On May 2nd, 1999, in Munich, Germany, my wife and I have been lucky enough to witness Bob's third performance ever of this superb song. Seven times he has performed it in 1999, he even chose to sing it to the people of Duluth, the city of his birth.

Only once it had been sung in 2000 (Horsens, Denmark = the only performance within 14 months), before Bob was getting to "The Point" in Dublin in September. (I don't know how many of the few hundred lucky people, who witnessed Bob performing it amid other gems in Horsens, agreed with Bob's message that night: "Hallelujah, I'm ready to go, it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall, sooner or later we all gonna have to serve somebody, I'm trying to get to heaven before they close the door." The door will be closed, so serve the Lord, no matter who you are; the final rain will be hard and certain, so be ready to go.)

In Dublin however Bob pulled out a new and slow version of this fine song, which surprised most everybody and made me write down the following statement in my review the next day: "Absolutely amazing! If there was but one song for me to take to this imaginary island (we all play that game, don't we?), it would be this performance of "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN", which I heard and saw last night in Dublin. It was like Bob opening his heart (which is in the Highlands as we should know) for a few minutes, telling us exactly where he stands. Last night he really was getting to the point."

He repeated this show stopper several times since then (I saw it again in B'ham, Cardiff and Portsmouth). A wonderful confession, masterfully performed. Bob at his very best!!! It was on our way to Portsmouth, when I wrote my Cardiff review, that I first thought about the connection with "Hallelujah I'm ready to go". Both songs were performed in one set in W.Laffayette/Indiana on 02/11, in Portsmouth on 25/09, in Cardiff on 23/09 and in Horsens on 21/05.

I wrote in my Cardiff review: "The third verse started with "People at the station (sic), waiting for the train." We all know, that the train-image is an important one for Bob. I never saw last night's opener in connection with that, but in hindsight he sang "HALLELUJAH" like someone who just has been handed a vital train ticket, someone who is "well dressed, waiting on the last train" the slow train coming, which is picking up speed, as this world can't stand long. People get ready, there's a train a-coming. Hallelujah, I'm ready to go. - Powerful indeed."

Today I might add: "Some trains don't pull no gamblers." It is a serious subject Bob Dylan sings about in some of his own songs as well as in some of the cover songs he performs occasionally. Actually there might be not much time to gamble. "Be ready, don't wait to late."

Only three times in 1999 this song had been performed inside the US, when after more than fifteen months Bob chose to sing "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" again in his native country. So the Americans got to hear this beautiful new slow version nine times during Bob's fall 2000 college tour.

In Sendai, Japan this jewel was performed for the first time in 2001; and also for the first time in the same concert as "THIS WORLD CAN'T STAND LONG". Another most powerful combination, which Bob repeated on the following day in Akita. A week later in Osaka "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was performed again. Another week later at Budokan in Tokyo it was the sixth time (in six countries), that "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared on the same setlist as "NOT DARK YET". Two weeks later Bob Dylan performed "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" for the first time in Australia.

The first US performance of "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" in 2001 was in Lincoln, Nebraska, where Bob chose to sing it for the tenth time in the same concert as "I SHALL BE RELEASED". Interesting combination. An even more powerful combination (which Bob chose to present already once before, in Birmingham, England, where I saw it while standing first row center) was repeated in Blacksburg, Virginia, where "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" again was preceded by "DOWN IN THE FLOOD". "If you go down in the flood, it’s gonna be your fault ... I’m trying, trying to get to heaven before they close the door". The first European performance in 2001 was in Anzio, Italy, where for the second time "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared on the same setlist as "GOD KNOWS", before it appeared again in August in Vail, Colorado, once more picking up the topic of the night's opener, "HALLELUJAH, I'M READY TO GO".

It is a lonesome valley at times Bob Dylan is walking through on his way to the Highlands, but he "shook the sugar down", "got new eyes" and "the sun is beginning to shine on" him. He has been on the "highway heading down below", "down on the bottom of a world full of lies", but now he is "ready to go", warning his listeners not to "wait before it's too late", convinced that one day "they close the door".

"TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was not performed in concert for more that two years and two months after the summer of 2001. Then, during the European tour in the fall of 2003 this gem appeared in the show in Budapest, after being sound checked the previous day in Prague.

Almost two weeks later "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was the one most outstanding performance of the magnificent show in Düsseldorf, which my wife and I were honored to attend. It was a five verse plus harp solo rendition of this wonderful gem. Most sublime singing by Bob during this masterpiece performance; and definitely one of the high points of my concert going experience, ever, even surpassing the first slow version of the same song in Dublin, which I had seen in September 2000. Yes, this Düsseldorf version of “Tryin’ To Get To Heaven” would be my new “desert island performance”. It really was that good.

Three days later during the second show in Amsterdam "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared in the same set as "SEÑOR" and "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND".

The first appearance of "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" in 2004 was during the last of three shows in Washington D.C., where it was performed in the same concert as "GOD KNOWS", "I SHALL BE RELEASED", and "I BELIEVE IN YOU". Six days later, in Columbia, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" shared another set list with "I BELIEVE IN YOU", and this time also with "RING THEM BELLS".

During the third show in June 2004, in Atlantic City, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared again in the same set as "GOD KNOWS" and "I SHALL BE RELEASED". During the European tour; which started later that month, "TRYING TO GET TO HEAVEN" was performed in Glasgow, this time in the same show as "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND" and "FOREVER YOUNG".

In August 2004, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared two more times in the same set as "GOD KNOWS" and "I SHALL BE RELEASED", at first in Richmond, Virginia, and then, one week later, in South Bend, Indiana. One week after that, in Rochester, Minnesota, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was performed in the same concert as "GOD KNOWS" and "FOREVER YOUNG". Six days later, in Kansas City, during the last show of that summer tour, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was performed once more (with Elana Fremerman from "The Hot Club of Cowtown" on violin).

During the fall tour Bob performed "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" twice in California, in Berkeley, once more in the same set as "GOD KNOWS" and "FOREVER YOUNG", and in Santa Barbara, this time in the same show as "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL". A few days later "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared in Columbia, Missouri, once more in the same concert as "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND".

The next performance of "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was in Columbus, Ohio, two days after the US election, as part of a brilliant set list which also included "DIGNITY", "BLIND WILLIE MCTELL", "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND", and the fourth ever performance of "PO' BOY".

Six days later, in Toledo, Ohio, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared again in the same show as "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND"; and a week after that, in Kingston, Rhode Island, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was performed in the same concert as "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL".

The first appearance of "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" in 2005 was in March in Oakland, in the same set as "FOREVER YOUNG". During the first Sunday show of 2005, in Chicago, Bob Dylan chose to sing "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" in the same set as "SEÑOR", "GOD KNOWS", "SHOOTING STAR", "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL", and "I SHALL BE RELEASED", creating a very strong and thought provocing juxtopostion of some fine songs.

Two weeks later, during the third Boston show, another fine juxtoposition of great songs was to be heard, including "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN", "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL", "GOD KNOWS", "I BELIEVE IN YOU", and "RING THEM BELLS".

On the following Sunday, in Atlantic City, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared in an even finer setlist, together with "GOD KNOWS", "RING THEM BELLS", "I BELIEVE IN YOU", "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL", and "MISSISSIPPI".

During the May to July stadium tour of 2005, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was performed during all six Sunday shows, and all six times together with "GOD KNOWS". Three of the times they appeared in the same show as "SHOOTING STAR", two of the times together with "SEÑOR", and on the last Sunday together with the only "I SHALL BE RELEASED" of the tour.

Two more times "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared in July 2005, at first sharing a fine Sunday set list in Calgary, Alberta, which also included "GOD KNOWS", "SHOOTING STAR", and "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL"; and then in Missoula, Montana, where it was performed in the same concert as "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND".

In Karlstad, Sweden, during the third show of the European fall tour of 2005, "TRYING TO GET TO HEAVEN" was performed once again, as at times in 2000 or 2001, in the same set as "DOWN IN THE FLOOD", which reappeared on stage for the first time after more than three years.

More than two and a half years later, in May of 2008, "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" reappeared in Massachusetts, in a beautiful rearranged version [mp3 below], during one of the warmup shows for Dylan's fine European summer tour, where this gem was performed six more times, in Iceland, in the Czech Republic, in Italy, in Andorra, and finally twice in Spain (alas one day before and one day after the first of the three Spanish shows I chose to attend).

From August to November 2008 "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was performed eight more times in the USA and in Canada. In 2009 "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" appeared five times on stage in Europe in the spring, and twice in the US in the summer. During the fall tour of 2009 Dylan chose to perform "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" on three consecutive Sundays in October, the last of the three even in the same set as "NOT DARK YET", which did not happen since March 2001.

The next appearance of "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN" was eight days after that, during the first show in November, in Bloomington, Indiana; and then one week later in Philadelphia. Six days after that, during the last Sunday show of the year, which was the last of the three concerts in Boston, both "TRYING TO GET TO HEAVEN" and "NOT DARK YET" were performed once more in the same set.

Biblical references:


~ Matthew 25 ~

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.


~ Psalms 23 ~

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.