All Along the Watchtower Allusions & Cultural References

When poets refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.

Literature, Philosophy, and Mythology

The title "All Along the Watchtower" refers back to Chapter 21, verses 5-9 from the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament of the Bible.
The line "All the women came and went" may refer to T.S. Eliot's poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," which includes the famous verses: "In the room the women come and go / Talking of Michelangelo."