Category: 19 October: Bob Dylan’s Songs

Personally I’ve never heard of Bob Dylan, probably because folk music isn’t a genre of music that I hear often. My brother loves the genre, and I love listening to it because of him. Theres one group that I like called First Aid Kit. They are more modern, but I like they’re style and music. Also when I watch the Walking Dead I like how they use a lot of folk music to match the story. A lot of folk music I listen to come from the show.

In class we listened to ‘A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’. I actually listened to the song again at home and added it to my playlist.  I really liked when Joan sings it though. That is simply because I liked the sound of her voice more than Bob Dylans, even thought I like his voice too. The lyrics of this song are better at telling a story than most of the music of today. Its a kind of song that you can listen to and think about rather then just listen to. In comparison to the music I listen to, a lot of the beauty in this song is the story about what Bob Dylan is actually trying to say about nuclear warfare. While the music I listen to are either just songs I can relate to or just like singing along and dancing to.

However I really liked the song when Joan sings it more. That is simply because I liked the sound of her voice more than Bob Dylans, even thought I like his voice too. In fact I think I liked a lot of Bob Dylans songs when someone else sang it, like when Peter, Paul, and Mary sang Blowin’ in the Wind. I really liked hearing them sing it.

The song I liked the least was probably Girl from the North Country when Bob Dylan sings it with Johnny Cash. I really dislike this song because of Johnny Cash’s voice, I’m just not entirely into hearing his very deep voice.

I can definitely see how Bob Dylan received the Nobel prize for expanding English literature into music. He literally takes a story and sings it, which is really cool and creative. He also makes it seem very easy to put the story with the right cords and melody because now I feel like anyone can easily make a song out of a story, even me. I’m definitely going to be listening to a lot of folk music after being introduced to it, but I probably won’t be listening to Bob Dylan’s music. I’ll probably find other folk artists.

The only Bob Dylan song I have ever heard before class on Wednesday was “Blowin’ in the Wind”. I actually forgot that I knew the song until we listened to it in class. I actually really like this song because some of the questions that are asked in it are questions that I have asked before, but of course not with the same words. The first question in the song is my favorite because it is one I want to be answered myself which is, “How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man?” This question is basically asking how many things does a person have to do or experience to be considered an adult. I always wonder what it means to be an adult because we are legal at the age of 18, but we are not considered mature adults until we are at least in our mid 20’s.

After listening to “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” a couple of times, I started to feel sad because it sounds like the girl of the “story” is leaving the guy. I seems like the girl is trying to apologize in her way and try to fix their relationship, but the guy is telling her that what’s done is done and “don’t think twice, it’s alright” because she has already decided to leave him. Every phrase at the beginning of each verse is repeated in a different tone the second time it is sung which emphasizing what the singer is saying. Overall, it was a sad, but nice song.

These two songs in particular stood out to me most because the questions in “Blowin’ in the Wind” are still asked today. It is interesting how a song from so long ago consists of questions with answers that are still “blowing in the wind” because it seems like we can never got the answers. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” has a theme that is closer to the ones of many songs we have today. It is similar to the love songs that many people listen to. The common theme is either the girl or guy is trying to express their feelings and in Bob Dylan’s song, the guy feels like he is being left behind. For a lot of these types of songs, the roles can be switched and can be in either gender or person’s perspective.

It’s not that I don’t like folk music, but it is not something I would listen to everyday. These two songs stood out to me most because I liked the lyrics.

Before class on Wednesday I had never actually sat down and analyzed an artist lyric, picking out particular themes and discussing them, but I found that while listening to Bob Dylan this practice became very natural. Also before Wednesday I never truly paid attention to Bob Dylan when he was on the radio and could honestly not differ between him and another folk artist from that period. Listening to Dylan was surprisingly pleasant and gave me a new standard at which to hold artist in regards to their lyrical message.
I enjoyed most of the songs on the playlist we were giving, but I especially enjoyed “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Tangled in Blue,” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” “Like a Rolling Stone,” told the fascinating story of a woman, who presumably grew up with a modestly wealthy family, but was now experiencing the real hardships that many faces every day. The story chronicles her journey from living high and mighty, to her triumphant fall, as she loses much of what she has early on in her life. The song almost is painting the image of a person who believes that they will live the perfect American life and live comfortably forever. Towards the end of the song, Dylan sings “He really wasn’t where it’s at, After he took from you everything he could steal” explaining that when her husband left he took everything from her, leading to her ultimate demise, being poor. Dylan then sings “They’re all drinkin’, thinkin’ that they got it made, Exchanging all precious gifts, But you’d better take your diamond ring, you’d better pawn it babe” explaining that while her old friends are out wining and dining, she has to struggle to meet ends meet. This song perfectly describes how arrogance can come back around and bite you in the butt.

Another song by Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” describes the forces that were driving change during the 1960’s, and how it was a “Join us or get out the way” mentality. This song speaks about the changing attitude that the youth in the country had more power than ever before and they were going to make that power known. This song also has connections to the Vietnam war, which at the release of the song was a hot-button issue in the United States. The song draws comparisons to both Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” and Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going on,” which have similar messages that the war was causing turmoil within many different communities within the United States. The song “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” is reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s idol Woody Guthrie and has a real southern, blues feel to it. Overall I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the music and would not mind adding some of Dylan’s song into my current playlists.

When I first was introduced to Bob Dylan during class, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to enjoy the music that he made. Since I never heard of Bob Dylan before and really don’t like experimenting in different genres of music, I was sure that he wouldn’t be my first choice to listen to at the gym, or at sitting at home. After learning that he did folk music, which I think to be similar to country, I really wasn’t excited to sit through the class listening to Bob Dylan’s music. I don’t really listen to other types of genres other than hip-hop and the occasional pop song.

The first Bob Dylan song that I listened to at home is, “Blowing in the Wind” and I’m pretty sure that we listened to this same song during class. My first impression on the song was that it was very soothing to hear. The chorus is simple, with no other instruments other than a guitar (I think, and maybe a harmonica) playing, but very enjoyable since it is very relaxing. Although his voice isn’t like the famous singers in todays music, I enjoyed it since it is his own voice, and not some auto-tuned or modified version. One thing that I can say about old songs from the 2000’s and below, are that most of them use their original voices and the focus is more on the singing then on the beats or instruments.

The next song that I heard from Bob Dylan is, “Like a Rolling Stone.” I actually enjoyed this song more than the previous song because it contained other instruments and had more engaging lyrics, ones that you can really sing along to. Out of all the Bob Dylan songs that I heard, this was probably my favorite one. The next song that I heard was, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” Truthfully, this was probably the worst song that I heard from Bob Dylan. His singing in this version (probably because it was a live performance) was sub-par to the previous ones, especially since he sounded like he was moaning. However, the lyrics really saved the song on this one. They had a gospel-like tone to it and reminded me of something that I would hear on Sunday in church.

The last song that I heard from Bob Dylan was, “Not Dark Yet.” This song was average to me, nothing special about it. The playing instruments in the background were slow and calming, however the main focus when creating the song were most likely the lyrics. I had to listen to the song twice just to catch the meaning and depth of the song. It had a very sad tone to it, with each verse having smooth but somber singing.

My final verdict on Bob Dylan’s music is that he is a great artist, but this type of music just isn’t for me. I do understand why people listen to him and see that there is great appeal in his singing, lyrics, and songs.

Last week in seminar we talked about Bob Dylan, who recently became the first musician to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.  Bob Dylan is a folk singer who writes songs that send some sort of message or attempt to protest something.  His music typically has more of a calm feel to it and the only instruments he uses are his guitar and harmonica.  It is said that Bob Dylan’s music can be described as sui generis, or a genre of one’s own.  In his music it is almost as if he is talking instead of singing at some points, which makes his music very clear and easy to understand.  His music is very simple, he uses only two instruments, and he uses very blunt lyrics to get his message across.  A lot of his music was anti-war and pro-civil rights and a lot of the things he protests in his music is still relevant today.

One of Bob Dylan’s most timeless songs is “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”  Many of Dylan’s songs are pro-civil rights and that includes this one.  In this song he sings “Come senators, congressmen please heed the call don’t stand in the doorway don’t block up the hall,” and this could be a call on members of the government to stop blocking progress toward equal civil rights for all, which is still very much an issue in today’s world.  His song “Blowing in the Wind” also touches on the issue of war and violence, which is still an issue today especially with all the occurrence of terrorism in the United States and Europe.  Bob Dylan’s music is timeless because although it is unfortunate it is unlikely that the world will ever be free of the issues he sings about.  However, not all of his songs were about such serious topics, for example, “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright,” is about a break up with his girlfriend, but it is still very representative of his style.  For example, there is presence of both the harmonica and guitar throughout the song, and he sings the whole song very slow almost like he’s talking.  Also even though it is a less serious subject he has not lost his very blunt words and doesn’t sugarcoat anything.  Some examples of this are “goodbye’s too good a word” and “you just wasted my precious time.”  Bob Dylan’s music will always be relevant because he focuses on such timeless topics and his words have a lot of meaning, unlike the music today which is very electronic and is generally not made to send a message.

The week in seminar, we discussed Bob Dylan, in lieu of his receiving of the Nobel Prize in Literature. I’ve heard of Bob Dylan before, but I’ve never listened to any of his songs until Wednesday, during class.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how catchy the songs were. Bob Dylan may not have the best voice, but it is very distinct. His voice is also very calming to listen to. His lyrics are simple, but blunt. They are very easy to understand. Listening to some of his songs, it sometimes appears that he is speaking into the microphone, rather than singing. During his performances, all Bob Dylan used was his voice, a guitar, and a harmonica.

That is very different compared to music today. As we mentioned during the seminar, music on the radios today focuses largely on production and special technical effects. You rarely ever hear someone singing, with just a guitar or piano providing the background music. I found it very surprising and pleasant to hear and watch such a toned down performance.

I really liked the song “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”, as well as “Blowin’ in the Wind.” I also liked “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” who we heard Joan Baez, Bob Dylan’s then-girlfriend, sing. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” had a lot of witty and zingers in it. I didn’t notice them when I first heard the song, but I listened to it again when I came home, and I paid more attention to the lyrics.

Both “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” were songs against American involvement in military conflict. They both paint saddening pictures of lives being lost in warfare. “Blowin’ in the Wind” focuses more on people dying because of the actual fighting, while “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” focuses more on the impending fear of nuclear fallout during the Cold War. I found “Blowin’ in the Wind” to be very catchy and I liked it the most of the songs we heard in class.

I also listened to “Like a Rolling Stone.” This song had more instruments in the background. I could hear a keyboard, drums, and a guitar. In the songs we listened to during class, the only instruments used were a guitar and a harmonica. “Like a Rolling Stone” was also funkier and more upbeat than “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” and “Blowin’ in the Wind”.

I also listened to Bob Dylan’s version of “House of the Rising Sun,” which became popular by the group the Animals. In his rendition of the song, Bob Dylan’s voice sounds edgier than in the other songs that I listened to, especially in the second half of the song. The tempo picks up and the song gets a rock music vibe, before the tempo slows down again towards the end. There also more parts in this song where it seems that is speaking rather than singing.

Though I never listened to Bob Dylan’s songs before, now that I have, I have to admit that I really do like them. His music isn’t like the music I typically listen to, but I do enjoy it.

In seminar this week, we talked about Bob Dylan, a folk/country artist, popular around the 1960’s and 1970’s. We discussed not only the history of folk music, but also a brief background of the man behind the music. The reason this was relevant was due to the groundbreaking feat Bob Dylan managed to accomplish this past week when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature, a bestowment that puts him among the likes of T.S. Elliott and Toni Morrison.

First, we were given a briefing on folk music, as a genre. To be honest, folk and country is my least favorite genre of music, but I did manage to grin and bear listening to some of these songs, which did not even turn out as bad as I thought they would be. Folk music is generally rough around the edges and is usually played with more acoustic instruments as opposed to electric ones. We learned that the texts/lyrics from some of these songs usually derive from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, and usually carry some sort of political message within them.

When discussing Bob Dylan himself, we mentioned that he was raised in Hibbing, Minnesota to a family who made a humble living. We discussed that Woody Guthrie, another famous musician who died around the time Dylan rose to prominence, was a big musical influence on Bob. We also mentioned that Bob Dylan’s music can best be described as “sui generis” which essentially translates to he is his own genre. It is also important to note that whenever Bob Dylan sang, the audience usually could hang on every word he sang, primarily because one could actually understand the words he was singing. In today’s music, the meaning and lyrics of songs can sometimes be distorted by catchy hooks, beats and over-production.

Finally, we were also able to hear some of Dylan’s songs in class. I generally enjoyed most of them, though some were not my cup of tea. My favorite would probably be “Blowing in the Wind” (even though we viewed the Peter, Paul, and Mary version)  simply because I like the melody of the song, though the haunting words revolving around war, peace, and freedom make it a good choice as well. Another song I really enjoyed listening to was “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” not only because of the melody, but also because it was a song I heard a lot growing up and a song that I heard a lot on television.

To conclude, while this would not be my first music style of choice, I do have to say that I gained a great appreciation for this art form along with the musicians who perform this type of music. I look forward to dissecting other styles of music in the future.

Michael Pinto

For this week’s class meeting, we began discussing Bob Dylan, who recently received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Bob Dylan is a singer and songwriter. His music can be classified as a part of the American folk music genre. Many of his songs feature him playing the guitar and the harmonica. His songs are often anti-war and pro-civil rights. One of Dylan’s songs that I found really interesting is “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall.” I like the peaceful music of the song and how the song follows a story as it progresses. Another Dylan song that tells a story is “Hurricane.” The song tells the story of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and how he was wrongfully accused of murder and was convicted of the crime. Additionally, I like how most of his songs carry real messages in comparison to pop music of today, which are mostly just catchy but not very meaningful. Two more of Bob Dylan’s songs that I enjoyed listening to were “Like A Rolling Stone” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” I actually heard these songs on the radio before but I never knew they were by Bob Dylan. Moreover, I heard the Jimi Hendrix version of “All Along the Watchtower” and, after listening to the Bob Dylan version, I found it amazing how a change in the music can affect the way someone listens to the song.

I like how Bob Dylan’s music has a simple and calming sound to it. In addition, most of his songs are unique and different. For example, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright” sound very different from each other. Furthermore, I realized that a lot of Bob Dylan’s songs are relevant to today even though they were written in the 1960’s and 1970’s. For example, in “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” Dylan sings the lines “Come senators, congressmen. Please heed the call. Don’t stand in the doorway. Don’t block up the hall.” I think that these few lines are still applicable to today’s society. Many Americans believe that Congress does not fulfill their duties of helping and carrying out the will of the people. Additionally, in “Blowin’ in the Wind” Dylan sings the line “Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’til he knows that too many people have died?” This line relates to society today. There seems to be conflict and violence all over the world, especially in the Middle East, but many people do not realize the entirety of the situation.

Ultimately, I would consider Bob Dylan’s music as unique and still relevant to today’s society.