Mama, You Been On My Mind

About a month ago, on my birthday, a friend of mine sent me an e-mail and attached a song as a gift that he thought I’d enjoy. The song was Jeff Buckley’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mama, You Been On My Mind.” I’ve long loved Grace, and have even delved into the unfinished Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk on occasion. But given Buckley's early death, I’d assumed that there wasn’t much else of note. Then this gem popped up in my inbox, and I’ve been listening to it repeatedly ever since.

Dylan’s version of the song is a relatively typical example of his early folk style, just he and his guitar strumming the same chords over and over, allowing the lyrics to stand out (along with the occasional harmonica solo). The lyrics to me seem rather sweet and carefree on the surface, though obviously there are multiple interpretations as there usually are with good lyrics:

Even though my mind is hazy an’ my thoughts they might be narrow
Where you been don’t bother me or bring me down in sorrow
It don’t even matter, where you’re wakin’ up tomorrow
Mama, you just on my mind

But the slow pace of the song combined with Dylan’s strained voice undermines this carefree sentiment. It seems that Dylan is only begrudgingly uttering these words, with a sigh of tired exasperation. The song seems to have a bit of Dylan’s characteristic world-weary bitterness; it’s not really that pleasant to think about her, he just can’t stop.

Buckley’s rendition is essentially the same tempo, yet the guitar figures give it a mellow jaunt that is not present in Dylan’s. It's much more easygoing. The hazy chime of Buckley’s guitar is sweet and soothing, with occasional botched notes that add an earnest authenticity. And his voice adds to the sweetness. If you’ve listened to Grace, you know that Buckley can yell, but on this track his voice remains largely hushed and airy, flirting with falsetto in a way that nicely complements his softly reverberating guitar. As the lyrics say, he’s “just whispering to himself,” and that’s exactly what it sounds like.

Buckley was a master at matching music and lyrics to strengthen a song’s emotional communication, and this song is no exception. The sweet, soft, wistful delivery lends sincerity to the lyrical sentiment. There’s nothing bitter here; the song’s just saying, I know, we’re far away from each other, and you’re probably sleeping with another guy, and that's okay, I’m just thinking about you. And it’s a pleasant enough thought.

Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is often listed as one of the best covers of all time. And while it is certainly of a grander scope, both musically and emotionally, than “Mama, You Been On My Mind,” I don’t think the latter should be overlooked, despite being buried on the bonus disc of a 2004 Grace re-release. It makes a more subtle statement, but it makes it with an understated beauty. Enjoy:

Jeff Buckley - Mama, You Been On My Mind (YSI) (filesavr)
Bob Dylan - Mama, You Been On My Mind (YSI) (filesavr)