Jokerman is the opening track on Bob Dylan's 1983 album, the much less preachy Infidels, his follow up to a trilogy of Christian albums. Recorded on April 14, 1983, it was released as a single on June 1, 1984, but was not successful. It is often regarded as one of Dylan's best songs, especially since his sixties heyday. It has excellent ingredients - a good tune, excellent musicians (Mark Knopfler, Mick Taylor, etc), that distinctive voice and some trademark harmonica, Nobel laureate standard lyrics. The lyrics are full of biblical imagery (Standing on the waters casting your bread, Sodom and Gomorrah, Leviticus and Deuteronomy) and have been understood as a political metaphor, perhaps referring to Ronald Reagan. The video made for the sing includes photographs of historical figures such as Hitler, Reagan, Muhammed Ali and Dylan himself with paintings by Bosch, Goya and Dürer.
