If you accept that songwriters can be poets, then absolutely. I love Dylan, as you might be able to tell by my name.
If you accept that songwriters can be poets, then absolutely. I love Dylan, as you might be able to tell by my name.
I would add Leonard Cohen, especially Hey, thats no way to say goodbye. For me some of the best songs are poetry set to music.
These Dylan songs show the great versatility of both the songs and the different emotions expressed in them.Originally Posted by Dreamwoven
For decades I thought Positively 4th Street referred to Dinkytown in Minneapolis where Dylan once lived as a student. Now I am much less sure, in many ways New York would make more sense, as I read somewhere that he had a girlfriend there and so the lyrics express his anger and disappointment at the breakup.
Masters of War also has very powerful lyrics, though as a protest song. Every grain of sand is in part taken from William Blake Auguries of Innocence., but put to music has an extra quality: this is from Blake, according to the Wikipedia page on the song:
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
Other songs by Dylan have been influenced by Scottish folk songs from the time of the Stuarts, as well as Irish. Does anyone know which, and how the lyrics were changed, if at all?
Masters of War was adapted from Nottamun town. However, that is strictly the tune.
A-Hard Rains A Gonna Fall is adapted from Lord Randall,
Oh where ha’e ye been, Lord Randall my son?
O where ha’e ye been, my handsome young man?”
That's the first two lines.
Thats interesting, Thanks! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Randall
There are lots of examples.
Pope of Eruke, you are clearly an expert on Dylan's music, which is a great resource to have on this thread. It would be neat if you could list the others that you know Dylan got from Scottish and Irish ballads.
No expert! Just a Dylan nutjob who knows a little bit about his music, trust me what I know would pale in comparison to the real experts haha
The most well known is Girl From North Country, and Boots of Spanish Leather (And the Donovan song The Ballad of Geraldine too) come from the song Scarborough Fair, Simon and Garfunkel did a version and the versions are all best on a recent (at the time) interpretation but it's an old ballad.
Last edited by Pope of Eruke; 07-04-2014 at 07:20 AM.
Has anyone here read Tarantula?
Never even heard of it before. I had no idea Dylan had written a book, and quite some time ago, too. Found it in Wikipedia and a selection of pages on google books. Creepy subject...
He wrote in verses and his lyrics are published in numerous places. That makes him a poet. Whether he is a good, bad, or great poet is another matter entirely.
"So-Crates: The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing." "That's us, dude!"- Bill and Ted
"This ain't over."- Charles Bronson
Feed the Hungry!
Pope of Eruke - have you read it?
Yes I have it on Kindle. If you have read the liner notes to Bringing it All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited it is similar in style to that.
I don't have kindle or any other e-book reader, and not those two specific LPs you mention. But I will read the google book truncated version soon.
Anyhow here is a more recent take on it http://www.bobdylan.com/us/news/new-take-tarantula
When it was published it was dismissed by critics, music ones at that, as a bunch of nonsense. Who knows, I am no expert and it might well be, but I found it interesting if nothing else.
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