"STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" had to wait until June 2000 before it appeared on stage, twice that month. Three months later my wife and I had the honor to witness the first European performance of this beautiful song, in Newcastle upon Tyne. This magnificent "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" truly was a brilliant one. It had been another of his first-time-in-Europe performances, which by itself was worth the price of admission. Superb phrasing! It was the eighth (!) song from "Time Out Of Mind" we had seen in five consecutive shows. This time Bob conveyed his conviction, that even when the flesh falls off of his face, someone will be there to care. Must be his Lord and Savior, who touched him so many times with his nail scarred hand and who will lead him beyond this burning sand. Six more times Bob performed "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" in Europe in the fall of 2000, and three times in the US in November.

In 2001 it was performed once in Japan, four times in Australia, five times in the US in Spring, but only once in Europe, during the first show in Norway. Two months later, in August, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" appeared in Arizona; and in October it was performed in California.

The first performance of this gem in 2002 was in April in Hamburg, where he played it already in September 2000; the second performance was in Nürnberg, fifteen days later. The finest peak of the Newcastle show a few weeks after that, which my wife and I once more had the pleasure to attend, was another superb version of "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY". It was a bit surprising to hear it again in Newcastle upon Tyne, as Bob had performed it on that very stage before in September 2000, which had been the first appearance of this gem in Europe. And again, this song "by itself was worth the price of admission". The guitar playing by Bob on this song was really beautiful.

The next performance of "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was during the first show of the North American tour in August 2002. A few weeks later it appeared again, in Omaha, and another week after that it was performed in Calgary.

The first performance of "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" in 2003 was on the first US show on Good Friday in Dallas, where Bob performed this song on piano and electic guitar. On the next two days, in Austin, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" appeared again, at both shows, also with Bob on piano. Next it was performed in Houston, and one week after that in Nashville.

In May, ten days later, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" appeared in Atlantic City; and another nine days after that in Little Rock. In July "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was performed in Jackson, Wyoming, and in Costa Mesa, California.

The first appearance of "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" in 2004 was in March in Toronto; and the second one was nine days later in Upper Darby. Five days after that a most sublime version was performed by Bob in Washington, and another nine days later "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" appeared in Atlanta.

Almost three months later, outside of Padova, in July 2004, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" had its first European appearance after more than two years, during a show which also included "I BELIEVE IN YOU" and "FOREVER YOUNG". Only three days after that, in St. Etienne, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was performed in the same show as "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND".

In August 2004, in Jackson, Tennessee, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" appeared in the same set as "SAVING GRACE". In October 2004, during the fall tour, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was performed in San Diego and in Iowa City. In November "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" appeared in Rochester, in the same show as "DIGNITY" and "PO' BOY".

One week later, in Amherst, Massachusetts, during the penultimate show of the year 2004, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was performed in the same set as "DIGNITY", "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND", and "PO' BOY".

The first appearance of "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" in 2005 was in March, in Portland, Oregon. Two weeks later, in Los Angeles, on Good Friday, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was performed in a concert which had started with "CAT'S IN THE WELL", and which also included "SEÑOR", "SHOOTING STAR", and "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND".

Another two weeks later, in Milwaukee, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was performed in the same show as "CAT'S IN THE WELL" and "MISSISSIPPI". The next appearance of "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was a few weeks after that, during the first of five shows in New York.

During the May to July stadium tour of 2005, "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" appeared only once, during the show in Norwich, Connecticut, which also included one of nine performances of "SHOOTING STAR" as well as the only performance of "MISSISSIPPI" during this tour.

In the fall of 2005, Bob performed "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" also only once, in Zürich, Switzerland, as part of one of the strongest sets of the tour, during his third of five Sunday concerts that fall, which also included "GOD KNOWS", "SEÑOR", and "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND".

The next appearance of "STANDING IN THE DOORWAY" was not until more than 11 years later, when Dylan decided to perform this song in Stockholm, Sweden, during the opening concert of his European spring tour of 2017, a few hours after the Swedish Academy met with Bob Dylan for a private ceremony in Stockholm, during which Dylan received his gold medal and diploma for the Nobel prize in literature awarded to him in October 2016.








Biblical references:


~ 1 Peter 5 ~

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.


~ Romans 9 ~

"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.