Folk Rock Music

Bob Dylan said, “Well, I did this very crazy thing,” regarding his electrified performance of “Maggie’s Farm” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival .  “Maggie’s Farm,” written by Bob Dylan, and his performance at the Folk Festival, have been seen as Dylan’s breakaway from the protest folk movement. Folk music had become very popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s (not that it hadn’t been always around and was of deep interest to folks including Pete Seeger and The Weavers, Woody Guthrie, and more). Peter, Paul and Mary, Judy Collins, and Joan Baez, to name a few, were among those part of the protest folk movement. They believed that this music was the music of the people; it had deep roots, told stories of oppression and protest , and was played on acoustic instruments. So when Bob Dylan, who was the headliner of the Festival, plugged and began “Maggie’s Farm,” people booed and many reviewers panned it. Joe Boyd, who was the Festivals production manager, has said, “that first note of ‘Maggie’s Farm’ was the loudest thing anybody had ever heard.” The booing has also been attributed to faulty equipment and that Dylan played for only 15 minutes rather than the expected 45. Perhaps. However, it rattled the folk protest movement and it took rock and roll from songs about being in love to include socially conscious commentary.

“Maggie’s Farm” was on Bob Dylan’s Bringing It All Back Home Album. The song was released as a single in the U.K. and rose to #22 on the U.K. Singles Chart. There have been numerous covers, including versions by Solomon Burke, Richie Havens, The Blues Band, Rage Against The Machine, Flatt & Scruggs, and Hot Tuna. The video is Bob Dylan live at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival., and you can hear the boos.(Al Kooper was the organist for the concert.)

Here are the lyrics to “Maggie’s Farm” by Bob Dylan:

“I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more
I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more
Well, I wake in the morning Fold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas
That are drivin’ me insane
It’s a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more

I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s brother no more
I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s brother no more
Well, he hands you a nickel
He hands you a dime
He asks you with a grin
If you’re havin’ a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s brother no more

I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s pa no more
I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s pa no more
Well, he puts his cigar
Out in your face just for kicks
His bedroom window
It is made out of bricks The National Guard stands around his door A
h, I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s pa no more

I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s ma no more
I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s ma no more
Well, she talks to all the servants A
bout man and God and law
Everybody says
She’s the brains behind Pa
She’s sixty-eight, but she says she’s fifty-four
I ain’t gonna work for Maggie’s ma no more

I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more
I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more
Well, I try my best
To be just like I am
But everybody wants you
To be just like them
They say sing while you slave and I just get bored
I ain’t gonna work on Maggie’s farm no more”

For other songs by Bob Dylan: “Lay, Lady, Lay” and “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35.” For Peter, Paul and Mary’s beautiful rendition of Dylan’s song “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right.”

Check Out The Groove Pad for More 1960s Music

The Pass the Paisley Groove Pad is a resting stop, a place to chill out and listen to the featured song on the stereo. If the mood strikes you, click on the juke box to access and listen to the 50+ commercial free online songs there. The TV has several channels, with selections updated twice a week. Every now and then, Pass the Paisley hosts an all-request of 1960s and 1970s songs for a Be-In at the juke box in the Groove Pad. Keep on truckin’. Hope you enjoyed “Maggie’s Farm” by Bob Dylan.