A Who's Who of Desolation Row Trivia Quiz

Answer: Einstein

From "Desolation Row":

"Einstein disguised as Robin Hood
With his memories in a trunk
Passed this way an hour ago
With his friend, a jealous monk
He looked so immaculately frightful
As he bummed a cigarette
Then he went off sniffing drainpipes
And reciting the alphabet"

In January of 2000, Time magazine named Albert Einstein "Person of the Century", a most worthy title for one of the most influential scientists of all time.

Answer: Insurance Men

From "Desolation Row":

"And then the kerosene
Is brought down from the castles
By insurance men who go
Check to see that nobody is escaping
To Desolation Row"

Answer: The Riot Squad

From the opening verse of "Desolation Row":

"And the riot squad they're restless
They need somewhere to go
As Lady and I look out tonight
From Desolation Row"

The monk is Einstein's companion, but not in this verse.

Answer: Fishermen

From "Desolation Row":

"And fishermen hold flowers
Between the windows of the sea
Where lovely mermaids flow
And nobody has to think too much
About Desolation Row"

Answer: The Blind Commissioner

From "Desolation Row":

"They're selling postcards of the hanging
They're painting the passports brown
The beauty parlor is filled with sailors
The circus is in town
Here comes the blind commissioner
They've got him in a trance
One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker
The other is in his pants"

Answer: Dr. Filth

From "Desolation Row":

"Dr. Filth, he keeps his world
Inside of a leather cup
But all his sexless patients
They're trying to blow it up
Now his nurse, some local loser
She's in charge of the cyanide hole
And she also keeps the cards that read
'Have Mercy on His Soul'"

This is reminiscent of a verse from "It's All Right (I'm Only Bleeding)" from Dylan's previous album: "Old lady judges watch people in pairs. Limited in sex, they dare to push fake morals--insult and stare--while money doesn't talk, it swears. Obscenity: who really cares? Propaganda all is phony."

Answer: T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound

From "Desolation Row":

"Praise be to Nero's Neptune
The Titanic sails at dawn
And everybody's shouting
"Which Side Are You On?"
And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot
Fighting in the captain's tower
While calypso singers laugh at them
And fishermen hold flowers"

Both T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound were noted poets.

Answer: Einstein

From "Desolation Row":

"Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood
With his memories in a trunk
Passed this way an hour ago
With his friend, a jealous monk"

One of Albert Einstein's most poignant quotes is "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

Answer: Casanova

From "Desolation Row":

"They're spoonfeeding Casanova
To get him to feel more assured
Then they'll kill him with self-confidence
After poisoning him with words
And the Phantom's shouting to skinny girls
'Get outta here if you don't know
Casanova is just being punished for going
To Desolation Row'"

Giacomo Girolamo Casanova lived from 1725 to 1798 and is most famous for painting himself as a marvelous and erotic hero in his autobiography (he lists encounters with 122 women).

Answer: Like a priest

From "Desolation Row":

"Across the street they've nailed the curtains
They're getting ready for the feast
The Phantom of the Opera
A perfect image of a priest"

Answer: All of these

From "Desolation Row":

"Now the moon is almost hidden
The stars are beginning to hide
The fortunetelling lady
Has even taken all her things inside
All except for Cain and Abel
And the hunchback of Notre Dame
Everybody is making love
Or else expecting rain"

Answer: The Good Samaritan

From "Desolation Row":

"And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing
He's getting ready for the show
He's going to the carnival tonight
On Desolation Row"

Another biblical reference. Also mentioned are Noah's rainbow and Cain and Abel.

Answer: Romeo

From "Desolation Row":

"Cinderella, she seems so easy
"It takes one to know one," she smiles
And puts her hands in her back pockets
Bette Davis style
And in comes Romeo, he's moaning
"You Belong to Me I Believe"
And someone says," You're in the wrong place, my friend
You better leave"
And the only sound that's left
After the ambulances go
Is Cinderella sweeping up
On Desolation Row"

Interestingly (or perhaps just coincidental), "You Belong to Me" was a song off of Dylan's prior album, "Bringin' It All Back Home". No "Prince" is mentioned in "Desolation Row".

Answer: Ophelia

From "Desolation Row":

"Now Ophelia, she's 'neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her, death is quite romantic
She wears an iron vest
Her profession's her religion
Her sin is her lifelessness
And though her eyes are fixed upon
Noah's great rainbow
She spends her time peeking
Into Desolation Row"

Macbeth is never mentioned in the song "Desolation Row".

Answer: Real people that Dylan can't bear to mention by name

I've been listening to this song for decades, but the last verse still brings chills. Like the shocking endings to "Talkin' World War III Blues", "Black Diamond Bay", "Talking TV Song", and others, the ending of this Dylan song is simply sublime. Here's the last verse:

"Yes, I received your letter yesterday
(About the time the door knob broke)
When you asked how I was doing
Was that some kind of joke?
All these people that you mention
Yes, I know them, they're quite lame
I had to rearrange their faces
And give them all another name
Right now I can't read too good
Don't send me no more letters, no
Not unless you mail them
From Desolation Row"

No one knows for sure what the song is about and who these people really are, but considering the timing of this epic tale, the kinds of songs Dylan was writing at the time, and the juxtaposition of people who are IN Desolation Row and those OUTSIDE of it, my best guess is that it's about the folk crowd's reaction to Dylan going electric. But then, well, that's just me! Others think it's about the Holocaust, people in a neighborhood where Dylan lived, etc. However, the only person who knows for sure isn't telling!

Hope you enjoyed the quiz!