A light hearted look at the compulsion of being a Bob Dylan fan that I am republishing in light of the current hit movie ‘A Complete Unknown’ starring Timothee Chalamet as our erstwhile hero.
someone please direct me to ANY interview Dylan ever did that shows him as sensitive or intelligent enough to have written those early songs......I would happily be wrong but when I saw that documentary about Dylan ripping off Woody Guthrie it just FELT true.... again I NEVER saw an intelligent interview with this supposed genius.....love the songs....do not believe he wrote them
Dylan borrowed/stole/reinvented/took inspiration from the folk tradition which included Woody as Woody and Pete Seeger etc did previously. Nothing wrong with that. Dylan has always surrounded himself with the best musicians but the lyrics are what make his songs. Not sure how a person being an impatient asshole in interviews with people who had no idea what was going on rules him out as the writer of the songs. But like you say it always comes back to those songs …
There was some cabin in the woods that apparently Dylan literally robbed a book containing song lyrics from Woody Guthrie. I was very young watching an old documentary and a woman related to Guthrie stated this...I cannot remember program or documentary name .....if I do not like how a person treats people I don't trust or respect them ever....I remember feeling so sorry for that elderly interviewer Dylan mocked in a public condescending nasty way....
Never heard that before Rowena in all my Dylan reading but if it was true I am quite sure Pete Seeger, Alan Lomax etc would have called it out especially after the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where Dylan ‘went electric’ and upset the old guard. He’s writing magnificent songs in all genres ( rock, blues, gospel, folk) for over 60 years …now you might say the person we recognise as ‘Dylan’ didn’t write them and I have no answer to that until someone else claims and can show that they did. Again we wouldn’t be discussing this unless the songs weren’t timeless classics, not all of them but a huge amount. Those songs, those lyrics ….’To Rowena’ now where have I heard a song like that before. Thanks for your comments 🙏🏻
Prefer Donovan who I saw live in Whelan's now long ago...love a lot of 'his' songs I saw a documentary many years ago stating Dylan robbed from Woody Guthrie......also saw his treatment of that interviewer in Don't Look Back and don't care if he was trippin on acid......didn't like him since.....I like Mr Tambourine Man.....take me disappearing thru the smoke rings of my mind.....whoever wrote it??? Always felt Dylan too stupid to have penned those songs but.......
When I was born Dylan's song Sara came on the radio so that's what my parents named me ..with a h ...and they used to play it and other Dylan music on the record player at home so I've been aware of Bob Dylan for almost as long as I can remember ..even though I was born a little too late to get to the concerts I would have loved to get to as a teenager .
My son is called Dylan. His wife is called Sarah and her brother is called Dylan. You are one of many Sarah that owe their name to the man. He’s still on the road at 83 and depending on where you live you just might get to see him yet!
Hi Patrick, I love your work and felt compelled to let you know about a Dylan tribute act taking place in New Ross on the 28th of March. Tribute is the artist and he is bringing Dylan home, embodying Bob in his early years before he went electric. This is set to be an intimate event that true Dylan fans will appreciate.
Good luck on the road trip and keep up the good fight. Much love and respect to you sir. Keep on keepin on.
Hi Willie, Dylan wrote some of the greatest overtly born again ‘Christian’ songs ever back in the 1970s and 1980s and his lyrics have always referenced the Bible. ‘Every Grain of Sand’ is one of his all time greatest. As regards the ‘Chief Commander’ comment, I believe he was referring to God. Please read John Waters latest article for a more nuanced discussion of this. I recognise like you the ‘music industry’ for what it is but Dylan’s body of work is for the ages. They can’t all have been completely corrupted or at least I hope so. Thanks for your comment.
someone please direct me to ANY interview Dylan ever did that shows him as sensitive or intelligent enough to have written those early songs......I would happily be wrong but when I saw that documentary about Dylan ripping off Woody Guthrie it just FELT true.... again I NEVER saw an intelligent interview with this supposed genius.....love the songs....do not believe he wrote them
Dylan borrowed/stole/reinvented/took inspiration from the folk tradition which included Woody as Woody and Pete Seeger etc did previously. Nothing wrong with that. Dylan has always surrounded himself with the best musicians but the lyrics are what make his songs. Not sure how a person being an impatient asshole in interviews with people who had no idea what was going on rules him out as the writer of the songs. But like you say it always comes back to those songs …
There was some cabin in the woods that apparently Dylan literally robbed a book containing song lyrics from Woody Guthrie. I was very young watching an old documentary and a woman related to Guthrie stated this...I cannot remember program or documentary name .....if I do not like how a person treats people I don't trust or respect them ever....I remember feeling so sorry for that elderly interviewer Dylan mocked in a public condescending nasty way....
Never heard that before Rowena in all my Dylan reading but if it was true I am quite sure Pete Seeger, Alan Lomax etc would have called it out especially after the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where Dylan ‘went electric’ and upset the old guard. He’s writing magnificent songs in all genres ( rock, blues, gospel, folk) for over 60 years …now you might say the person we recognise as ‘Dylan’ didn’t write them and I have no answer to that until someone else claims and can show that they did. Again we wouldn’t be discussing this unless the songs weren’t timeless classics, not all of them but a huge amount. Those songs, those lyrics ….’To Rowena’ now where have I heard a song like that before. Thanks for your comments 🙏🏻
Well maybe I heard a rumor but I believed it! No doubt the songs are precious indeed.....otherworldly.....
Prefer Donovan who I saw live in Whelan's now long ago...love a lot of 'his' songs I saw a documentary many years ago stating Dylan robbed from Woody Guthrie......also saw his treatment of that interviewer in Don't Look Back and don't care if he was trippin on acid......didn't like him since.....I like Mr Tambourine Man.....take me disappearing thru the smoke rings of my mind.....whoever wrote it??? Always felt Dylan too stupid to have penned those songs but.......
When I was born Dylan's song Sara came on the radio so that's what my parents named me ..with a h ...and they used to play it and other Dylan music on the record player at home so I've been aware of Bob Dylan for almost as long as I can remember ..even though I was born a little too late to get to the concerts I would have loved to get to as a teenager .
My son is called Dylan. His wife is called Sarah and her brother is called Dylan. You are one of many Sarah that owe their name to the man. He’s still on the road at 83 and depending on where you live you just might get to see him yet!
Maybe we should have a ‘ people who owe their name to Dylan ‘gathering 😂..that could be interesting 😅. Yes maybe I will see him yet !
Yes I saw that movie! Excellent 👍 Blowing in the Wind and Masters of War strike a chord with the minority of courageous people of conscience like us ✊
Hi Patrick, I love your work and felt compelled to let you know about a Dylan tribute act taking place in New Ross on the 28th of March. Tribute is the artist and he is bringing Dylan home, embodying Bob in his early years before he went electric. This is set to be an intimate event that true Dylan fans will appreciate.
Good luck on the road trip and keep up the good fight. Much love and respect to you sir. Keep on keepin on.
Has everyone seen Jeffery Sacks speech at the Munich Security Conference?
US foreign policy for the last thirty years. The truth.
Short version with transcript.
https://johnmenadue.com/jeffrey-sachs-explosive-address-at-the-eu-parliament-sends-shockwaves-across-europe/
Long version with transcript.
https://newsparadigm.substack.com/p/jeffrey-sachs-heroic-speech-at-geopolitics
Patrick,
Do you think we should have a law like this. We have no idea if Pols. are benefitting from the laws they pass.
https://tuckercarlson.com/tucker-show-chris-josephs
Hi Willie, Dylan wrote some of the greatest overtly born again ‘Christian’ songs ever back in the 1970s and 1980s and his lyrics have always referenced the Bible. ‘Every Grain of Sand’ is one of his all time greatest. As regards the ‘Chief Commander’ comment, I believe he was referring to God. Please read John Waters latest article for a more nuanced discussion of this. I recognise like you the ‘music industry’ for what it is but Dylan’s body of work is for the ages. They can’t all have been completely corrupted or at least I hope so. Thanks for your comment.