hallucinogenic dream scene, only Dylan’s ‘The Man In Me’ would do. Equal parts laid-back hippie stoner jam and contemplative analysis of masculinity, the use of ‘The Man In Me’ proved that The Dude, just like Dylan himself, contained multitudes.
‘The Man In Me’ was already something of a beloved deep cut in the Dylan canon before the Coens got their hands on it. The scraggly vocal that Dylan lays out on the track is one of his best, and the warmth that he imbues within the song’s lyrics comes across loud and clear. It’s that feeling that got Nation of Language singer Ian Devaney into the song.
“The main reason this song sticks with me is the three-note descension on the line ‘nearly any task’ and how endlessly satisfying it is,” Devaney told Stereogum when asked about his favourite Dylan track. “In a song about finally allowing someone into the part of yourself that you keep from the world, these simple steps feel like an exhalation. The instruments spend most of the song playfully dancing and weaving, but these three big notes feel like crashing into a chair and taking a moment to appreciate that you’re capable of being vulnerable and happy.”
Check out ‘The Man In Me’ down below.
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