‘His genius lies in putting very good ideas to music without compromising the poetry’
‘Dude was a poet – a master of language’
Well deserved. Listen to his golden period from Bringing it all Back Home, Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 revisited. It's all surreal symbolist imagery taken from all anything and everything, but all working to describe the moment. Condensing all that down into a small amount of words is what a poet does. Dude was a poet, he knows it. A master of language. And a good musician too. And a good singer. You heard me.
‘Call me a philistine, but in general poetry leaves me cold’
It's a good choice. Call me a philistine, but in general poetry leaves me cold. Dull an impenetrable. Dylan's song lyrics can be sad, silly, joyful or depressing, but they are understandable and musical and reached more than one generation.
‘A long overdue accolade’
Each year his fans push for this long overdue accolade and each years it's won by someone you never heard of but finally Uncle Bob receives the recognition he deserves. Well done Bob.
‘Why not? His lyrics are wonderful’
Why not? His lyrics are wonderful. I love those from 'Like a Rolling Stone'. Those lyrics and the music are a perfect marriage. But my favourite line is 'Do you love me or are you just extending goodwill' from 'Is your love in vain'. Congratulations Mr Zimmerman, you are a worthier winner than others who have also been given the prize.
‘His lyricism and poetry have simply known no bounds across the last 50 years’
Congrats to Bob! I mean his lyricism and poetry have simply known no bounds across the last 50 years. His songs are uniquely timeless and invoke such sharp and memorable images. Certainly one of our lifetime's greatest poets.
Yes, he can't sing very well (or at least his voice is distinctly nasally), but I think that just shows how utterly incredible his songs actually are.
‘For the Nobel Prize Literature Committee, the times they are a changin’’
Bob Dylan is a poet and everyone knows his songs (poems). A far better and creative choice than some unknown author whose books have only been read by a few intellectuals. This is the first US Nobel Prize in Literature since 1993. The Nobel Literature Committee has had members who have publicly exhibited some anti-americanism in recent years. It was a travesty that the Nobel Literature Committee never gave the Nobel Prize to the great Arthur Miller because of this animus towards American Authors. It should be noted that Bob Dylan grew up in Minnesota, and almost everyone in Norway had relatives in Minnesota. I suspect that this may have subliminally helped his chances. For the Nobel Prize Literature Committee, the times they are a changin.
‘He’s one of the finest wordsmiths of the 20th century and utterly deserving’
Didn't expect that, but difficult to argue with it. There'll be lots of people moaning that he's not a "proper" writer, I'm sure, but at his best he's one of the finest wordsmiths of the 20th century and utterly deserving. Best not mention Tarantula, though.
Leonard Cohen at some point in the future, please?
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Richly deserved. I'm old enough to have been a fan of young Dylan in my teens, and still listen to him regularly - always finding something new - some nuance that didn't strike me in youth. His genius lies in putting very good ideas to music without compromising the poetry - in fact, much of the time the music strengthens the message. A perfect example is Positively 4th St - the scorn in the singing amplifies the scorn in the poetry to create an experience that, if anything is much more relevant now than when it came out in 1965. Congratulations, my friend, and thank you.