Bob Dylan: George Floyd's death 'sickened me'

I'm with you, we are all sickened by this murder of Floyd.

@MrNoidall, did you mean 'right' as in right a wrong, or did you just misspell 'write'? Two entirely different trains of thought.

I guess he'll right a song about it and he'll win a grammy.

Which could lead to greater record sales and more tax revenues, which would provide an economic boost to Trump's severely damaged economy.

Keep on keeping on Bob Dylan!

Sickened is the least you can feel, how about DISGUSTED!?

Sometime I feel that some of these so called "Officers" are nothing but (Serial Killers) In Uniforms. They can't do their killings as private citizens, so they hide in uniforms.

Shouldn't this be in the politics section? Yeah, it sickened me too, but where is Bob Dylan on the daily black on black killings/murders going on in Chicago and Baltimore? WOOPS THERE IT IS!

Just wonder'n if old Bobby was sickened by the 18 murders committed in Chicago on May 31st. Or the 24 shot & killed in Chicago in June alone, let alone the 246 murdered in Chicago this year. AND not a peep of Bobby about David Dorn, the retired black police chief murdered protecting a store from black looters. I guess Bobby's sickness is selective...

Great, Bob appears out of the woodwork with his heart on his sleeve for this one but no comment or care at all about the other killings - including the retired black police captain murdered by the rampaging mob. Another ‘We Are the World’ moment for Zimmerman. With luck he’ll get another Nobel prize.

“The best songwriter of the 20th Century.” Uhhh...

The great Joni Mitchel wasnt impressed with him, calling him a plagiarist, among other things.

Does Bob have a new album in the pipeline? This is how the game is played.

Zichi, Im actually something of a Dylan fan. I dont deify him though, and as with so many others in show biz Im aware of the image/persona thing that they feel they have to cultivate and feed to stay “relevant.”

Lots of good songs. The best songwriter of the 20th Century? No.

I'd still say he's outdone them all, though I don't buy into the hype about his songs standing as poetry. They're not - as poems, they would be pretty lousy.

I’d say She belongs to me for one stands up. Beautiful melody and truly beautiful lyrics.

Joan Baez deserved the prize he received.

Nope. She’s talented but not on the same planet in terms of songwriting.

@wipeout

Can you point me towards ‘good poems’ so I know what standard I’m supposed to be using?

Fizzbit and V Watts

Your posts are comparing criminal deaths to what happened to Floyd by a police officer? If so you both win the prize for accidentally discovering the truth. There is no difference between street murder and the police murder of Floyd. You guys are the like the proverbial stopped watch. Cannot wait for your next accidental insight.

Dylan is the man. Check out his Ballet of Emit Till, another senseless murder of a 14 year old black man back in 1950s. No phones to record this murder so both of the murderers were acquitted but later admitted they killed the boy. 2020, same story but this time it is recorded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-0vClQa1Hw

And Lamilly, Joan is great but she is not Dylan. Her covers of his songs are incredible however. Check out Any Day Now album.

The great Joni Mitchel wasnt impressed with him, calling him a plagiarist, among other things.

She also sang at his Nobel Prize award ceremony (and messed the song up... wait, maybe that was her cunning plan!)

Does Bob have a new album in the pipeline?

Well, now you mention it...

He is set to release his first album of original songs in eight years next Friday, entitled "Rough and Rowdy Days."

I don't buy into the hype about his songs standing as poetry

Nor does Bob. If you read his autobiography or watch Don't Look Back, you'll understand that he's spent much of his life cringing and struggling against the hype.

That said, there are some songs of his whose lyrics do work as prose/poetry, IMO! Many are from Another Side and Bringing It All Back Home era.

Some examples:

Chimes of Freedom

Ramona

Farewell Angelina

Spanish Harlem Incident

Gates of Eden

It's Alright (I'm Only Bleeding)

Love Minus Zero / No Limit [my favourite Dylan song]

Desolation Row

Love Is Just A Four Letter Word

Dylan's talent is to string together catchy and profound sounding phrases, but he is a lousy musician and a terrible singer. He has gotten away with it by enlisting top professionals to flesh out and then polish his rough, mediocre efforts.

Joni Mitchell is only one of many real musicians who saw through the sham. Mike Bloomfield, recalling receiving song ideas from Dylan's for "Blood on the Tracks":  

"They all began to sound the same to me; they were all in the same key; they were all long. It was one of the strangest experiences of my life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_on_the_Tracks

Captain Obvious.

Why not decide for yourself. Pick a poet you've heard of. Read some. See what you think makes it effective. Then see if Dylan lyrics, without musical support, hold up as well. They won't.

They do for me. I just read Do not go gentle into that good night and read the lyrics of She belongs to me.

She belongs to me all day for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwuCF5lYqEE

Best Dylan song. If you do not get it you do not get music. Keep to your Creed. And Nickelback.

@JeffLee,

Mike Bloomfield on Bob Dylan:

...a great guy....we spent all day talking and jamming and hanging out and he was an incredibly appealing human being....I was just charmed by the man.

That night, I saw him perform....me and my old lady were just bowled over watching him perform....he was f@@king fantastic, not that it was the greatest playing or singing in the world, I don’t know what he had, man, but I’m telling you I just loved it, I mean I could have watched it nonstop forever and ever…

Sounds like high praise to me. LOL

Yeah, it sickened me too, but where is Bob Dylan on the daily black on black killings/murders going on in Chicago and Baltimore?

and

but over the years....What about the couple that was killed visiting the sons grave? and on and on

and

Great, Bob appears out of the woodwork with his heart on his sleeve for this one but no comment or care at all about the other killings

Butwhatabout? Butwhatabout?

Bob Dylan gave a rare interview shortly after the killing. It is hardly surprising that he was asked about it, and answered it. Did you really think that because he finds one murder disgusting, that he did not find the others disgusting too? You also have no idea of the date of the interview.

To me, raising this is just an extension of the hidden racism of stating "All lives matter". This case is not about individual murder, but about the systemic brutality and racism within many police within the USA. The brutal murders in Baltimore are something different, although institutionalized racism is obvously one of the causes of the crime and poverty in places like that.

The great Joni Mitchel wasnt impressed with him, calling him a plagiarist, among other things.

He borrowed heavily. But all folk musicians did the same - there was no shame in it until the money started coming in, followed by the lawyers. To her credit, Joni's songs really were original - in a "where did that come from?" way. Most other popular artists clearly borrowed and stole ideas, and it was pretty easy to see who they borrowed from. Originals are far a few between, and often not that popular.

Speaking from his Malibu, California home

pretty much says it all

wipeoutJune 13  01:58 pm JST

I guess he'll right a song about it and he'll win a grammy.

He might at that. He could justifiably be considered the best songwriter of the 20th century. And some of his finest work did indeed cover issues like civil rights, racism, and police and institutional brutality. And they had their effect.

When I was in college the Jewish student organization invited me to join in their Kristal Nacht vigil. We lit candles, put on yarmulks, there was a reading, a singing of 'Blowing In the Wind' and the ceremonial symbolic rock dropped on a jar in a shoebox. Then we all exited silrntly. There's an example of the legacy he made.

Watching policemen kill a handcuffed man who was in their custody, in public, in broad daylight, on camera, has sickened humans all over the world.