Bob Dylan / 7:43
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, piano, harmonica; Stu Kimball: guitar; Denny Freeman: guitar; Donnie Herron: steel guitar; Tony Garnier: upright bass; George G. Receli: drums / Recording Studio: Sony Music Studios, New York: February 2001 / Producer: Jack Frost (Bob Dylan) / Sound Engineer: Chris Shaw
“Spirit on the Water” is a love song with some allusions to the Bible. The first two lines, “Spirit on the water / Darkness on the face of the deep” refer to the book of Genesis. The penultimate verse, “I can’t go to paradise no more / I killed a man back there,” evokes Cain, the murderer of his brother, Abel. Beyond these biblical references, Dylan sings of the importance of being loved, with the same sense of despair heard throughout his career.
In this song, Dylan seems to have as great a love for jazz as for the blues. This excellent jazzy ballad offers some very good instrumental arrangements for guitar and piano. The atmosphere is light and bright, and Dylan sings with his crooner voice, which foreshadows his 2015 album Shadows in the Night.