"Pressing On" is a gospel song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

and released as the sixth track on his 1980 album ''Saved''. When the album was released it was considered by many critics to be "one of the few bright spots on the album" and has stood the test of time by being covered by more than half a dozen artists in the 21st century. The song was produced by

Jerry Wexler Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...

and

Barry Beckett Barry Edward Beckett (February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009) was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in th ...

Composition and recording

In their book ''Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track'', authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon note how the song represents Dylan's "belief in God in spite of those who block his path or doubt", citing the

Gospel of John The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...

, Chapter 6, verses 30 and 32 as Dylan's main source of inspiration. The third chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Philippians contains the phrase "press on" twice. They also point out that the song is an invitation to listeners to "look toward the future", which seems to deliberately evoke the title of ''

Dont Look Back '' Look Back'' is a 1967 American documentary film directed by D. A. Pennebaker that covers Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in England. In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of ...

'',

D. A. Pennebaker Donn Alan Pennebaker (; July 15, 1925 – August 1, 2019) was an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of direct cinema. Performing arts and politics were his primary subjects. In 2013, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci ...

's 1967 documentary about Dylan, with the lyric: "Shake the dust off your feet / Don't look back". The version that appears on the album was the ninth and final take that Dylan recorded of the song at

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is an American recording studio in Sheffield, Alabama, formed in 1969 by four session musicians known as The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. They had left nearby FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals to create their own recor ...

on February 13, 1980. According to Margotin and Guesdon, "Dylan sings a superb gospel, a transporting vocal performance" and the musicians backing him "match the level of emotion released by his amazing singing, and the vocalists pick up to deliver a stunning performance".

Critical reception

In a ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' review of ''Saved'' from 1980,

Kurt Loder Kurtis Loder (born May 5, 1945) is an American entertainment critic, author, columnist, and television personality. He served in the 1980s as editor at ''Rolling Stone'', during a tenure that ''Reason'' later called "legendary". He has contribute ...

called the track "serenely stoic", noting that it is "in part, a melodic descendant of The Band’s '

The Weight "The Weight" is a song by the Canadian-American group the Band that was released as a single in 1968 and on the group's debut album ''Music from Big Pink''. It was their first release under this name, after their previous releases as Canadian ...

'" and that it "utilizes a gentle gospel piano and some inspired lead and backup singing to make a simple statement of spiritual commitment". Loder groups it with "Saving Grace" from the same album as a "genuinely moving" paean. Critic Dave Lifton likewise considers it one of the two "emotionally moving" songs on the album (along with "In the Garden"). ''

'' included "Pressing On" in a 2012 list of "Bob Dylan's Greatest Songs of the 1980s". An article accompanying the list notes that anyone who saw Dylan live in 1980 saw "an absolutely killer band, and Dylan singing with incredible passion and force" and noted that the show "often wrapped up with Dylan at the piano belting out this song". They also claim that "it deserves to be sung at every church in America. Don't get too tripped up on the message. Give it a listen".

In popular culture

The song is prominently featured in the

Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...

-starring "Pastor John" segment of ''

I'm Not There ''I'm Not There'' is a 2007 musical drama film directed by Todd Haynes, and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman. It is an unconventional biographical film inspired by the life and music of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors de ...

'',

Todd Haynes Todd Haynes (; born January 2, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films span four decades with themes examining the personalities of well-known musicians, dysfunctional and dystopian societies, and blurred gender ...

' unconventional 2007 biopic about Dylan. Bale's character, Jack Rollins, representing gospel-era Dylan, performs the song on camera (lip-synching a version recorded for the soundtrack by musician

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...

). Doe's cover was ranked #52 by ''

'' on their "100 Best Songs of 2007" list. Dylan himself praised Doe's cover as being “A once in a lifetime recording" in a 2015 interview with

Bill Flanagan Bill Flanagan (born January 14, 1955) is an American author, television executive and radio host. He was born in Rhode Island and graduated from Brown University in 1977. His books include ''Written in My Soul'' (1986), ''Last of the Moe Haircu ...

. "Pressing On" is also sung in its entirety on camera in two feature-length documentaries:

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

sings it in ''Muscle Shoals'' (2013), and the

Chicago Mass Choir The Chicago Mass Choir is an American gospel choir from Chicago, Illinois. The ensemble was founded in 1988 by James C. Chambers, who was also the founder of the Ecclesiastes Community Choir. Their debut album was issued in 1991; that year they w ...

, featuring lead vocals by former Dylan back-up singer Regina McCrary, performs it in '' Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan'' (2005).

Cover versions

for '' Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan'' (2003) *

for the ''

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

(2007) * Valdemar featuring

Mattias Hellberg Mattias Hellberg (born 13 June 1973) is a Swedish musician. Hellberg has worked with a variety of Swedish bands and artists in different genres, both as a permanent member and as guest or session member. Recording career Hellbergs career started ...

and the

London Community Gospel Choir The London Community Gospel Choir is Britain's first renowned contemporary "performance touring, inspirational gospel choir band", fusing gospel with multi-genres of music, including pop, soul, jazz, R&B, and classical. It was founded in 198 ...

on ''Saving Grace: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan'' (2007) *

Antony and the Johnsons Antony and the Johnsons is an American music group presenting the work of Anohni and her collaborators. Career British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Anohni's music through his Durtro label ...

for the ''

Thank You for Your Love ''Thank You for Your Love'' is an EP by Antony and the Johnsons released on August 30, 2010 via Rough Trade Records (UK) and Secretly Canadian (US). It also serves as the lead single of the band's 2010 album ''Swanlights''. Background In an int ...

'' EP (2010) *

for the documentary ''Muscle Shoals'' (2013) *

Glen Hansard Glen Hansard (born 21 April 1970) is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and actor. Since 1990, he has been the frontman of the Irish rock band The Frames, with whom he has released six studio albums, four of which have charted in the top ten ...

for '' Bob Dylan in the 80s: Volume One'' (2014)

Live versions

Dylan performed the song 65 times in concert in 1979 and 1980. Three of these live versions (along with an alternate studio take) were included on the album '' The Bootleg Series Vol. 13: Trouble No More 1979–1981''.

References

External links

Lyrics
at Bob Dylan's official site
Chords
at Dylanchords {{authority control 1980 songs Bob Dylan songs Songs written by Bob Dylan