The Lyrics: Since 1962

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It’s certainly not a chronological book - that’s best left to some of biographies above. Instead, we get snippets in time such as New York in 1961, New Orleans in 1989. Talking about Minnesota and growing up, you begin to get a sense of the influences that shaped him. Simon, Jeff. "Jeff Simon: I was fooled by Bob Dylan in a suit. His newest book proves his genius". Buffalo News . Retrieved December 10, 2022. Firstpublished in 1972, this has been updated a number of times. It's a deep dive into Dylans influences and use of language. I’ve alreadymentioned the short section on nursery rhymes in the enclyopedia above - it’s also here, as well as Dylans use ofbiblical allusions, his use of blues and folk forms and poetry and literary references.

I’ve already mentioned Michael Gray, and this is another entry on my list. It would be remiss to compile any list of my favourite Bob Dylan books and leave this one out. I have to thank my friends John (Again) and Sinead for this book. She says, “You can’t repeat the past.” I say, “You can’t? What do you mean, you can’t? Of course you can.” Given this it is possible to see Dylan’s songs from that period as works of symbolism. He was using words as the symbolists had; as tools to directly generate an emotional response, in some ways the songs were a prolonged attempt at Synaesthesia. Take the following from Desolation Row as an example

I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (vocals completely buried and barely audible) (rehearsal: 1976-04-12: Bellevue Biltmore Hotel, Clearwater, FL, USA) Throughout the archive, we see Bob writing on whatever is at hand, whether it’s a matchbook cover, hotel notepads, a bank deposit slip, lots of small notebooks,” says Davidson. Is it Rolling Bob ( apple link) and the excellent Definitely Dylan, hosted by Laura Tenschert. And I mentioned Dylan fm above.

As we say in Ireland, the craic was mighty. Every pub, cafe, and available outdoor space was used as a stage, and all the local accommodation was booked out. The tunes and the drink were in full flow.

Don’t expect it to be definitive - it’s alphabetical, but it’s not a comprehensive reference book. Gray has an appreciation for a wide range of music, and I like the randomness of the book - I pulled it off the shelf when I was writing this post and have spent the last half hour reading: If you’ve finished chronicles, and want to hear more from Bob, this is the book for you. It’s a collection of interviews which start in 1961, all the way up to 2004, about 20 in all. He probably knew Dylan's satire was a dig at 'Norwegian Wood' being influenced by the 'Blowin' In The Wind' singer.