Bob Dylan — Profound, prophetic & a little bit magic
By: Tauna Pierce
Tags: Music, Spotify Playlist, Bob Dylan, Making A Difference, Poetry And Prose

Bob Dylan — Profound, prophetic & a little bit magic

A list of thought provoking lyrics and an awesome playlist too

Photo credit Paul Townsend via Flickr

“Robert Allen Zimmerman is a fuckin’ prophet”. I’ve said that a time (or twelve) in the midst of lively banter between myself and various music-loving friends. Because when music comes up, Robert Allen Zimmerman, AKA Bob Dylan, comes up. And when Bobby comes up, music lovers all have their two cents — on his sound, his muses and mentors and absolutely on the topic of his lyrical genius (or recklessness, if you prefer).

I’ll be honest here, I fall into the category of folks who believe lyrics to be the soul of a song, while the music is the dressing — the smart outfit, the pretty attire, the good comfortable shoes. I believe the two dance together in a symbiotic relationship, and when it works, there is a little bit of magic let loose in the world.

Some of Dylan’s songs wear dusty overalls and walk around with busted knuckles and bare feet. Others, often surprisingly, show up in formal wear with a pocket full of change — the kind that can purchase open ears in blue collar neighborhoods as well as in political arenas.

His lyrics are original and raw and fearless, and more than that, Dylan’s music speaks. It tells stories, it makes you think and consider and contemplate. And really, when considering the art experiment that is our lifetimes, isn’t this exactly what we ache for in a song?

Joan Baez & Bob Dylan via WikiCommons

Since before humankind stood up straight, the music we make has been our connection to each other and to our world. It has also been a fantastic study of empathy in the human heart, a record of the human condition and often even the prophetic outcome of it all.

When it comes to making music, Bob Dylan has “a different kind of penetrating magic” (words the writer himself used when describing lyrics in a 2004 CBS interview).

And now this elusive, quiet spoken wordsmith has just been awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature — the first singer-songwriter to be given this honor since the award’s inception in 1901. This also marks the first time an American has won the prize in over two decades.*

At the time of this writing, five days after he was awarded this honorable distinction, Bob Dylan has yet to respond to the Nobel Prize officials at the Swiss Academy. This doesn’t surprise many folks as Dylan has a habit of being scarce when it comes to awards and interviews. Sara Danius, Secretary of the Academy, doesn’t take offense to his standoffish nature, “It will be a big party in any case and the honour belongs to him”.

President Obama, professed Dylan fan, had a similar reaction regarding his obscurity after an invitation to sing at the White House in 2013:

“Here’s what I love about Dylan: He was exactly as you’d expect he would be…That’s how you want Bob Dylan, right? You don’t want him to be all cheesin’ and grinnin’ with you. You want him to be a little skeptical about the whole enterprise.”

Photo credit Simon Murphy via Flickr

With 500 songs and more than 40 albums, you could spend a lifetime weeding through, discussing, dissecting and interpreting Dylan’s music. It’s an impressive collection to say the least and his collective work has certainly made him a champion of human rights on a significant level - and a worthy candidate for this prestigious recognition.*

There’s no way to choose favorites when it comes to Dylan’s music. But what I do have for you here are some lyric excerpts from some of his most profound and thought-provoking songs. I’ve also attached a pretty groovy playlist which features these (and more) for your listening pleasure.