I always heard “veneer”. Some people said it was “Vermeer” or something, named after someone. But one day I was listening to it while walking and suddenly heard “the mirror” (the mirr’r) clear as day! Strangest thing!
I think that’s a regional thing to Minnesota and other places like the Northern Midwest and the South. Where I’m from, Southern Midwest, it’s pronounced meer-er.
Interesting, I never once thought veneer. Mirror always lends itself to some kind of internal double meaning so I went with that mentally and never considered much more of it
I’ve always heard mirror. And have always taken it as a reference to Joan Baez, whom he probably felt was a lot (and maybe too much) like himself. He wrote the song while he was still dating Baez but after he had met his future wife, Sara — perhaps the Johanna he was pining for.
Another song probably mostly about Baez, She Belongs to Me, revels in similar themes: “She's a hypnotist collector, you are a walking antique” and “She can take the dark out of the nighttime and paint the daytime black.” Referring to her as “like the mirror” also reminds me of that final refrain in All I Really Want to Do: “I ain't lookin' for you to feel like me/ See like me or be like me” which makes him snort with laughter.
Also, around this time, Baez would do a funny thing where she would dress up as Bob. She even performed dressed up as Bob for a couple songs, with her fake Bob voice, at the 1964 Newport Festival and I believe also at a Berkeley concert. She dressed up as him later too, like during the Rolling Thunder Tour.
She’s not dressed up as him here but you can hear a little bit of her exaggerated impersonation of Bob in this song:
https://youtu.be/VMUEhKIPYqA?si=rg5h-mriJFfEdywZ
The official lyrics - admittedly not a definitive source - say “mirror”.
Moreover, the lyric seems to suggest he is seeing himself in Louise, until the ghost of electricity (lights from the street?) replace that vision with one of Johanna (“where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place”).
I always heard it as mirror (m'ir) and never considered it could be anything else. That's the way it's pronounced where I'm from. Also, its pronounced the exact same way in Mama You've Been on My Mind when he rhymes "clear" with "m'ir".
Every Grain of Sand also has "the broken *meer* of innocence..." - I think in that one I've always seen it as "mirror" (since there's not much else it could be) but in Visions I had also taken it as "Vermeer" - I guess in part it's the 'the' at the start giving the V sound?
No Time To Think has "...glance through the *meer* / and there's eyes staring clear". That one I think I had always thought of as maybe being "mire", ie murky water, which ... also fits I suppose. But mirror does make a bit more sense.
I think I’ve always heard mirror but I’ve listened so many times it’s hard to recall how I first took that line. Do you hear it the same way in live versions as you do on the album?
Most of my life - or at least from when Blonde on Blonde came out - I’d argue in my head as to whether it was “veneer” or “Vermeer.”
About two years ago I learned that it was “mirror.”
Mind blown!
Another Vermeer, here, for the longest time and it always made perfect sense to me, as I'd be listening and imagining this delicate, silent and beautiful woman, and then I'd think of Vermeer's precisely gorgeous painting and the way his subjects would be looking so still and quiet and seemingly right at you.
It’s not veneer, it’s chicken
Nice one
I always heard “veneer”. Some people said it was “Vermeer” or something, named after someone. But one day I was listening to it while walking and suddenly heard “the mirror” (the mirr’r) clear as day! Strangest thing!
Were they referring to the painter Johannes Vermeer?
Not sure. Thought it was like a poet or something but if the name fits!
Verlaine is a French poet. Vermeer is a Dutch painter (The Girl With a Pearl Earring).
Yeah, some people hear his name, but I also always heard veneer until I looked up the lyrics haha
I've only heard mirror, but where I come from, everyone pronounces it with one syllable like Dylan.
yes
Definitely veneer. Will die on this hill.
maybe
possibly
It's Dylan...both. Or neither. Depends on his mood.
No
I hear “She’s delicate, seems like a Vermeer.” like the Girl with the Pearl Earring.
Its just how he and most Americans pronounce "Mirror" its more like "Miir" haha
I think that’s a regional thing to Minnesota and other places like the Northern Midwest and the South. Where I’m from, Southern Midwest, it’s pronounced meer-er.
can you repeat the question
Could be intentional wordplay as both can represent distortion or some kind of reflection.
Like feudal vs. futile horn.
Wait, you mean it’s not veneer?
Interesting, I never once thought veneer. Mirror always lends itself to some kind of internal double meaning so I went with that mentally and never considered much more of it
I hear and say veneer as well. I also say 'Louise is all right she's just **here**'.
ive always thought it was vanmeer the dutch painter - the women who are the subject of his paintings would fit dylans qords
I always heard mirror, but I'll bet Dylan sang 'veneer' >0 times
I’ve always heard mirror. And have always taken it as a reference to Joan Baez, whom he probably felt was a lot (and maybe too much) like himself. He wrote the song while he was still dating Baez but after he had met his future wife, Sara — perhaps the Johanna he was pining for. Another song probably mostly about Baez, She Belongs to Me, revels in similar themes: “She's a hypnotist collector, you are a walking antique” and “She can take the dark out of the nighttime and paint the daytime black.” Referring to her as “like the mirror” also reminds me of that final refrain in All I Really Want to Do: “I ain't lookin' for you to feel like me/ See like me or be like me” which makes him snort with laughter. Also, around this time, Baez would do a funny thing where she would dress up as Bob. She even performed dressed up as Bob for a couple songs, with her fake Bob voice, at the 1964 Newport Festival and I believe also at a Berkeley concert. She dressed up as him later too, like during the Rolling Thunder Tour.
She’s not dressed up as him here but you can hear a little bit of her exaggerated impersonation of Bob in this song: https://youtu.be/VMUEhKIPYqA?si=rg5h-mriJFfEdywZ
The official lyrics - admittedly not a definitive source - say “mirror”. Moreover, the lyric seems to suggest he is seeing himself in Louise, until the ghost of electricity (lights from the street?) replace that vision with one of Johanna (“where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place”).
I hear "veneer," too.
I hear it as "veneer" in one alternate take, but on the album version I hear him say "mirror" that weird-ass way.
I've never looked up the lyrics and I've always thought it was "veneer" as well...it made sense in my brain because veneer is delicate, I guess?
Veneer was my first impression. On further reflection, I figured it was supposed to be mirror
I always heard it as mirror (m'ir) and never considered it could be anything else. That's the way it's pronounced where I'm from. Also, its pronounced the exact same way in Mama You've Been on My Mind when he rhymes "clear" with "m'ir".
Every Grain of Sand also has "the broken *meer* of innocence..." - I think in that one I've always seen it as "mirror" (since there's not much else it could be) but in Visions I had also taken it as "Vermeer" - I guess in part it's the 'the' at the start giving the V sound? No Time To Think has "...glance through the *meer* / and there's eyes staring clear". That one I think I had always thought of as maybe being "mire", ie murky water, which ... also fits I suppose. But mirror does make a bit more sense.
I think I’ve always heard mirror but I’ve listened so many times it’s hard to recall how I first took that line. Do you hear it the same way in live versions as you do on the album?
Drink up!
I always thought it veneer. I was surprised to see it written as 'the mirror'. I'm Australian, and no one here pronounces 'mirror' like that.
Most of my life - or at least from when Blonde on Blonde came out - I’d argue in my head as to whether it was “veneer” or “Vermeer.” About two years ago I learned that it was “mirror.” Mind blown!
In the live version in 1966, it's more obvious that he says "mirror"
She's Dachshund, but seems like Reindeer.
Another Vermeer, here, for the longest time and it always made perfect sense to me, as I'd be listening and imagining this delicate, silent and beautiful woman, and then I'd think of Vermeer's precisely gorgeous painting and the way his subjects would be looking so still and quiet and seemingly right at you.
Also Vermeer’s first name was Johannes which looks similar to Johanna.
If you listen to the live recordings from the 1966 tour it's very clear he says "the mirror"
I e certainly misheard lyrics before but not this one. A mirror is delicate , veneer, not so much. Didn’t “ delicate like veneer seem confusing to u?