I love to read; I read compulsively. I get anxious at the thought of having time on my hands and being caught without something interesting in printed form.
I enjoy ‘literature’ of all sorts. At the moment, randomly, books by Anthony Trollope, John LeCarre, Robert Frost, and yes, Frank Conniff are on my night table. I read for pleasure. But, not having gone to college, I’ve always turned to books for education too. Since I was a child I’ve thought that writing a great book was one of the most amazing things one could do in a lifetime.
I feel the same way about songs. The greatest songs of the last 100 years (basically, since they’ve started being recorded) will last as long as the greatest books.
Bob Dylan is the writer of some of those lasting songs. Undoubtedly the most influential songwriter of the last 50 years, he has also written some of that era’s best songs (these two categories don’t always go together – one can have great influence without the highest quality, and vice versa).
It’s always bugged me when I’ve heard it said of Dylan that he’s “more than a songwriter… he’s a poet”. No one would deny that Dylan’s lyrics use many poetic devices, have many poetic qualities, and that his writing has expanded the everyday vocabulary of even the journeyman songwriter into more ‘poetic’ areas. And my friend Chris Gerolmo has reminded me that in ancient times most poets sang their poems – there hasn’t always been the division between poetry and music that we’re used to.
But I’ve always felt that Bob Dylan was a songwriter right down to his bones – not a poet. I’ve never heard a lyric of his that had a poetic effect or quality that didn’t also have – and I would argue primarily have – the qualities of a great lyric… That is, a musicality and a focus on the sound of the words as much as their literal meaning – in other words, written to be sung, not looked at on a piece of paper (or a screen).
You could truthfully say that, other than the ‘sung’ part, these are also qualities of most good poems. But in a song, the ‘sung’ part is everything! And Dylan has never stinted on that, never let his ‘poetic’ side overwhelm his focus as a writer of words that were written to be inextricably entwined with music.
Why are Dylan’s songs are sung so often, by so many? Because they’re not just great to listen to, they’re great to sing. That’s why singers like to sing them! Believe me, not many people are singing Bob Dylan songs because he’s a good poet.
I hope it’s clear I’m not putting down poetry… or literature. And as far as I’m concerned, Bob Dylan deserves any award he’s eligible for, including the Nobel Prize for Literature. But I don’t see songwriting as a poor relation, eating in the kitchen while the rich folk eat in the dining room.
So as great an honor as that Prize may be, I don’t view it as a promotion from being the greatest living songwriter.
Your thoughts on Bob Dylan and the Nobel Prize?
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RIGHT ON! AGREED!
Thanks, T!
I think one way to illustrate the idea of Bob being a lyricist first and foremost is the idea that when Bob chose his final version of what was written on the page it was informed by how it sang, how it fit into the the melody and rhythm of the song. The way certain words are held longer or are grouped together is most certainly decided by the musical structure of the song.
Bob is certainly a great poet and his songs have literary value but his great gift is songwriting.
In other words Bob is a great poet but his words have to serve the demands of the song form, which is no small feat. It has to be mentioned though that his poetry or his lyric also benefits from the power of the music that they are tied to. I guess you could argue all day about songwriting, literature, poetry and of course the idea of awards but in the end it doesn’t mean much at all. Bob is one of the great artists of all time regardless of how you define it.
Well put!
TC
The first song I ever learned was a Dylan (Tambourine Man) and I loved the last 2 verses of the song (which were very poetic) but they never made it to the popular version by the Byrds. So it goes. But he is inspiration with a simple complexity, imperfect vocal and clever use of language,that has a fun feel on the tongue, igniting insight with expression. Awards, well, okay.
Joyce,
Exactly. I think it was one of the first songs I learned too.
Best wishes,
Tony