Mama, take this badge off of me

If you know your Bob Dylan, you know the title of this post is from his classic "Knockin On Heaven's Door." One of the first songs I ever learned to sing and play on the guitar, and probably the song I play the most still today if I'm just playing (which isn't often).

The song was written by Dylan for the soundtrack to the 1973 movie "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid" - which Dylan acted in as well. According to Wikipedia, the lyrics consist of a story surrounding the death of the Russian Orthodox bishop Jonah of Manchuria using the backdrop of the American Western frontier. I do not know if that is true or not. I had always thought it had to do with growing tired of "fighting the good fight." When you're burned out from trying to do the right thing and make the world a better place (and getting nowhere) you wanna take the badge off, put your guns in the ground, you can't shoot them anymore... the fight is gone, it hurts too much to care. And the only hope left is... heaven.

Hmm. Mama...