What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs- 1. Like a Rolling Stone 2. Tangled Up in Blue, Congratulations to Bonzai, winner of the contest (2 Viewers)

24. “Shelter from the Storm” (1975, from Blood On the Tracks) 

https://youtu.be/-gsDBuHwqbM

I was aware of this song subconsciously I suppose, but I never REALLY aware of it until the closing moments of the film Jerry Maguire. I heard it and said to myself, “Hey I know this song. From Blood On the Tracks! What a great song!” And it is, one of the best on that album, and easily the most positive, optimistic tune on what otherwise is a pretty angry and negative set. 

Covers Two artists that were heavily featured in the Ken Burns Country Music documentary, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris, do a pretty nice duet version here: 

https://youtu.be/z8N6lrDiKuI

 
23. “It Ain’t Me, Babe” (1964, from Another Side of Bob Dylan)

https://youtu.be/YoagldK69U0

Dylan’s first classic song of rejection, and his first declaration that he wasn’t going to be shoehorned into the role of a protest singer, or any other role for that matter; he’s going his own way. A warning of things to come, really for the rest of his career. Don’t depend on him.  The “no no no” was reported to be a mocking response to the Beatles’ “yeah yeah yeah” of “She Loves You”. 

Covers June Carter was born into Country music royalty. She fell in love with, had an adulterous affair with, and later married the biggest country star of his time, Johnny Cash. She was faithful to him as he fought off the drugs and demons that plagued his soul. At their absolute peak as performers together this is the tune they chose to record: 

https://youtu.be/HBHXUOogpOg

 
timschochet said:
24. “Shelter from the Storm” (1975, from Blood On the Tracks) 

https://youtu.be/-gsDBuHwqbM

I was aware of this song subconsciously I suppose, but I never REALLY aware of it until the closing moments of the film Jerry Maguire. I heard it and said to myself, “Hey I know this song. From Blood On the Tracks! What a great song!” And it is, one of the best on that album, and easily the most positive, optimistic tune on what otherwise is a pretty angry and negative set. 

Covers Two artists that were heavily featured in the Ken Burns Country Music documentary, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris, do a pretty nice duet version here: 

https://youtu.be/z8N6lrDiKuI
Click to expand...
I love this song...part of my top 10.  I especially love this live version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12rUOLtbQDk

 
timschochet said:
46. “Hurricane” (1975, from Desire) 

https://youtu.be/1FOlV1EYxmg

This is a straightforward narrative protest song in the style of “Only a Pawn In Their Game” and “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”, though written over a decade later at a time when Dylan was thought to have evolved from such efforts. It’s a bit controversial because some of the “facts” are still disputed to this day (the excellent Denzel Washington movie of the same name has only added to the mythology of Rubin Carter- I’m not saying he was guilty of the murder he was charged with, he probably wasn’t though nobody can say for sure- but he certainly wasn’t the heroic figure the song and movie claim, and he NEVER would have been champion of the world.) 

That being said this is a great rock and roll song, well deserving of Dylan’s top 50. The only question is why I don’t have it ranked even higher: it’s one of his most famous songs and some critics have it in their top 10. The reason I don’t is because lyrically it lacks the poetic quality of the very best of Dylan’s music; it’s a little too basic, a little too unsubtle. Still a wonderful tune though. 

Covers The only cover I’ve been able to find for this song by a (somewhat) noteworthy artist is by Ani DiFranco, and I’m not going to link it because I think it’s awful. 
Click to expand...
The song that got me hooked.  I of course think this should at least be in the top 20 but loving the list so far tim.

 
I pretty much think every song off of Highway 61 Revisited should be in the top ten.  That is an album that I need to have if I was stranded on a deserted island.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
22. “Lay Lady Lay” (1969, from Nashville Skyline)

https://youtu.be/LhzEsb2tNbI

Another of Dylan’s most iconic love songs, this one sung in the crooning style that so differentiates Nashville Skyline from his previous albums. I’ve always loved this tune, especially that marvelous chord progression at the very end. 

Covers I’ve spent the last day or so listening to a lot of pretty good covers of this song. I’m sure I haven’t heard them all. One of them that really stood out for me was jazz singer Cassandra Wilson from 2003. I’m going to have to listen to more from this woman; I like nearly every thing I hear from her. Lots of percussion in this used very nicely: 

https://youtu.be/dlVAfvZo1LY

 
21. “I Shall Be Released” (1967, released in 1971 on Greatest Hits, Vol. II)

https://youtu.be/E0pkHBVznLA

Its interesting that Dylan wrote his greatest Gospel song a dozen years before he converted to Christianity. This anthem is all about redemption and the saving of a soul. 

Covers There are several very famous covers of this song, such as The Band (both recorded and live at the finale of The Last Waltz), the Jerry Garcia Band, Nina Simone, Joe Cocker, Chrissie Hynde, among others. 

But I’m going here with a lesser known version by perhaps the greatest vocalist in the history of Gospel music (Rolling Stone once called her the greatest vocalist in ALL of music): the Late Marion Williams. Her understanding of this song, and sheer power and spirituality, is remarkable: 

https://youtu.be/AX9_5XWCCCY

 
20. “Ballad of a Thin Man” (1965, from Highway 61 Revisited) 

https://youtu.be/we37yX3zpKA

OK we’re in the top 20 now and that means we’re in genius territory: like @krista4‘s top 20 of the Beatles, we’re talking about some of the greatest songs ever written, though these aren’t nearly as popular. 

“Ballad of a Thin Man” is Dylan’s answer to the cultural changes of his generation and his sympathy for the “square”; the regular guy trying to live his life who looks around at all the “happenings” and doesn’t quite get it. He uses poetry and a powerful rock hook to make his point, and it really doesn’t get any better than this. I have this song at #20 but that’s purely arbitrary; if you want to rank it as Dylan’s greatest song ever or as THE greatest song ever, I’m not going to argue too much about it. 

Covers This is another song the Dead just loved to do live, and since they did it better than anyone else, they get the nod: 

https://youtu.be/KAZ4-Ed_52g

 
timschochet said:
20. “Ballad of a Thin Man” (1965, from Highway 61 Revisited) 

https://youtu.be/we37yX3zpKA

OK we’re in the top 20 now and that means we’re in genius territory: like @krista4‘s top 20 of the Beatles, we’re talking about some of the greatest songs ever written, though these aren’t nearly as popular. 

“Ballad of a Thin Man” is Dylan’s answer to the cultural changes of his generation and his sympathy for the “square”; the regular guy trying to live his life who looks around at all the “happenings” and doesn’t quite get it. He uses poetry and a powerful rock hook to make his point, and it really doesn’t get any better than this. I have this song at #20 but that’s purely arbitrary; if you want to rank it as Dylan’s greatest song ever or as THE greatest song ever, I’m not going to argue too much about it. 

Covers This is another song the Dead just loved to do live, and since they did it better than anyone else, they get the nod: 

https://youtu.be/KAZ4-Ed_52g
Click to expand...
Being tagged here is a reminder that, other than posting to say I was looking forward to this, I've read nothing in this thread.  I keep thinking I need to set a big chunk of time aside on a weekend, and I will power-read it!  Not this weekend, though...maybe the next.  Still excited and looking forward to learning a lot!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
19. “All Along the Watchtower” (1967, from John Wesley Harding) 

https://youtu.be/bT7Hj-ea0VE

Per wiki, this is the song that Dylan has performed most often in his live shows. That surprises me. I’m not sure what I would have guessed if asked but I don’t think it would have been this one. 

Its said that the Dylan version is about the lyrics and the Hendrix version is about the music. Lyrically this song could fit right in on any Led Zeppelin album. 

Covers Obviously, Jimi: 

https://youtu.be/TLV4_xaYynY

 
krista4 said:
Being tagged here is a reminder that, other than posting to say I was looking forward to this, I've read nothing in this thread.  I keep thinking I need to set a big chunk of time aside on a weekend, and I will power-read it!  Not this weekend, though...maybe the next.  Still excited and looking forward to learning a lot!
Click to expand...
Hopefully you’ll do some hippling as you read it. I would love that. 

 
timschochet said:
19. “All Along the Watchtower” (1967, from John Wesley Harding) 

https://youtu.be/bT7Hj-ea0VE

Per wiki, this is the song that Dylan has performed most often in his live shows. That surprises me. I’m not sure what I would have guessed if asked but I don’t think it would have been this one. 

Its said that the Dylan version is about the lyrics and the Hendrix version is about the music. Lyrically this song could fit right in on any Led Zeppelin album. 

Covers Obviously, Jimi: 

https://youtu.be/TLV4_xaYynY
Click to expand...
I do have a funny story about this.  So, the year is 1984 (so this means no googles, youtube, nor interwebz at your fingertips, etc.) and if you wanted music knowledge you had books (library, bookstores in the mall, etc.), your buddy the know it all music geek, AM/FM radio and the record store and that's about it.  I was (and still am) a huge Jimi Hendrix fan, partly because as a fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan, mostly because Jimi was amazing.  Anyway, it's late at night, I'm 16 years old, I'm driving along the highway, FM radio playing and they play the Bob Dylan version of "All Along The Watchtower" and as I'm listening to it, I started laughing because at first I thought it was a joke (this is when FM stations had the wacky DJ's doing kooky on air pranks, SNL was doing the Bob Dylan impression, etc.) and then I thought, "oh wait, that's actually Bob Dylan, not a spoof" and then I'm thinking "oh my God he's destroying Jimi Hendrix's song" and then I got pissed about this stupid remake Bob Dylan did and I wanted to call and complain but I thought "I'd like to hear an explanation about this and this better be good!"  And to put this into a little bit of context, Bob Dylan (in my mind) had a bit of a resurgence with his Infidel's album, MTV exposure and Jimi Hendrix songs (to me, at that time) were seemingly bubbling up to more airplay at that time, I think partially b/c of SRV playing some of his songs so, again, in that context I thought this was a PR stunt for Dylan to sell more albums.

Anyway, when the DJ explained it was Bob Dylan's song, blah, blah, blah I felt like the biggest idiot on the planet.  I lived 16 years not knowing that was Bob Dylan's song.  I felt like an even bigger idiot though when I asked my HS buddies the next day and it turned out, I was the only idiot in the group that didn't know it was originally Bob Dylan's song.  D'oh!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
18. “Visions of Johanna” (1966, from Blonde on Blonde) 

https://youtu.be/AwuCF5lYqEE

Beautiful song, amazing lyrics. Don’t try to understand them too closely though. I’ve found with a lot of this music it’s better simply to hear a line or two and associate that with something in your own personal life rather than trying to figure out what it meant to Dylan. 

This song would be even higher on my list, perhaps right at or near the very top except for one thing: that harmonica. It’s just a little too sharp, a little too loud. And I have to admit that this is a problem for me with a lot of Dylan’s songs in the 60s, but especially this one and a few others. 

Covers Mick Jagger’s old love interest Marianne Faithful did a very nice version of this in her deadpan style: 

https://youtu.be/6ZoslciWMeo

 
Sullie said:
I do have a funny story about this.  So, the year is 1984 (so this means no googles, youtube, nor interwebz at your fingertips, etc.) and if you wanted music knowledge you had books (library, bookstores in the mall, etc.), your buddy the know it all music geek, AM/FM radio and the record store and that's about it.  I was (and still am) a huge Jimi Hendrix fan, partly because as a fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan, mostly because Jimi was amazing.  Anyway, it's late at night, I'm 16 years old, I'm driving along the highway, FM radio playing and they play the Bob Dylan version of "All Along The Watchtower" and as I'm listening to it, I started laughing because at first I thought it was a joke (this is when FM stations had the wacky DJ's doing kooky on air pranks, SNL was doing the Bob Dylan impression, etc.) and then I thought, "oh wait, that's actually Bob Dylan, not a spoof" and then I'm thinking "oh my God he's destroying Jimi Hendrix's song" and then I got pissed about this stupid remake Bob Dylan did and I wanted to call and complain but I thought "I'd like to hear an explanation about this and this better be good!"  And to put this into a little bit of context, Bob Dylan (in my mind) had a bit of a resurgence with his Infidel's album, MTV exposure and Jimi Hendrix songs (to me, at that time) were seemingly bubbling up to more airplay at that time, I think partially b/c of SRV playing some of his songs so, again, in that context I thought this was a PR stunt for Dylan to sell more albums.

Anyway, when the DJ explained it was Bob Dylan's song, blah, blah, blah I felt like the biggest idiot on the planet.  I lived 16 years not knowing that was Bob Dylan's song.  I felt like an even bigger idiot though when I asked my HS buddies the next day and it turned out, I was the only idiot in the group that didn't know it was originally Bob Dylan's song.  D'oh!
Click to expand...
I do stuff like this all the time. 

 
timschochet said:
18. “Visions of Johanna” (1966, from Blonde on Blonde) 

https://youtu.be/AwuCF5lYqEE

Beautiful song, amazing lyrics. Don’t try to understand them too closely though. I’ve found with a lot of this music it’s better simply to hear a line or two and associate that with something in your own personal life rather than trying to figure out what it meant to Dylan. 

This song would be even higher on my list, perhaps right at or near the very top except for one thing: that harmonica. It’s just a little too sharp, a little too loud. And I have to admit that this is a problem for me with a lot of Dylan’s songs in the 60s, but especially this one and a few others. 

Covers Mick Jagger’s old love interest Marianne Faithful did a very nice version of this in her deadpan style: 

https://youtu.be/6ZoslciWMeo
Click to expand...
I find that the harmonica play is one of the things that draws me to Dylan's music.  For me it adds a level of uniqueness, much like his voice.

 
timschochet said:
18. “Visions of Johanna” (1966, from Blonde on Blonde) 

https://youtu.be/AwuCF5lYqEE

Beautiful song, amazing lyrics. Don’t try to understand them too closely though. I’ve found with a lot of this music it’s better simply to hear a line or two and associate that with something in your own personal life rather than trying to figure out what it meant to Dylan. 

This song would be even higher on my list, perhaps right at or near the very top except for one thing: that harmonica. It’s just a little too sharp, a little too loud. And I have to admit that this is a problem for me with a lot of Dylan’s songs in the 60s, but especially this one and a few others. 

Covers Mick Jagger’s old love interest Marianne Faithful did a very nice version of this in her deadpan style: 

https://youtu.be/6ZoslciWMeo
Click to expand...
I think there’s an 8 in there that doesn’t belong.

 
timschochet said:
24. “Shelter from the Storm” (1975, from Blood On the Tracks) 

https://youtu.be/-gsDBuHwqbM

I was aware of this song subconsciously I suppose, but I never REALLY aware of it until the closing moments of the film Jerry Maguire. I heard it and said to myself, “Hey I know this song. From Blood On the Tracks! What a great song!” And it is, one of the best on that album, and easily the most positive, optimistic tune on what otherwise is a pretty angry and negative set. 

Covers Two artists that were heavily featured in the Ken Burns Country Music documentary, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris, do a pretty nice duet version here: 

https://youtu.be/z8N6lrDiKuI
Click to expand...
Whoa... this would be top 2-3 for me.  Maybe #1.

Suddenly I turned around and she was standin' there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
Come in, she said -- I'll give ya shelter from the storm

 
Last edited by a moderator:
17. “My Back Pages” (1964, from Another Side of Bob Dylan)

https://youtu.be/92cF_KCH7TU

For some reason I know this entire song by heart, word for word, despite the indecipherable lyrics. Well actually I sort of get what he’s talking about. I used to think that the last line of each verse was just a smart play on words, but then it occurred to me that he really is making a point about the relativity of age. My favorite verse, from memory: 

A self ordained professor’s tongue too serious to fool 

shouted out that liberty is just equality in school

equality, I spoke the word as if a wedding vow 

Ah but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now

Covers On the Byrds’ version (from their album Younger Than Yesterday) Roger McGuinn introduced a guitar lead on his 12 string Rickenbacker that came to define the song. Then in 1992 a group of very famous people performed the Byrds’ version (with the same guitar lead) for the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert, creating the best ever cover of this fine tune. The featured artists are: 

Verse 1- Roger McGuinn

Verse 2- Tom Petty 

Verse 3- Neil Young 

Guitar solo interlude- Eric Clapton 

Verse 4- Eric Clapton 

Verse 5- Bob Dylan 

Verse 6- George Harrison 

Enjoy: 

https://youtu.be/rGEIMCWob3U

 
timschochet said:
17. “My Back Pages” (1964, from Another Side of Bob Dylan)

https://youtu.be/92cF_KCH7TU

For some reason I know this entire song by heart, word for word, despite the indecipherable lyrics. Well actually I sort of get what he’s talking about. I used to think that the last line of each verse was just a smart play on words, but then it occurred to me that he really is making a point about the relativity of age. My favorite verse, from memory: 

A self ordained professor’s tongue too serious to fool 

shouted out that liberty is just equality in school

equality, I spoke the word as if a wedding vow 

Ah but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now

Covers On the Byrds’ version (from their album Younger Than Yesterday) Roger McGuinn introduced a guitar lead on his 12 string Rickenbacker that came to define the song. Then in 1992 a group of very famous people performed the Byrds’ version (with the same guitar lead) for the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert, creating the best ever cover of this fine tune. The featured artists are: 

Verse 1- Roger McGuinn

Verse 2- Tom Petty 

Verse 3- Neil Young 

Guitar solo interlude- Eric Clapton 

Verse 4- Eric Clapton 

Verse 5- Bob Dylan 

Verse 6- George Harrison 

Enjoy: 

https://youtu.be/rGEIMCWob3U
Click to expand...
Excellent choice for the cover.  I love that rendition!  So much fun.  I thought the Traveling Wilburys used to perform this one too, but I can't seem to locate a version online at the moment.  Maybe I am mistaken.  Anyway, I guess most of the Wilburys are in that anniversary line up.

Excuse me now while I go scratch another off my predicted top ten list...

 
I can relate exactly to Sullie's story though I had read about that it was a cover beforehand and was prepared. Plus, I was one of the fools that always checked liner notes back in the day, so when some lame metal band covered Jimi's arrangement and credited Dylan? That's how I sorta knew.

 
Galileo said:
Excellent choice for the cover.  I love that rendition!  So much fun.  I thought the Traveling Wilburys used to perform this one too, but I can't seem to locate a version online at the moment.  Maybe I am mistaken.  Anyway, I guess most of the Wilburys are in that anniversary line up.

Excuse me now while I go scratch another off my predicted top ten list...
Click to expand...
You are probably confusing the BobFest version linked with the Traveling Willburys. I've not heard of them doing it. Time has proven the BobFest version the definitive version.

This Visions of Johanna business is ######, TIM.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
rockaction said:
I can relate exactly to Sullie's story though I had read about that it was a cover beforehand and was prepared. Plus, I was one of the fools that always checked liner notes back in the day, so when some lame metal band covered Jimi's arrangement and credited Dylan? That's how I sorta knew.
Click to expand...
Most people of a certain age knew it as Jimi's for a long time. At least those who don't bother to look at the credits. Still the greatest cover ever, with the possible exception of Gillian/David's Hickory Wind.

 
rockaction said:
I'm gonna throw out my usual '63 Dylan combo of It's A Hard Rain/Don't Think Twice, It's All Right as my 1-2 punch of his wistfulness. Ever.

Subterranean and Desolation Row and Like A Rolling Stone can round up my top five. 
Click to expand...
Tough exercise indeed. For me Visions is a stone cold lock at 1. After that, ####, it's hard. Your selections would all rate right up there though. I mean, how do we ignore Just Like a Woman or It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding?

.

 
Ilov80s said:
Tough exercise indeed. For me Visions is a stone cold lock at 1. After that, ####, it's hard. Your selections would all rate right up there though. I mean, how do we ignore Just Like a Woman or It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding?
Click to expand...
Indeed. I just tried to whip together a '62-'64 top ten and came up fruitless or at least daunted by the task enough not to begin.

 
rockaction said:
Indeed. I just tried to whip together a '62-'64 top ten and came up fruitless or at least daunted by the task enough not to begin.
Click to expand...
When I taught History of Rock, the final exam for term A was an essay on which had a bigger influence on rock/popular music: Dylan or The Beatles. So it is fitting that there countdowns are absolutely impossible. 

 
timschochet said:
18. “Visions of Johanna” (1966, from Blonde on Blonde) 

https://youtu.be/AwuCF5lYqEE

Beautiful song, amazing lyrics. Don’t try to understand them too closely though. I’ve found with a lot of this music it’s better simply to hear a line or two and associate that with something in your own personal life rather than trying to figure out what it meant to Dylan. 

This song would be even higher on my list, perhaps right at or near the very top except for one thing: that harmonica. It’s just a little too sharp, a little too loud. And I have to admit that this is a problem for me with a lot of Dylan’s songs in the 60s, but especially this one and a few others. 

Covers Mick Jagger’s old love interest Marianne Faithful did a very nice version of this in her deadpan style: 

https://youtu.be/6ZoslciWMeo
Click to expand...
Now, little boy lost, he takes himself so seriously
He brags of his misery, he likes to live dangerously
And when bringing her name up
He speaks of a farewell kiss to me

 
16. “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” (1966, from Blonde on Blonde) 

https://youtu.be/0c1NJPCN6nA

Pretty sure this long epic song is about his future wife, Sara Lownds. I know this because in the song “Sara”, from Infidels, he writes: 

Writing “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” for you

It’s actually 1 of 3 songs, possibly 4, in this top 20 that are about Sara. Dylan himself called this tune more than once the greatest song he ever wrote. Obviously I don’t quite agree with that, but it’s up there, mostly because of his warehouse eyes, his Arabian drums, and the rest of the lyrics are sublime. 

Covers The most consistent person to cover Dylan’s music in the 60s and 70s was Joan Baez. I’ve never been a true fan, but this is probably her best effort: 

https://youtu.be/0-VIygLO4Is

 
Last edited by a moderator:
15. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (1962, from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)

https://youtu.be/T5al0HmR4to

“I’ve never been a protest singer!” said Bob Dylan all throughout the mid-60s. But of course he was, the greatest protest singer of all time (with all apologies to Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez) and we know this because Bob Dylan in his prime as a protest singer wrote and performed the 3 greatest protest songs of all time. This is #3, ranked very slightly below the others because the lyrics, while more poetic, are also a little more obscure, and they were also misunderstood. The song was written during the Cuban Missile Crisis and while it is a commentary on that crisis, the “hard rain” wasn’t a nuclear rain as many supposed at the time, it was simply a hard rain. 

For my top 15 Dylan songs, while I am not ranking these 3 greatest protests songs exactly one after the other, it will be seen that I am ranking them as a general rule below Dylan’s equally great songs about love, life, and personal introspection. This is a completely subjective choice on my part and I can see where others might disagree. Certainly it’s the protest songs, and not the love and life songs, that had a greater impact on society and culture; it’s the protest songs that made Dylan the “voice of his generation”. But I believe that in terms of pure craftsmanship, his greatest love and life songs are a very slightly higher quality. 

One anecdote about “Hard Rain”: years ago, in college, I took a class about German Art Films. I barely remember it; they all seemed to run together other than the work of Wim Wenders which impressed me. But there was one early 70 film, can’t remember the title, think the director was either Herzog or Fassbinder, but what I distinctly remember to this day is that this one character walked around mumbling “Where  have you been, my blue eyed son? Where have you been, my darling young one?” All throughout the film. That was all he did; he spoke no other lines in the movie. Everyone else spoke in German, this guy spoke these lines in English and he must have repeated them about a dozen times as he wandered around through the film. Nobody ever answered him. Anyhow whenever I hear this song I always think of that somehow. 

Covers Paul Simon’s former wife, Edie Brickell, did a nice version of this back in the 80s for the Oliver Stone movie Born on the Fourth of July. Didn’t really like the film (too preachy) but I always liked the cover: 

https://youtu.be/o6QnaCGJUdA

 
timschochet said:
15. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (1962, from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)

https://youtu.be/T5al0HmR4to

“I’ve never been a protest singer!” said Bob Dylan all throughout the mid-60s. But of course he was, the greatest protest singer of all time (with all apologies to Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez) and we know this because Bob Dylan in his prime as a protest singer wrote and performed the 3 greatest protest songs of all time.
Click to expand...
No, we don't know this.

Stevie Wonder was both a better protest singer AND a better protest songwriter, and he didn't chicken out when things got too hot like Dylan did. 

 
timschochet said:
15. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (1962, from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)

https://youtu.be/T5al0HmR4to

“I’ve never been a protest singer!” said Bob Dylan all throughout the mid-60s. But of course he was, the greatest protest singer of all time (with all apologies to Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez) and we know this because Bob Dylan in his prime as a protest singer wrote and performed the 3 greatest protest songs of all time. This is #3, ranked very slightly below the others because the lyrics, while more poetic, are also a little more obscure, and they were also misunderstood. The song was written during the Cuban Missile Crisis and while it is a commentary on that crisis, the “hard rain” wasn’t a nuclear rain as many supposed at the time, it was simply a hard rain. 

For my top 15 Dylan songs, while I am not ranking these 3 greatest protests songs exactly one after the other, it will be seen that I am ranking them as a general rule below Dylan’s equally great songs about love, life, and personal introspection. This is a completely subjective choice on my part and I can see where others might disagree. Certainly it’s the protest songs, and not the love and life songs, that had a greater impact on society and culture; it’s the protest songs that made Dylan the “voice of his generation”. But I believe that in terms of pure craftsmanship, his greatest love and life songs are a very slightly higher quality. 

One anecdote about “Hard Rain”: years ago, in college, I took a class about German Art Films. I barely remember it; they all seemed to run together other than the work of Wim Wenders which impressed me. But there was one early 70 film, can’t remember the title, think the director was either Herzog or Fassbinder, but what I distinctly remember to this day is that this one character walked around mumbling “Where  have you been, my blue eyed son? Where have you been, my darling young one?” All throughout the film. That was all he did; he spoke no other lines in the movie. Everyone else spoke in German, this guy spoke these lines in English and he must have repeated them about a dozen times as he wandered around through the film. Nobody ever answered him. Anyhow whenever I hear this song I always think of that somehow. 

Covers Paul Simon’s former wife, Edie Brickell, did a nice version of this back in the 80s for the Oliver Stone movie Born on the Fourth of July. Didn’t really like the film (too preachy) but I always liked the cover: 

https://youtu.be/o6QnaCGJUdA
Click to expand...
Thought this would be top ten.

 
I love Stevie Wonder but part of being the “greatest protest singer of all time” is being in the right place at the right age at the right time. Dylan was there for the Civil Rights marches. He played guitar in Washington DC before a crowd of a million people a few minutes before MLK’s “I have a dream” speech. He was at the most famous anti-war rallies of the 60s. His protest songs were known by heart to the people that attended those rallies. 

These are the things, among others, that make Dylan the greatest protest singer ever. Stevie was just a little kid when all of that was going on. And as great as Stevie’s later protest stuff was, it doesn’t have the immortality of “Hard Rain” or the other two protest songs by Dylan I have yet to rank. Sorry but it’s not even a close contest. 

 
timschochet said:
I love Stevie Wonder but part of being the “greatest protest singer of all time” is being in the right place at the right age at the right time. Dylan was there for the Civil Rights marches. He played guitar in Washington DC before a crowd of a million people a few minutes before MLK’s “I have a dream” speech. He was at the most famous anti-war rallies of the 60s. His protest songs were known by heart to the people that attended those rallies. 

These are the things, among others, that make Dylan the greatest protest singer ever. Stevie was just a little kid when all of that was going on. And as great as Stevie’s later protest stuff was, it doesn’t have the immortality of “Hard Rain” or the other two protest songs by Dylan I have yet to rank. Sorry but it’s not even a close contest. 
Click to expand...
Then he bailed. He got smoked by his fans for doing so.

That's not Dylan's fault - it's all of his fans who try to square his circle.

Interesting you mention MLK, too. Because it was Stevie Wonder who was the driving force for having his birthday named a National Holiday. Pretty much every other celeb had given up (Dylan was nowhere to be found).

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

timschochet
The 100 Greatest Songs of 1974 #20. Fire
8 9 10
Replies
481
Views
40K
timschochet
timschochet
timschochet
The 100 Greatest Songs of 1977 #1. Come Sail Away
12 13 14
Replies
674
Views
23K
John Maddens Lunchbox
John Maddens Lunchbox
timschochet
The 100 Greatest Classic Rock Albums of All Time: #1. Sticky Fingers
40 41 42
Replies
2K
Views
129K
New Binky the Doormat
New Binky the Doormat

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Top