The Legendary of Musician Bob Dylan and his Criticism of the 1960’s American Government through his Music

Bob Dylan: Protest Music Hero in 1960s America

The 1960s was an era of chaos for the United States, politically, socially, religiously, sexually, and musically. During this chapter in history, many turned to music to express their attitudes about these situations. Bob Dylan was the musician leading the charge for a young generation hungry for peace and love rather than war and greed, and anxious for change in America. He left a footprint in music that has greatly effected, and will continue to effect songwriting for ages. Dylan gave a voice to the concerns of the young 1960s American counterculture, and newspaper articles from his era depict him as an extremely talented lyricist, and an idol to those protesting the government machine.

To set the tone for this discussion and represent the image most people have of Bob Dylan, I will quote some lyrics from Joan Baez. Her famous song "Diamonds and Rust" is considered by most to be about Bob Dylan since it references several moments from their romantic history (Peele), including phone calls and conversations. She sang, "You burst on the scene already a legend, the unwashed phenomenon, the original vagabond..." (Baez). This particular verse is almost enough to summarize Dylan by itself. Baez describes him as bursting onto the scene and already a legendary figure, depicting a man with the talent and capability to gain the attention and respect of masses of people. "Unwashed phenomenon," and "original vagabond" add a very powerful, mysterious aura to the image of Dylan. He is described as "unwashed," meaning he is honest in his lyrics and intentions, and not phased by what society thinks of him. The "vagabond" description adds mystery to Dylan. He embodies the image of a folk artist, one who is a rolling stone, who has seen much and has much to sing about.

Thomas Willis from the Chicago Tribune points out that Dylan's talents as a musician are acceptable, but that his true strength is in his lyrics: "...he speaks his own message. It is not a happy one, but it is a necessary one." This is why Bob Dylan was so legendary during the sixties. This time period is infamous for its corruption and instability. Politicians could not be trusted and there was a controversial war taking place. Dylan had the bravery, or audacity in some eyes, to fearlessly say the way things really were and how wrong and unjust they were. He is described as "...a serious moralist, discontented and disturbed with his world, anxious for change" (Willis). The music he became famous by was not happy, but it was real, and that captivated people. Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times described his lyrics to be "concisely revealing one man's anger at hypocrisy, injustice, war, violence, untrue love, and no love at all." It also gave a voice to "those in the younger generation who idolize Dylan and his folk-Rock music" (Champlin). From the descriptions I read in these major newspapers, Dylan could be best defined as a revolutionary. It is clear that he was frustrated with the way things were going in this country in the sixties, and poured his heart and soul into trying to change that through music. His efforts did not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Even during the 1960s Dylan's lyrics were considered "poetically profound" (Shelton).

In 1965 he had already recorded and released over 100 songs, but Shelton's article makes mention of the songs "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Times They Are a' Changin"" gaining extreme popularity in particular. When interviewed, Dylan talked about how he became bored with his old songs. He was also quoted saying, "It's all music: no more, no less. I know in my own mind what I'm doing. If anyone has imagination, he'll know what I'm doing" (Shelton). The way he answered questions reveals that he was truly writing songs for what he believed in, not to gain fame and fortune. He continued to produce long, lyrically complex songs, and did not care whether everybody understood them or not. Record labels would not advise this, and Dylan's songs were not pop radio numbers. What he wrote was genuine, not an act designed by a manager. Bob Dylan was true and sincere, and those traits were surely seen as heroic in a time of confusion and chaos. He made such a splash that he was even referred to as "the high priest of the folk music world" (Plowman). His originality, fearlessness, and steadfast belief in his morals made him a legendary figure.

Though he seemed to be looked at as a larger than life figure leading the counterculture and battling the system with his cleverly worded protest music, Dylan also produced more relatable songs that were also very appealing to young people. Peter Aiken and Gregory Mcdonald collaborated for the Boston Globe, and when they analyzed his music, they observed that, "The theme which appears to us most significant...is that of the inadequate male overwhelmed by the cold, strong, illusive female." Basically, Bob Dylan also wrote popular breakup songs. "I Don't Believe You" and "It Ain't Me Babe" are used as examples of these songs (Aiken and Mcdonald). Since Bob Dylan's following was primarily the younger counterculture, these songs were very meaningful and helped make a name for Dylan. When people are young everything is more intense; emotions and hormones run higher, and love can seem to be the only thing one needs when it is good, or the end of the world when it goes bad. Dylan had a way of making every single part of it, the joy and the pain both, sound beautiful. Another factor was the new idea of "free love" that was a popular theme of the sixties. Young people were much more open with love and dating in general. Dylan's lyrics romanticized every aspect of love, even the bitter end. "His love songs are about girls who leave, or, given his heart, want his soul" (Willis). This excerpt from the Chicago Tribune especially portrays the way he sang about a breakup so romantically, dramatically, and to the people of the sixties, so beautifully. He had accessed people's emotional side now, and that is a powerful thing to do. Dylan's love songs were not left in the sixties, however, but held onto for generations to come.

If there is any doubt to Bob Dylan's importance, it can easily be put to silence by the sheer number of artists that have covered his work. "If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Bob Dylan must be one of the most flattered performers in American popular music today" (Shelton). Sonny and Cher, the Byrds, the Turtles, and many others have based some of their music on Bob Dylan's style, referred to simply as "the Dylan Sound." He has also been acknowledged as a powerful influence on the Beatles and Johnny Cash (Shelton). Sometimes legends are not recognized until long after their death, but even during his time, many music critics considered Dylan to be the most influential American musician since Elvis Presley (Shelton). Anyone who is compared to Elvis Presley is already a star, and on their way to becoming a super-star. Bob Dylan did not write music with this intention, but became arguably as big of a deal as Elvis was, in his own style of course. Elvis was the link between white and black music. Bob Dylan became the link between music and meaningful lyrics. He was not the first to do this, but he did it in a way that affected the world, and that is what makes him special. The only negative reaction to Bob Dylan as an artist seemed to be when he began experimenting with electric guitar. "Dylan was booed by folk purists who wanted him to unplug his guitar..." (Plowman). "The old Dylan sound was strangled by thumping drums and reverberating guitars" (Aiken and Mcdonald). He is an artist, and still is to this day. True artists grow and change, and are not afraid, but anxious to try new things. Dylan branched out and stepped into the rock and roll world for a while. His fans loved him most for the acoustic folk music that he began with, and eventually went back to, and that is what he will most be remembered for.

All of the newspaper articles that I analyzed regarding Bob Dylan seem to have a similar theme. They all pay homage to his masterfully crafted lyrics, along with their powerful meaning, whether political or romantic. They all also recognize how big of a sensation Dylan was, and how he gained fame as soon as he hit the folk music scene. Bob Dylan changed the way music will be written forever. It is safe to say that the legacy of Bob Dylan, "The High Priest of Folk," will not soon be forgotten. Dylan was then, and is now, a hero.

Works Cited

• Aiken, Peter and Mcdonald, Gregory. "Bob Dylan: Million-Dollar Caricature of the Folk Generation." Boston Globe. 13 Nov. 1966. Proquest. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
• Baez, Joan. "Diamonds and Rust Lyrics." Www.metrolyrics.com. Downtown Music Publishing LLC, 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
• "Bob Dylan Back at Carnegie Hall." The Hartford Courant. 22 Jan. 1968. Proquest. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
• Champlin, Charles. "Bob Dylan in England." Los Angeles Times. 21 June 1967. Proquest. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
• Peele, Stanton. "The Great Baez-Dylan Love Affair." Www.pschologytoday.com. Psychology Today, 15 Oct. 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
• Plowman, Bruce. "Bob Dylan Mixes Sentiment with Rock and Roll." Chicago Tribune. 27 Nov. 1965. Proquest. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
• Shelton, Robert. "Pop Singers and Song Writers Racing Down Bob Dylan's Road." New York Times. 27 Aug. 1965. Proquest. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
• Willis, Thomas. "Bob Dylan: Artist of Songs of Protest." Chicago Tribune. 28 Dec. 1963. Proquest. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.

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