No final dos anos setenta Dylan sentiu-se compelido a uma renovação e mergulhou de cabeça na sua formação cristã. Slow Train Coming foi o primeiro trabalho sob tal orientação. A crítica não recebeu bem e o público também não. Pura tolice inercial. Dylan tornara-se a voz de uma geração falando das mesmas coisas que ele fala aqui: o bem contra o mal, a ganância dos senhores de toda espécie, etc... As reflexões sobre a sociedade são as mesmas daquelas canções de protesto, só que agora Dylan as faz com a visão de um evangélico — não um evangelizador, diga-se —, mesmo considerando um deus vingativo que vai te pegar lá fora uma hora ou outra. Outra coisa: ele fez um dos seus trabalhos mais caprichados. Os arranjos, os versos, os músicos ... tudo foi muito bem cuidado, deixando este disco um dos seus melhores, e o melhor em quase uma década. Dylan sem controvérsia seria só mais um Zimmerman. Ou Zimmy.
Bob Dylan -guitarra, violão , vocal
Mark Knopfler -guitarra
Barry Beckett -teclados, percussão
Tim Drummond -baixo
Pick Withers -bateria
Muscle Shoals Horns: Charles Rose, Harrison Calloway, Harvey Thompson, Ronald Eades, Walter King -metais
Mickey Buckins -percussão
Carolyn Dennis, Helena Springs, Regina Havis -vocal
1 Gotta Serve Somebody
2 Precious Angel
3 I Believe In You
4 Slow Train
5 Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
6 Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)
7 When You Gonna Wake Up
8 Man Gave Names To All The Animals
9 When He Returns
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You might be a rock ’n’ roll addict prancing on the stage
You might have drugs at your command, women in a cage
You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a state trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a construction worker working on a home
You may be living in a mansion or you might live in a dome
You might own guns and you might even own tanks
You might be somebody’s landlord, you might even own banks
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin’ in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
You may be sleeping on the floor, sleeping in a king-sized bed
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
You may call me R.J., you may call me Ray
You may call me anything but no matter what you say
You’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
