As you may (or may not) know, today marks the 70th birthday of the one and only Bob Dylan. I could go on and on about my love for this man and his music, but nobody really wants to hear me gush incessantly about the greatest songwriter of all time, do they? (I think the answer is most likely no).
Besides, many other internet people are doing enough gushing for all of us. This article from The Independent giving 70 reasons Dylan is the most important figure in pop-culture history is a good one and worth reading through, particularly if you don’t totally get what all the fuss is about. Here are a few highlights:
10. Because he wrote “It Ain’t Me, Babe”, the world’s first anti-love song.
23. Because The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was such a huge influence on The Beatles. “We just played it, just wore it out,” said George Harrison. “The content of the song lyrics and just the attitude – it was incredibly original and wonderful.” John Lennon said: “For three weeks… we didn’t stop playing it. We went potty about Dylan.”
42. Because he has been quoted in American legal proceedings more times than any other songwriter – a whopping 186 times, according to a 2007 study, compared to The Beatles’ paltry 74. But who could resist such aphoristic gems as, “When you got nothin’, you got nothin’ to lose” and, “To live outside the law, you must be honest”?
30. Because he brought a rare wit and intelligence to the wearisome task of dealing with the media, from the impromptu surreal advice at a London press conference to “keep a good head and always carry a lightbulb”, to somewhat sharper responses to enquiries about his integrity. “Deep down, you must have convictions,” suggested one Australian interrogator, receiving the answer, “Nah, deep down there’s nothin’ but guts, intestines.”
55. Because, when included in Time’s 100 Most Important People of the Century, he was called “master poet, caustic social critic and intrepid, guiding spirit of the counter-culture generation”.
Happy Birthday, Bob. You are absolutely the best.
