selling your soul in music

[Vehicle]

I've always liked the movie Crossroads, just the soundtrack makes it worth a watch.

100% agree.

It's got some unintentional comdey. One day, Ralph can't take a sip of whiskey without gagging. The next day, he's sluggin' it straight and playin' the blues.

The best line?

After the hot session in the speakeasy, Macchio's going on and on about going on the road and being a blues man "Blind Dog Fulton & The Lightning Kid" and whatnot, and Jon Seneca (Blind Dog) says:

"If you spent as much time with your hands on them strings and you do on that girl's ass, you might get somewhere."

Awesome.

 

[TB_]

How will you even interpret that? Isn't your "soul" just your consciousness and memory? I really don't get it.

 

[Big Ears]

The idea of making a bargain and abiding by it occurs in the temptations of various characters in the Old Testament (bow to God to be favoured; fail and face damnation). It also appears in the temptations of Christ. If you have sinned, you have broken the deal and made a new pact with the devil. This remains the case unless you show repentance.

The concept of selling your soul was strong at a time when religious belief in Europe was fervent and people literally died for their religion - as a result of fighting wars, burning martyrs, boiling women in oil and other horrors. It also existed at the time of the Reformation, when the wealthy began to purchase indulgences, in other words, they paid large sums of money to priests, for the forgiveness of their sins, and a guaranteed place in Heaven.

If the idea of selling your soul reappeared with black slavery and the birth of the blues, it may be because these people were profoundly religious, but the music had a secular (non-religous) content.

 

[Jake T]

Ithink "selling your soul" basically means "doing whatever management, booking, record labels, etc. wants you to do to make it." Abandoning your own morals and principals for the big payoff of money and fame. I'm not a religious person. I believe the "devil" represents "the evils of shedding one's personal belief system for success and excess," as opposed to the "ghouls and ghosts of religion" type theory.

Symbolism. It's always been a way of appealing to the masses.

I think the idea of "selling your soul" to the devil comes from Christ's temptation in the wilderness where Satan offers all the kingdoms of the world to Jesus if he would worship him. In this case however, I have to agree with ElPatanico that it means "Abandoning your own morals and principals for the big payoff of money and fame" and not the religious interpretation. Kind of like what happened to Peter Frampton.

 

[Magic]

What if the artist isn't compromising any principles.......and is willing to do whatever it takes? I think most go into the business ready to do what it takes to gain fame and fortune.

 

[LG]

I read the OP and didn't realize Dylan was blues musician...I've always considered him a Folk rocker by trade. Not to get into a "overgenrification" argument or anything.

I think "selling your soul" in music is no different than any single minded individual who will cast aside Everything else and sacrifice everyone he or she has to, to achieve whatever the goal is. Look at Stephen Jobs, a very smart guy...but he would sell out his best friend or even a family member to get to the pinnacle and he did exactly that many times over his illustrious career.(His business associates all respected him but many also despised him after the used them for what he needed then threw them in the dust bin.)

 

[Magic]

Steven Jobs is now dead, too. An early death. The Devil collected his dues.