Jokerman (song)

"Jokerman" is a song by Bob Dylan that appeared as the opening track of his 1983 album Infidels. Recorded on April 14, 1983, it was released as a single on June 1, 1984, featuring a live version of "Isis" from the film Renaldo and Clara as its B-side.

In addition to appearing on Infidels, "Jokerman" appeared on several Dylan "Best of" compilations, including Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3, The Best of Bob Dylan, The Essential Bob Dylan, and the deluxe version of Dylan.

Background
The song has been noted for its biblical imagery, and has also been analyzed as a political metaphor. In a 1984 interview with Kurt Loder for Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan discussed his inspiration behind the song: "Me and another guy have a boat down there [in the Caribbean]. “Jokerman” kinda came to me in the islands. It’s very mystical. The shapes there, and shadows, seem to be so ancient. The song was sorta inspired by these spirits they call jumbis."

On March 27, 1984, a music video was released for "Jokerman", directed by Larry Sloman and George Lois. The video features live footage of Dylan only during the chorus, otherwise being illustrated by photographs of figures such as Dylan, Adolf Hitler and Muhammad Ali, and paintings by artists such as Hieronymus Bosch, Francisco Goya, and Albrecht Dürer, with the lyrics of the song superimposed.

Dylan also performed the song on Late Night with David Letterman, backed by The Plugz. According to Dylan's official website, he has performed the song over 150 times live.

Personnel
In addition to Dylan, the song features Mark Knopfler and Mick Taylor on guitar, Alan Clark on the keyboard, Robbie Shakespeare on bass, and Sly Dunbar on drums. Percussion performed by Sammy Figueroa was later overdubbed onto the track.

Reception
As a single, "Jokerman" failed to chart, but was critically well-received and continues to have a positive legacy. The Telegraph named "Jokerman" as Dylan's fourth best song, while Rolling Stone readers named the song one of Dylan's best post-1960s songs, with the magazine calling it "a brilliant six-minute tune about a twisted figure," noting the song's biblical imagery. Rolling Stone also listed "Jokerman" at #46 on its list of 100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs. As a guest writer for Rolling Stone, Chris Martin of Coldplay wrote a tribute to "Jokerman", writing "How can this guy [Dylan] have a song that comes from this other world, and it's still so brilliant?"

Cover versions
Built to Spill covered the song for the Dylan tribute album Bob Dylan in the 80s: Volume One. It was also covered by Eliza Gilkyson on her 2007 album Your Town Tonight and featured in the play Girl from the North Country. Caetano Veloso covered "Jokerman" on his 1992 live album Circuladô Vivo.

Vampire Weekend has added "Jokerman" to their live sets for their 2019 Father of the Bride tour. On May 10, 2019, the band performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.