Song Structure and Lyrics
Dylan had recently become a devout Christian and "Every Grain of Sand" does contain powerful allusions to Jesus, faith, and spirituality. But it was also appreciated by non-believers, and Rolling Stone described it as a "mature update" of Dylan's 1964 song "Chimes of Freedom".
That was an inspired song that came to me. I felt like I was just putting down words that were coming from somewhere else, and I just stuck it out.
“ ” Bob DylanBiblical references of Every Grain of Sand include: Cain's "chain of events" - Genesis 4: 1-16 Abraham's seed as sand on the seashore - Genesis 22: 15-18 God's thoughts "more in number than the sand" - Psalm 139: 17-18 The Parable of the Sower - (newborn seed, flowers of indulgence, weeds of yesterday, choked) Mark 4: 13-20 Be of Good Cheer - Mark 6: 47-51 Sparrows/hairs numbered - Matthew 10: 28-31; Luke 12: 6-7.
The song was well known for its haunting imagery, which some have compared to that of William Blake. Although it is filled with numerous Biblical references, it may also have been partly inspired by the following lines from William Blake's Auguries of Innocence:
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
Marked by an ethereal quality that isn't found elsewhere on Shot of Love, "Every Grain Of Sand" is one of Dylan's most celebrated recordings.
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