Bob Dylan: The Mighty Quinn Meaning

The Mighty Quinn Lyrics

Ev'rybody's building the big ships and the boats,
Some are building monuments,
Others, jotting down notes,
Ev'rybody's in despair,
Ev'ry girl and boy
But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here,
Ev'rybody's jump for joy.
Come all without, come all...

1. anonymous

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   Apr 1st 2010 !⃝

   I do have the impression that this song is at least about drugs, and Quinn would then be the drug dealer,
   
   Everybody's in despair until Quinn the Eskimo Comes ? And after that everybody wants to relax ?
   
   Well that's my interpretation,
2. anonymous

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   Sep 27th 2007 !⃝

   In the 1960 movie "The Savage Innocents", Anthony Quinn played Inuk, an Eskimo. (It's on ABC television in the next day if you live in Australia - late at night.) This was shown on TV in 1967, and Bob saw it and was influenced enough by the character that a basement Tapes song resulted.
3. anonymous

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   Aug 6th 2007 !⃝

   There's a good indication that Dylan is referring to a drug dealer, but almost certainly NOT cocaine. This song was written during a time when cocaine was still relatively rare in the US (it didn't go big until the early 80s), but heroin was KING. The specific moods of people and their reactions also point to this: he says "nobody can get no sleep, there's somebody on everybody's toes." When heroin users are jonesing they feel and act just like this ---uncomfortable, restless and fidgety. But when Quinn arrives, 'everybody's gonna wanna doze." heroin is a narcotic e.g. Sleep-inducing drug. It creates a feeling of deep relaxatrion and users appear to drift off and doze, so much so that in some areas it's said they are "on the nod" because their head nods and drops as if they've fallen asleep.
   
   I therefore posit that Quinn is the local heroin dealer.
4. anonymous

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   Apr 30th 2007 !⃝

   It is most likely not about Jesus because Dylan was a Jew when this song was written.
5. anonymous

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   Mar 17th 2007 !⃝

   Watch the movie The Mighty Quinn. I read a quote from Bob Dylan that that's what he imagined the man Quinn to be. Even though his Quinn was a Eskimo.
6. anonymous

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   Feb 12th 2007 !⃝

   I'm pretty sure it's about a coke dealer. I don't think he's says doze or dose. I'm pretty sure he's says duce, which is an old slang term for cocaine. He also randomly mentions liking his sugar sweet. The fact that he's an eskimo is also pretty indicative he is talking about cocaine.
7. anonymous

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   Nov 18th 2006 !⃝

   Ok first of all is not about Jesus but just because he was Jewish at the time doesn't mean it couldn't be about Jesus. Bob Dylan was constantly reading the bible before he converted to Christianity. The song is about someone who makes everyone relax and this person is a drug dealer.
8. anonymous

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   Nov 12th 2006 !⃝

   This song cannot be about jesus. He was jewish at the time he wrote it.
9. anonymous

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   Aug 27th 2006 !⃝

   This song is simple. Its about some man that makes everyone happy and relaxed when he comes around. Its obvious in every prechorus. Its definately not about lsd because he does not mean "dose", he means "doze", like relax or sleep. It could be about jesus. Jesus makes a lot of people happy and relaxed.
10. benwiese

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    Dec 4th 2005 !⃝

    The Mighty Quinn/Quinn The Eskimo is LSD. This is confirmed by the line "everybody's gonna want to dose."
11. ManDude

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    Aug 7th 2005 !⃝

    I think it's about Jesus.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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