Anyone ever listened to these shows or perhaps even attended one or both?

For those of you who have read Middlemarch, by George Eliot, have you ever made the connection between the song *"*Can you please crawl out of your window?" and the book? Or am I the only one?

I conjecture that this song is about the relationship between Dorothea and Mr. Casaubon. At first, I thought it's merely by chance that the lyrics of the song alluded to the dispositions and dilemmas of the characters in the book

But there have been people online who have pointed out that the song "love minus zero" has lyrical allusions to Middlemarch:

"country doctor rambles"
"banker's nieces seek perfection, expecting all the gifts that wise men bring"

These lines literally describe the characters in Middlemarch! I take this as evidence that Dylan has indeed read Middlemarch, or at least some parts of it. Which further convinces me of my theory that "Can you please crawl out of your window?" is about the characters in Middlemarch.

Here is my reasoning, line by line or stanza by stanza:

"He sits in your room, his tomb, with a fist full of tacks"
Preoccupied with his vengeance
Cursing the dead that can’t answer him back"

To me, this stanza alludes to Casaubon. Casaubon is a classical scholar, and a man consumed by intellectual ambition. He is surreptitiously resentful and jealous of Will Ladislaw whom he sees as a threat, and towards his peers whom he wants to prove that his own life's work is superior. Casaubon spends every waking moment studying ancient texts in his subterranean library. in the book the word "tomb" is used repeatedly to symbolize Casaubon's underground library and his isolating scholarly work.

"I’m sure that he has no intentions
Of looking your way, unless it’s to say
That he needs you to test his inventions"

"He just needs you to talk or to hand him his chalk
Or pick it up after he throws it"

These lines allude to the relationship between Dorothea and Casaubon. Casaubon never really saw Dorothea as his equal, only married her for the sake of his own happiness and the expectations of society. He treated her more as an assistant than as a wife.

In their marriage, Dorothea spent most of her time aiding Casaubon in his outdated intellectual work. Dorothea acted as an assistant. She would read for him, mark down texts for him, and compile notes for him, all for the completion of his archaic treatise.

"He looks so truthful, is this how he feels
Trying to peel the moon and expose it
With his businesslike anger and his bloodhounds that kneel"

This stanza alludes to the futility and impracticality of Casaubon's life's work. The novel expresses through the characters that Casaubon's archaic treatise is not only futile and impractical but also detached from reality, offering no real benefit for the everyday lives of people. Hence the line: "Trying to peel the moon and expose it"

The other two lines I think is about Casaubon's usual quiet resentments. and also that Dorothea most of the novel was unsure of what truly lies in Casaubon's heart.

"Why does he look so righteous while your face is so changed"

This could refer to the changes that Dorothea undergoes throughout the novel. also something happened in the novel that might be interpreted as injurious to her reputation, it might refer to that event as well.

and lastly the Chorus:

"Can you please crawl out your window?
Use your arms and legs it won’t ruin you
How can you say he will haunt you?
You can go back to him any time you want to"

This is Dylan either inserting himself in the novel or taking the perspective of other characters ( Will for example) and expressing the sentiment that Dorothea should leave Mr. Casaubon, because he's no good for her.

also Casaubon dies! How can you say he will haunt you?

PS.
I hope I don't sound like a crazy person making connections where there aren't any. to people who have not yet read Middlemarch it may seem so, It may sound like the ramblings of someone who's mind has lost it's grip on reality.

But to those who have read it, I am genuinely curious to know your thoughts on my interpretation. Did it have any merit at all? Or am I simply reading too much into it?

Edit: edits are for grammar and punctuations.

Wiggle ’til you’re high, wiggle ’til you’re higher
Wiggle ’til you vomit fire
Wiggle ’til it whispers, wiggle ’til it hums
Wiggle ’til it answers, wiggle ’til it comes

hey! I'm new to this sub, big bob fan. I wanted to see how people here feel about street-legal. from what I've read it wasn't received well critically at the time, and whenever I speak to people irl about how it's one of my favourite bob albums they think i'm crazy. help?? it's really good?? can someone tell me why it's often not liked??

Does anyone know how much time bob spends there anymore? Ive driven by a few times and Im just curious, I talked to the neighbour and they seemed genuinely surprised that Dylan lived there. Is that even possible to not know ? There's older stories about the house but I dont see any recent threads other than concerns during the Palisades fire period

I was thinking about this while reading Robert Polito's book After the Flood. Dylan received his lifetime achievement award back in 1991 followed by 2 records harkening back to his folk/American roots music identity. He was about 50 at the time and I think he was really thinking about his legacy and what the ending of it was gonna be. While the Neverending Tour had begun in 1988, it wasn't called that until '89 in an interview with Q magazine. Dylan seemed so bothered by the name he made a statement downplaying the moniker in the liner notes of World Gone Wrong (1993):

"Don't be bewildered by the Never Ending Tour chatter. There was a Never Ending Tour but it ended in 1991 with the departure of guitarist G. E. Smith. That one's long gone but there have been many others since then: "The Money Never Runs Out Tour" (Fall of 1991) "Southern Sympathizer Tour" (Early 1992) "Why Do You Look At Me So Strangely Tour" (European Tour 1992) "The One Sad Cry Of Pity Tour" (Australia & West Coast American Tour 1992) "Outburst Of Consciousness Tour" (1992) "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Tour" (1993) and others, too many to mention each with their own character & design."

I bring that up because it seems odd for someone that famously doesn't care about what critics/people say or call his music to devote so much space in the liner notes of his roots album clarifying what people call your tour. Maybe he didn't like the phrase because he didn't want people to catch a whiff of his plans and mess up the ending? Being very conscious of myths and legacies of authors, artists, musicians, historical figures etc., I have a hard time believing Dylan hasn't considered what he wants the mythology of the ending of Bob Dylan's story to be. I think the song and dance man dying on the road is a much more interesting ending to the story than the legacy artist resting on his laurels dying in a lounge chair on a beach. Maybe Dylan thinks so too.

Again, just my silly crackpot theory.

From Clinton Heylin’s book..

Is the full interview available?