Saturday, March 9, 2019

The Nobel Lecture by Bob Dylan

This book is actually the acceptance speech that Bob Dylan gave when he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016.

I was talking with a friend about Bob Dylan and his Nobel Prize came up and he loaned me his Kindle and I read The Nobel Lecture by Bob Dylan.  Later I found it on YouTube and you can listen to it here.  I cannot call it inspiring but it is worth time reading or listening to just like other recipients of any Nobel Prize.  Some people call it rambling, while others call it extraordinary, but it does reveal, at least according to Dylan why he became a songwriter and folk singer.

Dylan talks about four influences of his career, Buddy Holly, and the books Moby Dick, All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Oddessey and how they influenced his writings, either knowingly or not.

I guess I'm going to have to listen a little differently when I listen to Tombstone Blues and Maggie's Farm in the future, to see if I can hear some of these stories in his songs, but I've never found the interest to read Remarque, like a journey I don't want to travel. I guess I know what I'll be listening to on my commutes to work next week.

If you're a Bob Dylan fan take the time to read or listen to his speech.  It does give you an insight into some of his influences.

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