Bob Dylan: Difference between revisions

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''About a strange young man called Dylan with a voice like sand and glue''

''His words of truthful vengeance, they could pin us to the floor''

''Brought a few more people on and put the fear in a whole lot more"''|[[~~David Bowie (Music)|~~David Bowie]], "Song for Bob Dylan"}}

''Brought a few more people on and put the fear in a whole lot more"''|[[David Bowie]], "Song for Bob Dylan"}}

The most influential living songwriter in popular music, and an American cultural icon. Music critics refer to him by [[Last-Name Basis|last name alone]], and references to his life and career seem to pop up everywhere. [[That Other Wiki]] is a great place to learn the particulars, so we'll stick to the tropetacular.

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After a long world tour, full of [[Fan Dumb|combative press conferences and booing crowds]], Dylan dropped off the radar in 1966, one year prior to the [[The Sixties|''Summer of Love."]] He did not perform at Woodstock (despite - or perhaps ''because of'' - the fact that it took place basically down the road from his house), he did not protest the [[Vietnam War]]. Bob Dylan closed out the Sixties via duet with [[Johnny Cash]]. He nonetheless remains synonymous with said decade's "turbulence": [[Jimi Hendrix]]'s cover of "All Along the Watchtower" plays over about 70% of all Sixties montages.

The other major Bob Dylan reference you might encounter is to his "born again phase," which began with his conversion to Christianity in the late 70s. Attendant to this were [[Pandering to ~~The~~ Base|a few nostalgic, audience-baiting tours]] and some angry but lyrically intricate [[Christian Rock]] albums. Dylan eventually returned to more secular themes, but has never quite abandoned the doomsaying [[The End Is Nigh|street preacher]] point of view. On the other hand, in his personal life, he's been seen celebrating the [[Jewish Holidays|High Holidays]] at various [[Useful Notes/Judaism|Chabad Lubavich]] Hasidic congregations; make of that what you will.

The other major Bob Dylan reference you might encounter is to his "born again phase," which began with his conversion to Christianity in the late 70s. Attendant to this were [[Pandering to the Base|a few nostalgic, audience-baiting tours]] and some angry but lyrically intricate [[Christian Rock]] albums. Dylan eventually returned to more secular themes, but has never quite abandoned the doomsaying [[The End Is Nigh|street preacher]] point of view. On the other hand, in his personal life, he's been seen celebrating the [[Jewish Holidays|High Holidays]] at various [[Useful Notes/Judaism|Chabad Lubavich]] Hasidic congregations; make of that what you will.

Dylan still records music, which [[True Art Is Incomprehensible|people still don't really "get,"]] and is once again sacrosanct among music critics and record store employees. As ever, this is mostly on the strength of his lyrics—Dylan is nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature almost every year. Nonetheless, his nasal growl of a singing voice remains a point of contention among listeners. The stock Bob Dylan joke is that [[The Unintelligible|nobody can understand a word he says]], and he is usually depicted as talking exactly as he sings.

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* [[A Storm Is Coming]]: So many songs, but most notably "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall," "All Along The Watchtower," "The Times They Are A'Changin," "Blowin' in the Wind," "Shelter from the Storm," "When the Ship Comes In" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

* [[Ascended Extra]]: Dylan's mid-'60s touring band would go on to considerable success in their own right as, well, [[The Band]].

* [[Awesome McCoolname]]: Judas Priest from ''John Wesley Harding''. So awesome that [[Judas Priest ~~(Music)~~|this one heavy metal band]] took the name for itself.

* [[Awesome McCoolname]]: Judas Priest from ''John Wesley Harding''. So awesome that [[Judas Priest|this one heavy metal band]] took the name for itself.

* [[Ballad of X]]: "Ballad of a Thin Man", "Ballad of Hollis Brown", "Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest"

* [[The Beat Generation]]: Dylan has listed Kerouac among his influences and actually became close friends with [[Allen Ginsberg]].

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** And for some people, his interactions with [[John Lennon]]...

* [[I Know You Know I Know]]: "Tell Me, Momma"

* [[Intercourse ~~With~~ You]]: "Lay Lady Lay"

* [[Intercourse with You]]: "Lay Lady Lay"

** Actually, most of ''Nashville Skyline'' is made of this. And even before, there was "I'll Be your Baby Tonight" from ''John Wesley Harding''.

** Also the unreleased "If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You've Got to Stay All Night)".

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{{quote| "I don't believe you... You're a '''liar!''' PLAY IT FUCKING LOUD!"}}

* [[Pretender Diss]]: The [[Rockumentary]] ''Dont Look Back'' of Dylan making more-or-less friendly fun of Donovan.

** And [[John Lennon]] was convinced "Fourth Time Around" was one directed at [[The Beatles (~~Music~~)|The Beatles]].

** And [[John Lennon]] was convinced "Fourth Time Around" was one directed at [[The Beatles (band)|The Beatles]].

*** It was in effect an answer song to "Norwegian Wood." Lennon later was able to appreciate the humor.

* [[Princess in Rags]]: "Like A Rolling Stone". The trope could have almost been named "Napoleon In Rags", this song is one of the most iconic portrayals of that trope.

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** Many critics believe "Only a Pawn in Their Game" to be this trope's standout example.

* [[Refrain From Assuming]]: The song is ''not'' "Everybody Must Get Stoned," it's "Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35".

* [[Religion Rant Song]]: The [[Deconstructive Parody]] of [[~~The Bible (Literature)|~~The Bible]] in "Jokerman"

* [[Religion Rant Song]]: The [[Deconstructive Parody]] of [[The Bible]] in "Jokerman"

* [[Ripped from the Headlines]]: "Hurricane" and "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol", most prominently

* [[Rockstar Song]]: "Like A Rolling Stone"

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** Done to disturbing effect in "Ballad of Hollis Brown".

* [[Shout-Out]]: Hundreds, ranging from biblical figures to Alicia Keys. No, she doesn't know why either.

** [[Shout Out to Shakespeare]]: Frequently.

** [[Shout-Out/To Shakespeare]]: Frequently.

{{quote| [[Othello]] told Desdemona,

"[[I'm Cold... So Cold...|I'm cold, cover me with a blanket]]

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Her sin is her lifelessness

And though her eyes are fixed upon

[[The Bible ~~(Literature)~~|Noah’s great rainbow]]

[[The Bible|Noah’s great rainbow]]

She spends her time peeking

Into Desolation Row. }}

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* [[Smoking Is Cool]]: [http://www.last.fm/music/Bob+Dylan/+images/13979651 Exhibit A].

* [[Something Blues]]: "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Workingman's Blues # 2", "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues", "Tombstone Blues", "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"...

* [[Stay in ~~The~~ Kitchen]]: Hinted rather unsubtly in "Sweetheart Like You."

* [[Stay in the Kitchen]]: Hinted rather unsubtly in "Sweetheart Like You."

* [[Supergroup]]: [[The Traveling Wilburys]], with [[The Beatles (~~Music~~)|George Harrison]], [[Tom Petty]], [[Electric Light Orchestra|Jeff Lynne]] and Roy Orbison.

* [[Supergroup]]: [[The Traveling Wilburys]], with [[The Beatles (band)|George Harrison]], [[Tom Petty]], [[Electric Light Orchestra|Jeff Lynne]] and Roy Orbison.

* [[Take That]]: "Maggie's Farm" (written long before The Iron Lady's time)

** "Positively 4th Street"

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** "Just Like a Woman"

* [[Textless Album Cover]]: ''Blonde on Blonde'', ''Nashville Skyline'', ''Self Portrait'', ''New Morning''

* [[Three Chords and ~~The~~ Truth]]: His older songs, especially.

* [[Three Chords and the Truth]]: His older songs, especially.

* [[Too Many Cooks Spoil the Soup]]: His reason for the failure of the album "Under the Red Sky."

* [[The Unintelligible]]: Not the songs themselves, for the most part, but guaranteed that any parody of him will be this.