Bob Dylan is turning 80 today!

[sphinxsix]

One of my earliest memories of Dylan is connected with borrowing at the age of 16 a book of his early lyrics from a friend. My English wasn't good enough back then so I needed such help to understand them fully. I remember I didn't  need much time to realize that this guy was not only singing about something but that he was also simply brilliant at that!

Had no idea years later some guys in Sweden will come to a similar conclusion! 

 

Cool article from Guardian.

Happy 80th birthday to Bob Dylan, rock’s most prescient, timeless voice

 

And one more.

Bob Dylan is 80 today. But what’s his greatest song? Stars pick their favourite – and recall their own encounters, from Marianne Faithfull turning him down to Judy Collins whacking a policeman to get backstage

 

Care to share some of your memories or reflections on Dylan, guys.? 

 

 

[PeterSt]

Don't tell anyone ... it is Isis from Desire.

Why ?

 

It is from my youth and my first GF**. We played the album often on her turntable. Also later when we re-met regularly. Now :

 

After having searched here for more than 5 years after having lost her some 30 years ago, I finally found her and we met in a restaurant. As we say "alsof de duivel er mee speelt":

a. she went to the bathroom

b. next that song played in the restaurant.

Man, was I annoyed. When she came back the song was finished.

 

I could only tell her about "our" song just had played.

I know, 7 minutes. Women ...

 

This coincidence is inordinate. But somehow I can "do" these things. Listening to it right now again ...

 

**): we were 14.

[Allan F]

5 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

One of my earliest memories of Dylan is connected with borrowing at the age of 16 a book of his early lyrics from a friend. My English wasn't good enough back then so I needed such help to understand them fully. I remember I didn't  need much time to realize that this guy was not only singing about something but that he was also simply brilliant at that!

Had no idea years later some guys in Sweden will come to a similar conclusion! 

 

While I am a big fan of Bob Dylan and have been for sixty years, I can tell you that there are a lot of native English speakers who don't understand his lyrics, fully or otherwise.

[sphinxsix]

3 hours ago, PeterSt said:

Desire.

Why ?

 

It is from my youth and my first GF**. We played the album often on her turntable.

The only Dylans's album my first GF had  That's how I heard it for the first time.

 

3 hours ago, PeterSt said:

This coincidence

Are you sure there is such thing as a coincidence.? Personally I am not 

 

How about some music.?

 

 

[sphinxsix]

21 hours ago, Allan F said:

 

While I am a big fan of Bob Dylan and have been for sixty years, I can tell you that there are a lot of native English speakers who don't understand his lyrics, fully or otherwise.

Are you suggesting that his Nobel Prize came out of mishearing his lyrics by the committee.?   

 

[NOMBEDES]

All I have to say is that anyone who comes up with the lyric:  "the ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face"

must be a god.

[Allan F]

3 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

Are you suggesting that his Nobel Prize came out of mishearing his lyrics by the committee.?   

 

Not at all. If being understood by the masses were the test for greatness, many of the finest artists in virtually every field would be ignored. 🙂

[PeterG]

50 minutes ago, Allan F said:

 

Not at all. If being understood by the masses were the test for greatness, many of the finest artists in virtually every field would be ignored. 🙂

Also, many of Dylan's greatest lyrics have multiple meanings and/or are ambiguous.  It's a lot of fun to google them and read conflicting explanations that are well thought out.  His answers are blowin' in the wind

[sphinxsix]

2 hours ago, Allan F said:

 

Not at all. If being understood by the masses were the test for greatness, many of the finest artists in virtually every field would be ignored. 🙂

I was joking of course . I totally agree with your second sentence.

 

1 hour ago, PeterG said:

Also, many of Dylan's greatest lyrics have multiple meanings and/or are ambiguous.  It's a lot of fun to google them and read conflicting explanations that are well thought out.  His answers are blowin' in the wind

Very true.

 

I've just realized I've never read a book about Bob Dylan. Thinking about making up for it.

 

IMHO one of the best cover versions of any song ever. Dylan loved it.

 

 

[Allan F]

A most beautiful cover of a beautiful Bob Dylan song, all 11+ minutes of it. From Any Day Now, Joan Baez' 1968 album of 16 exclusively Dylan songs.