We're rounding out the fifth season of "Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan" with a very special guest: U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo. A highly acclaimed writer and artist in her own right, Harjo joined the podcast to discuss “All Along the Watchtower” by Bob Dylan.
The song, released in 1967, is a mysterious poem about people making sense of a clear abuse of power. It has resonated with people for generations, and it’s especially relatable today amid the political and civil unrest around the globe. The version of “All Along the Watchtower” that most people know is the one by Jimi Hendrix, which he released just a year after the original.
Jimi Hendrix infused the song with immense passion and energy, showcasing his electric ability to improvise on the guitar. The pain of grappling with injustice rings through every note.
In this episode, Stephanie Shonekan and Joy Harjo discuss how Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix performed “All Along the Watchtower” and how Harjo first encountered the song as a young creative in a world crying for change.
"We have watchers. I think there are watchers of the land, or guardians, and watchers of culture and watchers of family members. And I think right now, what are those who watch and record the history of the soul? The history of the soul of a land, the history of the soul of a country? All along the watch tower, they're there right now, watching and recording what is going down and how each of us responds and acts." - Joy Harjo
“Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan” is produced by Katelynn McIlwain, Janet Saidi, Ryan Famuliner and Aaron Hay.
Special thanks to Nat Kuhn, recording engineer at the University of Maryland and Mark Johnson, recording engineer at KBIA.
This podcast is a collaboration between the Missouri School of Journalism’s KBIA News and the University of Maryland’s College of Arts and Humanities.
You can follow the podcast and other special projects on Instagram @kbianews and on our Facebook page, "Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan."
“Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan” Season 1 was produced by Janet Saidi, Kristofor Husted, Fernando Narro, Rehman Tungekar, and Ryan Famuliner, with host and producer Stephanie Shonekan. Season 1 was edited by Rehman Tungekar and Ryan Famuliner.
“Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan” Season 2 was produced by Janet Saidi, Ryan Famuliner, Aaron Hay, and Stephanie Shonekan. Season 2 was edited by Aaron Hay and Ryan Famuliner.
"Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan" Season 3 was produced by Katelynn McIlwain, Janet Saidi, Ryan Famuliner, Aaron Hay and Nat Kuhn, with host and producer Stephanie Shonekan. Season 3 was edited by Aaron Hay and Ryan Famuliner.
"Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan" Season 4 was produced by Katelynn McIlwain, Janet Saidi, Ryan Famuliner, Aaron Hay and Nat Kuhn, with host and producer Stephanie Shonekan. Season 4 was edited by Aaron Hay and Ryan Famuliner.
