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= = = Supplanting text wordlessly = = =
While Berlioz allowed the programmatic aspects of his text to shape the symphonic form of Roméo and to guide its content , he also showed how an orchestra could supplant such a text wordlessly to further illustrate it . He wrote in his preface to Roméo :
If , in the famous garden and cemetery scenes the dialogue of the two lovers , Juliet 's asides , and Romeo 's passionate outbursts are not sung , if the duets of love and despair are given to the orchestra , the reasons are numerous and easy to comprehend . First , and this alone would be sufficient , it is a symphony and not an opera . Second , since duets of this nature have been handled vocally a thousand times by the greatest masters , it was wise as well as unusual to attempt another means of expression . It is also because the very sublimity of this love made its depiction so dangerous for the musician that he had to give his imagination a latitude that the positive sense of the sung words would not have given him , resorting instead to instrumental language , which is richer , more varied , less precise , and by its very indefiniteness incomparably more powerful in such a case .
As a manifesto , this paragraph became significant for the amalgamation of symphonic and dramatic elements in the same musical composition . Musicologist Hugh MacDonald writes that as Berlioz kept the idea of symphonic construction closely in mind , he allowed the orchestra to express the majority of the drama in instrumental music and set expository and narrative sections in words . Fellow musicologist Nicholas Temperley suggests that , in Roméo , Berlioz created a model for how a dramatic text could guide the structure of a choral symphony without circumventing that work from being recognizably a symphony . In this sense , musicologist Mark Evans Bonds writes , the symphonies of Liszt and Mahler owe a debt of influence to Berlioz .
More recently , Alfred Schnittke allowed the programmatic aspects of his texts to dictate the course of both his choral symphonies even when no words were being sung . Schnittke 's six @-@ movement Second Symphony , following the Ordinary of the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church , works programmatically on two levels simultaneously . While soloists and chorus briefly perform the mass , set to chorales taken from the Gradual , the orchestra provides an extended running commentary that can continue much longer than the section of the mass being performed . Sometimes the commentary follows a particular chorale but more often is freer and wider ranging in style . Despite the resulting stylistic disparity , biographer Alexander Ivashkin comments , " musically almost all these sections blend the choral [ sic ] tune and subsequent extensive orchestral ' commentary . ' " The work becomes what Schnittke called an " Invisible Mass " , and Ivashkin termed " a symphony against a chorale backdrop " .
The program in Schnittke 's Fourth Symphony , reflecting the composer 's own religious dilemma at the time it was written , is more complex in execution , with the majority of it expressed wordlessly . In the 22 variations that make up the symphony 's single movement , Schnittke enacts the 15 traditional Mysteries of the Rosary , which highlight important moments in the life of Christ . As he did in the Second Symphony , Schnittke simultaneously gives a detailed musical commentary on what is being portrayed . Schnittke does this while using church music from the Catholic , Protestant , Jewish and Orthodox faiths , the orchestral texture becoming extremely dense from the many musical strands progressing at the same time . A tenor and a countertenor also sing wordlessly at two points in the symphony . The composition saves words for a finale that uses all four types of church music contrapuntally as a four @-@ part choir sings the Ave Maria . The choir can choose whether to sing the Ave Maria in Russian or Latin . The programmatic intent of using these different types of music , Ivashkin writes , is an insistence by the composer " on the idea ... of the unity of humanity , a synthesis and harmony among various manifestations of belief " .
= Hurricane Nate ( 2005 ) =
Hurricane Nate was an Atlantic hurricane that threatened Bermuda but remained at sea during early September 2005 . The fourteenth named storm and seventh hurricane of the annual Atlantic hurricane season , Nate formed southwest of Bermuda on September 5 and initially moved very slowly to the northeast . Early forecasts suggested a possible threat to the island , but Nate passed well to its south as a Category 1 hurricane on September 8 . After moving away from the island , the storm entered a region with cooler sea surface temperatures and unfavorable wind shear , causing it to weaken to a tropical storm before becoming extratropical on September 10 . The extratropical remnant was later absorbed by a larger weather system .
The hurricane caused no structural damage while tropical , although it generated rip currents in combination with other storms that killed one person off the New Jersey coast . Nate dropped light rainfall and produced gusty winds on the island of Bermuda . The remnants of hurricanes Nate and Maria contributed to heavy rainfall in parts of Scotland and later Western Norway , triggering a mudslide that killed one person . Canadian Navy ships en route to the US Gulf Coast , carrying relief supplies to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina , were delayed while trying to avoid Nate and Hurricane Ophelia .
= = Meteorological history = =
A tropical wave emerged from the west coast of Africa on August 30 and tracked westward across the Atlantic Ocean , maintaining a vigorous area of convection along the wave axis . By September 1 most of the deep convection had been stripped away by southwesterly wind shear . Despite this , the wave remained well @-@ defined as it continued west @-@ northwest . The wave split into two pieces ; the northern portion passed between the Leeward Islands and Hurricane Maria on September 3 , while the southern portion moved into the Caribbean Sea . On September 4 , the northern portion of the wave began to interact with an upper @-@ level low pressure system and an elongated trough that was located between Bermuda and the Leeward Islands — the same trough which contributed to the development of Hurricane Ophelia . As a result of the low wind shear , convection redeveloped and organized along the wave axis . Convective banding formed around a broad surface low . It is estimated that the system developed into a tropical depression at 1800 UTC on September 5 . At the time it was located approximately 350 miles ( 560 km ) to the south @-@ southwest of Bermuda .
Upon being designated , Tropical Depression Fifteen developed deep convection close to , and to the east of , the center of circulation . At the same time , banding features became better organized . Later on September 5 , the overall cloud pattern improved while thunderstorm activity condensed and deepened within the increasingly well @-@ defined circulation . Just six hours after being designated as a tropical depression , the cyclone intensified into a tropical storm ; it was given the name Nate by the National Hurricane Center . Over the following two days , Nate drifted slowly northeastward towards Bermuda .
Within the early hours of September 6 , Nate became quasi @-@ stationary under a weak steering pattern between Hurricane Maria and a disturbance over The Bahamas . Satellite imagery indicated that the cloud pattern continued to organize with excellent outflow surrounding the storm . Late on September 6 a developing banding eye feature became evident . Tropical Storm Nate strengthened further and became a hurricane at 1200 UTC on September 7 , as it began to turn away from Bermuda . Some models indicated that Nate could have been either absorbed by or merged with the larger Hurricane Maria , but the National Hurricane Center ( NHC ) forecast that Nate would survive as a separate system , which it did . The large low to the northeast of The Bahamas gradually opened into a broad trough as a shortwave trough approached from the northwest . The larger trough slowly became elongated in a northeast – southwest manner late on September 7 . At the same time , the shortwave trough moved southward along the west side of the other trough . The increasing southwesterly flow along the southeast side of the broad trough caused Nate to accelerate northeastward . Nate reached its peak intensity of 90 mph ( 145 km / h ) late on September 8 as it passed 120 miles ( 205 km ) southeast of Bermuda , while its strongest winds remained well offshore .
While at peak intensity , the storm maintained a well @-@ organized and " impressive " convective pattern . Soon after the storm peaked in strength , increasing wind shear and dry air caused Nate to weaken back into a tropical storm later on September 9 . Satellite imagery showed that the cloud pattern began to rapidly deteriorate . The hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm at 1800 UTC on September 9 and continued to weaken as wind shear increased in association with an approaching trough and a related cold front . By late on September 9 , all of the already limited convective activity was confined to the eastern semicircle , leaving the low @-@ level center exposed . The storm was reduced to a swirl of low @-@ level clouds just hours later . Nate became extratropical the next day before becoming absorbed by a larger system by 0000 UTC on September 13 , to the north @-@ northeast of the Azores .
= = Impact , records , and naming = =
A tropical storm watch was issued for Bermuda early on September 7 , and later that day a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch superseded it . However , the storm did not land on the island and the warnings were canceled as the storm moved away September 8 . Four cruise ships left the island early , and flights were canceled in anticipation of Nate . At 0400 UTC on September 8 , the National Hurricane Center assessed a 34 % chance that Nate would pass within 75 miles ( 121 km ) of the island .
The outer bands of Nate brushed Bermuda with sustained winds of 35 mph ( 55 km / h ) and widespread showers . Gusts were higher , peaking at roughly 50 mph ( 80 km / h ) . Less than 1 inch ( 25 mm ) of rain was recorded at Bermuda International Airport . " We definitely did not get the worst case scenario with this storm " , observed the Bermuda Weather Service ; there were no fatalities as a result of the storm in Bermuda , and no damage was reported . Two ships reported tropical storm @-@ force winds in association with the storm : the Maersk New Orleans , to the north of the storm 's center , and a ship with the call sign <unk> to the east @-@ southeast . Rip currents from Nate and the more distant Maria killed one and injured another in New Jersey ; several others were caught in rip currents , though they were able to escape . In the Carolinas , Nate also contributed to heightened seas , though this time in combination with Hurricane Ophelia and persistent unrelated northeasterly winds . A buoy just offshore Cape Fear recorded waves up to 12 ft ( 3 @.@ 7 m ) .
Tropical energy from the remnants of Nate and Maria merged to form a broad storm system that would track toward parts of Europe . The mid @-@ latitude cyclone produced a day of heavy rains across the Scottish Highlands that included a 24 @-@ hour precipitation total of 5 @.@ 17 in ( 131 mm ) on the Isle of Skye . As it continued north , the storm also dropped torrential rainfall over Western Norway . The region suffered extensive flooding and mudslides , including one that killed one person and injured nine more . Although the remnants of Nate and Maria avoided England , they broke a streak of above @-@ average temperatures in the region , filtering down much cooler Arctic air . In places , this led to the first frost of the winter season . Temperatures down to − 1 @.@ 7 ° C ( 28 @.@ 9 ° F ) were recorded following the influx of colder air , with readings below freezing as far south as Hertfordshire .
Four Canadian Navy ships headed to the Gulf Coast of the United States , carrying relief supplies to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina , were slowed down trying to avoid Hurricanes Nate and Ophelia . The convoy included a destroyer , two frigates , and an icebreaker , and developed a plan to travel between the two hurricanes to minimize damage to their cargo . Crews , anticipating potentially rough seas and gusty winds even with the averted course , secured onboard supplies such as generators , chainsaws , diapers , and cots . The genesis of Tropical Storm Nate continued the unprecedented levels of tropical activity during the 2005 hurricane season ; when it developed on September 5 , it was the earliest in any season that the fourteenth named tropical cyclone formed , surpassing the previous record held by an unnamed storm during the 1936 season .
= Bribery Act 2010 =
The Bribery Act 2010 ( c.23 ) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that covers the criminal law relating to bribery . Introduced to Parliament in the Queen 's Speech in 2009 after several decades of reports and draft bills , the Act received the Royal Assent on 8 April 2010 following cross @-@ party support . Initially scheduled to enter into force in April 2010 , this was changed to 1 July 2011 . The Act repeals all previous statutory and common law provisions in relation to bribery , instead replacing them with the crimes of bribery , being bribed , the bribery of foreign public officials , and the failure of a commercial organisation to prevent bribery on its behalf .
The penalties for committing a crime under the Act are a maximum of 10 years ' imprisonment , along with an unlimited fine , and the potential for the confiscation of property under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 , as well as the disqualification of directors under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 . The Act has a near @-@ universal jurisdiction , allowing for the prosecution of an individual or company with links to the United Kingdom , regardless of where the crime occurred . Described as " the toughest anti @-@ corruption legislation in the world " , concerns have been raised that the Act 's provisions criminalise behaviour that is acceptable in the global market , and puts British business at a competitive disadvantage .
= = Background = =
Prior to the Act , British anti @-@ bribery law was based on the Public Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889 , the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and the Prevention of Corruption Act 1916 , a body of law described as " inconsistent , anachronistic and inadequate " . Following the Poulson affair in 1972 , the Salmon Committee on Standards in Public Life recommended updating and codifying these statutes , but the government of the time took no action . Similar suggestions were brought up in the first report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life established by John Major in 1994 , and the Home Office published a draft consultation paper in 1997 , discussing extending anti @-@ bribery and anti @-@ corruption law . This was followed by the Law Commission 's report Legislating the Criminal Code : Corruption in 1998 . The consultation paper and report coincided with mounting criticism from the Organisation for Economic Co @-@ operation and Development , who felt that , despite the United Kingdom 's ratification of the OECD Anti @-@ Bribery Convention , its bribery laws were inadequate .
A draft Bribery Bill was announced in the 2002 Queen 's Speech , but was rejected by the joint committee examining it . A second consultation paper was issued in 2005 examining the committee 's concerns , before the government announced in March that " there was broad support for reform of the current law , but there was no consensus as to how this could be achieved " . Following a white paper in March 2009 , the Bribery Bill , based on the Law Commission 's 2008 report Reforming Bribery , was announced in the Queen 's Speech . Initially given all @-@ party support after its introduction by Jack Straw in 2009 , the Bill was , according to The Guardian , subject to an attempted filibuster by Members of Parliament from the Conservative Party . This followed pressure from the Confederation of British Industry , who worried that the Bill in its original form would hamper the competitiveness of British industry .
The Bill was given Royal Assent on 8 April 2010 , becoming the Bribery Act 2010 , and was expected to come into force immediately . The government instead chose to hold several rounds of public consultations before announcing that it would come into force in April 2011 . Following the publication of guidance by the Ministry of Justice , the act came into effect on 1 July 2011 . The Ministry of Justice also released a Quick Start Guide , which highlights some key points of the Act . The Quick Start Guide also suggests companies to consult relevant bodies for advice , including the UK Trade and Investment , and the government sponsored Business Anti @-@ Corruption Portal . In October 2011 Munir Patel , a clerk at Redbridge Magistrates Court , became the first person to be convicted under the Bribery Act , along with misconduct in a public office .
= = Act = =
= = = General bribery offences = = =
Sections 1 to 5 of the Act cover " general bribery offences " . The crime of bribery is described in Section 1 as occurring when a person offers , gives or promises to give a " financial or other advantage " to another individual in exchange for " improperly " performing a " relevant function or activity " . Section 2 covers the offence of being bribed , which is defined as requesting , accepting or agreeing to accept such an advantage , in exchange for improperly performing such a function or activity . " Financial or other advantage " is not defined in the Act , but , according to Aisha Anwar and Gavin <unk> in the Scots Law Times , " could potentially encompass items such as contracts , non @-@ monetary gifts and offers of employment " . The " relevant function or activity " element is explained in Section 3 — it covers " any function of a public nature ; any activity connected with a business , trade or profession ; any activity performed in the course of a person 's employment ; or any activity performed by or on behalf of a body of persons whether corporate or unincorporated " . This applies to both private and public industry , and encompasses activities performed outside the UK , even activities with no link to the country . The conditions attached are that the person performing the function could be expected to be performing it in good faith or with impartiality , or that an element of trust attaches to that person 's role .
Under Section 4 , the activity will be considered to be " improperly " performed when the expectation of good faith or impartiality has been breached , or when the function has been performed in a way not expected of a person in a position of trust . Section 5 provides that the standard in deciding what would be expected is what a reasonable person in the UK might expect of a person in such a position . Where the breach has occurred in a jurisdiction outside the UK , local practises or customs should be disregarded when deciding this , unless they form part of the " written law " of the jurisdiction ; " written law " is given to mean any constitution , statute or judicial opinion set down in writing . The general offences also cover situations where the mere acceptance of such an advantage would constitute improperly performing relevant functions or activities .
= = = Bribery of foreign public officials = = =
Bribery of foreign public officials is a distinct crime under Section 6 , in line with the OECD Anti @-@ Bribery Convention . A person will be guilty of this offence if they promise , offer or give a financial or other advantage to a foreign public official , either directly or through a third party , where such an advantage is not legitimately due . A foreign public official is defined , under Section 6 ( 4 ) , as " an individual holding legislative , administrative or judicial posts or anyone carrying out a public function for a foreign country or the country 's public agencies or an official or agent of a public international organisation " . The inclusion of " through a third party " is intended to prevent the use of go @-@ betweens to avoid committing a crime , although if the written law of the country of the foreign public official allows or requires the official to accept the advantage offered , no crime will be committed . Unlike with general bribery offences , there is no requirement to show that the public official acted improperly as a result ; this is a distinction between the Act and the Anti @-@ Bribery Convention . The offence under Section 6 only applies to the <unk> , and not to the official who receives or agrees to receive such a bribe .
= = = Failure of commercial organisations to prevent bribery = = =
Section 7 creates the " broad and innovatory offence " of the failure of commercial organisations to prevent bribery on their behalf . This applies to all commercial organisations which have business in the UK . Unlike corporate manslaughter , this does not only apply to the organisation itself ; individuals and employees may also be found guilty . The offence is one of strict liability , with no need to prove any kind of intention or positive action . It is also one of vicarious liability ; a commercial organisation can be guilty of the offence if the bribery is carried out by an employee , an agent , a subsidiary , or another third @-@ party , as found in Section 8 . The location of the third @-@ party is irrelevant to the prosecution — according to David <unk> and Nichola Higgins in the Archbold Review , " therefore , a German business with retail outlets in the UK which pays a bribe in Spain could , in theory at least , face prosecution in the UK " . Under Section 7 ( 2 ) , the commercial organisation has a defence if it can show that , while bribery did take place , the commercial organisation had in place " adequate procedures designed to prevent persons associated with [ the organisation ] from undertaking such conduct " . Under the Act 's explanatory notes , the burden of proof in this situation is on the organisation , with the standard of proof being " on the balance of probabilities " .
Guidance was published by the Secretary of State three months before the Act came into force . The Guidance sets out 6 principles to be followed by business . They cover such topics as <unk> Procedures , Top @-@ level Commitment , Risk Assessment , Due Diligence , Communication ( including training ) and Monitoring & Review . The one firm conclusion to be drawn from the Guidance is that every commercial organisation that might be subject to the rigours of the Act needs to have a code of conduct in place that appropriately reflects the Guidance and to ensure its personnel are fully conversant with the risks and adequately trained . If it is then charged with the offence of failing to prevent bribery , it would be able to show evidence of the ‘ adequate procedures ’ which it will need in order to defend itself .
= = = Prosecution and penalties = = =
Section 10 requires the authorisation of any prosecution by the director of the appropriate prosecution agency before a case can go ahead ; this is a shift from the old regime , which required the consent of the Attorney General for England and Wales . Section 11 explains the penalties for individuals and companies found guilty of committing a crime . If an individual is found guilty of a bribery offence , tried as a summary offence , they may be imprisoned for up to 12 months and fined up to £ 5 @,@ 000 . Someone found guilty on indictment , however , faces up to 10 years ' imprisonment and an unlimited fine . The crime of a commercial organisation failing to prevent bribery is punishable by an unlimited fine . In addition , a convicted individual or organisation may be subject to a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 , while a company director who is convicted may be disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 .
= = = Other provisions = = =
The scope of the Act 's provisions is set out in Section 12 . For someone to fall within the Act 's purview , they must have either committed a crime inside the United Kingdom , or acted outside of the United Kingdom in a way which would have constituted a crime had it happened in the UK . For a prosecution in the latter case , the person must have a " close connection " to the UK , which includes being a British citizen , resident or protected person , a company incorporated in the UK , or a Scottish partnership . Section 13 provides the only defence available with the general bribery offences — that the conduct was necessary for the proper functioning of the intelligence services or , when engaged in active service , the armed forces . Under Section 14 , senior officers or directors in a company which commits a general bribery offence will also be liable for the purposes of the Act . In the case of an offence committed by a partnership , Section 15 provides that the prosecution must be brought in the name of the partnership and not in the name of any of the partners .
Under Section 16 , the Act applies to servants of the crown , while Section 17 repeals all previous common law and statutory offences relating to bribery , replacing them with provisions of the Act . Section 18 provides that the Act applies to England and Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland ; while the separate consent of the Scottish Parliament is usually required in such cases , as is made clear in Section 19 , a Legislative Consent Motion was passed on 11 February 2010 , allowing for the application of the Act within Scotland .
= = Assessment = =
The Act has been described as " the toughest anti @-@ corruption legislation in the world " , raising the bar above the standard set by the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act . Despite being " widely drafted and far @-@ reaching in scope [ and ] in many ways an improvement on earlier corruption legislation " , significant concerns have been raised , mainly around the fact that the Act may harm British industry 's competitiveness in the global market . David <unk> and Nichola Higgins , writing in the Archbold Review , argue that section 6 particularly has the potential to include actions which are ethically problematic but seen as legally permissible . Aisha Anwar and Gavin <unk> in the Scots Law Times take a similar line , highlighting as particularly problematic areas corporate hospitality and facilitation payments , described as " essentially a form of extortion on the payer and , although not a common feature in the UK , they are commonplace in many international jurisdictions " , which may fall under the scope of the Act despite being permissible in the commercial world .
= Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues =
" Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan . It was originally recorded on August 2 , 1965 , and released on the album Highway 61 Revisited . The song was later released on the compilation album Bob Dylan 's Greatest Hits Vol . II and as two separate live versions recorded at concerts in 1966 : the first of which appeared on the B @-@ side of Dylan 's " I Want You " single , with the second being released on The Bootleg Series Vol . 4 : Bob Dylan Live 1966 , The " Royal Albert Hall " Concert . The song has been covered by many artists , including Gordon Lightfoot , Nina Simone , Barry McGuire , Judy Collins , Frankie Miller , Linda Ronstadt , the Grateful Dead , Neil Young , The Black Crowes , and Bryan Ferry . Lightfoot 's version was recorded only weeks after Dylan 's original had been released and reached # 3 on the national RPM singles chart . In addition , the song was sampled by the Beastie Boys for their song " Finger Lickin ' Good . "
" Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " has six verses but no chorus . The song 's lyrics describe a nightmare vision of the narrator 's experience in Juarez , Mexico , in which he encounters sickness , despair , prostitutes , saints , shady women , corrupt authorities , alcohol and drugs , before finally deciding to return to New York City . The lyrics incorporate literary references to Malcolm Lowry 's Under the Volcano , Edgar Allan Poe 's " The Murders in the Rue Morgue " and Jack Kerouac 's Desolation Angels , while the song 's title references Arthur Rimbaud 's " My Bohemian Life ( Fantasy ) " . William Ruhlmann of the Allmusic website has described the song as a comic tour de force and music journalist Toby Creswell included it on his list of the 1001 greatest songs of all time . Music critic Dave Marsh ranked the live version of " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " from Liverpool that was released as the B @-@ side of " I Want You " as the number 243 greatest single of all time .
= = Lyrics and music = =
" Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " was recorded on August 2 , 1965 , at Columbia Studios in New York , the same day Dylan recorded " Ballad of a Thin Man " , " Highway 61 Revisited " and " Queen Jane Approximately " , three other songs that would appear on Highway 61 Revisited . However , " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " took more attempts to perfect than the other songs recorded that day ; it wasn 't until take 16 that Dylan and his band captured on tape the version that was released on the album . The backing musicians on the take that was used on Highway 61 Revisited were Mike Bloomfield on electric guitar , Al Kooper on Hohner Pianet , Paul Griffin on piano , Harvey Brooks on bass guitar and Bobby Gregg on drums .
According to Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin , on early takes of the song , Sam Lay was the drummer and Frank Owens played piano . In Heylin 's opinion , Gregg 's jazzier drumming and Griffin 's more fluid piano playing better communicated the feeling of dislocation that Dylan desired for the song . Take 5 of the song , which , according to Heylin , featured both Lay and Owens , was included on the 2005 album The Bootleg Series Vol . 7 : No Direction Home : The Soundtrack . In 2015 , the entire recording session was released on the 18 @-@ disc edition of The Bootleg Series Vol . 12 : The Cutting Edge 1965 – 1966 , while the 2 @-@ disc version of the album featured Take 3 and the 6 @-@ disc edition contained Takes 1 , 3 and 13 .
Lyrically , " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " continues the theme of road weariness from the album 's previous song , " Highway 61 Revisited . " The singer finds himself in Juarez , Mexico , at Easter time , amidst sickness , despair , whores and saints . While there , he encounters corrupt authorities and women of dubious character , named in the song as " Saint Annie " and " sweet Melinda " , before seeking succor in drugs and alcohol . The song establishes a nightmare vision as the singer is influenced by gravity , negativity , sex , drugs , drink , illness , remorse and memory . In the song 's final verse , the singer decides he has had enough and finds the means to leave it all behind and head back to New York City , where things may be better . Author Paul Williams has noted that scene and situation are combined into a gorgeous evocation of muddied consciousness in " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " , without ever resolving into a clear picture of what the song is about . Despite the sordid details of the singer 's experiences in Juarez , the lyrics maintain a sense of humor , and William Ruhlmann of the Allmusic website considers the song a comic tour de force .
During a concert in Melbourne in 1966 , Dylan said of the song , " This is about a painter down in Mexico city who travels through the North of Mexico up to Del Rio Texas all the time , his name is Tom Thumb , and right now he is about 125 years old but he 's still going , and everybody likes him a lot down there , he 's got lots of friends , and this is when he was going through his blue period painting , and he 's made countless amounts of paints you couldn 't think of them all . This is his blue period of painting I just dedicate this song that is called Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues . "
Like many of the songs on Highway 61 Revisited , " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " has abundant literary references , including images recalling Malcolm Lowry 's novel Under the Volcano and a street name taken from Edgar Allan Poe 's short story " The Murders in the Rue Morgue " . The song also uses the phrase " housing project hill " which is taken from Jack Kerouac 's novel Desolation Angels . A number of Dylan biographers , including Colin Irwin , Robert Shelton and Andy Gill , have suggested that the song 's title makes reference to Arthur Rimbaud 's poem " My Bohemian Life ( Fantasy ) " , in which Rimbaud refers to himself as " Tom Thumb in a daze . " In addition , some commentators have suggested that there may be a musical reference in the lines " And she takes your voice / And leaves you howling at the moon , " since " Howlin ' at the Moon " is the title of a song by Hank Williams , a musician who Dylan admired .
Musically , " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " consists of no chorus , but six verses , varied by a handful of chords and Dylan 's vocal emphasis . Keyboards , drums and vocals provide texture , while Mike Bloomfield plays Latin <unk> fills on electric guitar . The keyboard parts in particular make innovative use of two different pianos , with Al Kooper playing an electric Hohner Pianet and Paul Griffin adding a bar room feel on tack piano . In all but the final verse , the even lines rhyme and the odd lines are unrhymed . In the final verse , however , the odd numbered lines rhyme on " ee " and all the even lines rhyme on " uf . " This change in the rhyming pattern provides a subtle sense of finality to the final two lines :
I 'm going back to New York City
I do believe I 've had enough .
= = Other appearances and acclaim = =
In addition to its appearance on the Highway 61 Revisited album , " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " was also included on the compilation album Bob Dylan 's Greatest Hits Vol . II ( known as More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits in Europe ) and on another compilation released exclusively in Europe titled Bob Dylan 's Greatest Hits 2 . Alternate takes of the song from the August 2 , 1965 recording session have been released on The Bootleg Series Vol . 7 : No Direction Home : The Soundtrack and The Bootleg Series Vol . 12 : The Cutting Edge 1965 – 1966 .
The song has also been popular live in concert . Clinton Heylin has stated that " as performed live in 1965 – 66 , ' Tom Thumb ' became an inferno of pain . As if pain were indeed art . " A live version recorded at a concert in Liverpool , England on May 14 , 1966 , featuring Dylan backed by The Band , was released as the B @-@ side to the " I Want You " single in 1966 , and later also appeared on the Masterpieces compilation . The song was also performed on May 17 , 1966 by Dylan and The Band at the famous and controversial so @-@ called ' Albert Hall ' concert ( which in fact took place at the Manchester Free Trade Hall ) and consequently it appears on The Bootleg Series Vol . 4 : Bob Dylan Live 1966 , The " Royal Albert Hall " Concert . Dylan also played " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " regularly during his 1974 tour , and has played it in concert occasionally ever since .
In a 2005 reader 's poll published in Mojo magazine , " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " was listed as the number 13 all @-@ time greatest Bob Dylan song . In 2002 , Uncut magazine listed it as the number 38 all @-@ time best Bob Dylan song . Music journalist Toby Creswell included " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " on his list of the 1001 greatest songs of all time and music critic Dave Marsh ranked the live version from Liverpool as the number 243 greatest single of all time and as one of the dozen or so truly great B @-@ sides , noting that it demonstrated Dylan 's prowess as a great live performer .
= = Cover versions = =
Canadian singer @-@ songwriter Gordon Lightfoot covered " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " in 1965 in a version that reached number 3 on Canada 's national RPM singles chart , and number 8 on Toronto 's CHUM Chart . Other covers recorded in the 1960s include those by Barry McGuire , on his 1966 album This Precious Time , and Judy Collins , on her 1966 album In My Life . Nina Simone also covered it in 1969 on her To Love Somebody album . Nina Simone 's version differs considerably in tone from Dylan 's : while Dylan 's version is sympathetic , if sneering , towards the foolish subject , Simone 's version is an intense , first @-@ person account of illusions being crushed , until she is finally helpless in the hands of fate .
Frankie Miller covered " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " in 1973 on Once in a Blue Moon , Linda Ronstadt covered it in 1998 on We Ran and Bryan Ferry covered it on his 2007 album Dylanesque . The Grateful Dead have , on occasion , covered " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " live in concert , with bassist Phil Lesh taking a rare turn as lead vocalist , and a recording of the song by the band appears on the album View from the Vault , Volume One . Additionally , Neil Young covered the song for the Bob Dylan tribute concert The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration in 1992 . The Beastie Boys sampled the last two lines of " Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues " for their song " Finger Lickin ' Good " , which appeared on their 1992 Check Your Head album .