By: Brad Gallagher
Every Body Must Get Stoned was one of Bob Dylan’s biggest hit songs, topping out at #2 on the Billboard Top 100 charts in 1966. But did you know that it actually had a different title? The official title of this song is “Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35”. Of course if you are familiar with this song you know that the title is not found anywhere in the lyrics of the song. You also know that there has been quite a bit of controversy about the song over the years, mostly due to the concept of getting stoned. Or, maybe you didn’t know that.
As The Story Goes:
As soon as this song was released, it was labeled a “Drug Song” due to it’s repeated lyric, “Everybody Must Get Stoned.” The title of the song is said to have come about one rainy day when a woman and her daughter walked into the recording studio while Dylan and the band were recording. Dylan looked at them and, believe it or not, correctly guessed their ages. The mom at 35 years old and the daughter at 12 years old. Ironically, if you multiply 35 times 12 you come up with the number 420 which is the number traditionally associated with smoking pot. Is this just coincidence? In addition, according to common drug lingo, a “rainy day woman” refers to a marijuana cigarette. But is this song about drugs?
Bob Dylan himself stated “I never have and never will write a drug song”.1 Also, the origin of associating 420 with smoking marijuana dates back to 1971, when a group of high school students in California regularly met at 4:20 in the afternoon to get high. It was their perfect time, because school had let out for the day but their parents had not come home from work yet. Of course, Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35 was written 6 years prior to the origin of “420”. However, the term “getting stoned” dates back to the 1930’s. So maybe Everybody Must Get Stoned isn’t about drugs, But if not, what is this song really about?
Dylan maintains that it is Biblical in origin. One version of the story claims that Dylan recognized that we are all sinful people and we all deserve to be stoned as punishment for our sins. Stoning being a common form of capital punishment in Biblical times. Another version of the story reflects on the story of Stephen in the book of Acts in the Bible. Stephen was stoned by the authorities for being outspoken about his beliefs. Dylan felt as if he were being stoned by the critics for his song lyrics and his music style.
So, drugs or not drugs? Which version of the meaning of the song is the true meaning? It could go either way, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide. And when you do, let me know which story you believe. I’ll see you next time on As The Story Goes.
Did you know that you can have my blogs delivered straight to your inbox? Just visit my home page and sign up. https://as-the-story-goes.com/home/
[1] “Dylan View On The Big Boo”, Melody Maker, June 4, 1966
AS THE STORY GOES 