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DandelionPowderman

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Aquamarine

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matxil


I think Bob Dylan is a fantastic song-lyric-writer. So is Chuck Berry. And Tom Waits. And Nick Cave. But it's not literature. It's song lyrics.

I disagree. I'm a literature professor, for decades, and I would say Dylan is the only musician of his generation whose lyrics stand alone as poetry (and that isn't dissing song lyrics, but acknowledging that, as you suggest, they're a different genre). It's true that the work of a few other songwriters crosses over into poetry, such as Leonard Cohen--but none of them match either the consistency of his poetic power or his incredibly far-reaching influence, on generations of writers (not just song writers). So this is a very well-deserved honor, going to a man who isn't bound by genre or indeed by anything else. And whose very best words aren't matched by anybody else, any time, anywhere.

Edited for typos

Lovely, Aquamarine! Can I quote you on this for a Dylan-piece I'm writing for my newspaper? No names, of course. Just the professional view of a literature professor.

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DandelionPowderman
Dylan's folk crossed over, and his poetry was way more profound the «she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.

His impact lyric-wise was stronger, even though he didn't reach the masses instantly.

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dead.Aquamarine
I disagree. I'm a literature professor, for decades, and I would say Dylan is the only musician of his generation whose lyrics stand alone as poetry (and that isn't dissing song lyrics, but acknowledging that, as you suggest, they're a different genre). It's true that the work of a few other songwriters crosses over into poetry, such as Leonard Cohen--but none of them match either the consistency of his poetic power or his incredibly far-reaching influence, on generations of writers (not just song writers). So this is a very well-deserved honor, going to a man who isn't bound by genre or indeed by anything else. And whose very best words aren't matched by anybody else, any time, anywhere..

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Pietro

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dead.Aquamarine
I disagree. I'm a literature professor, for decades, and I would say Dylan is the only musician of his generation whose lyrics stand alone as poetry (and that isn't dissing song lyrics, but acknowledging that, as you suggest, they're a different genre). It's true that the work of a few other songwriters crosses over into poetry, such as Leonard Cohen--but none of them match either the consistency of his poetic power or his incredibly far-reaching influence, on generations of writers (not just song writers). So this is a very well-deserved honor, going to a man who isn't bound by genre or indeed by anything else. And whose very best words aren't matched by anybody else, any time, anywhere..

Mr. Literature Professor, I'm a fiction writer (published) and have been one for twenty-six years. Whether his lyrics stand alone as poetry is a moot point because they weren't presented as poetry -- they came dancing in with a song.

I like Bob Dylan very much, especially the period between 1965 and 1970, but Dylan's work isn't literature, it's music. If you want to read the lyrics of his songs as poetry, that's fine, but that is not how they were intended.

To me this award is kind of sad because it reminds me that that the written word is in decline. Reading from the page is too much work for most people. It taxes their mental powers and their imaginations. Listening to audio and watching video is so much easier (though not as rewarding). And audio and video are so easy to obtain on the Internet.

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latebloomer
I think it's cool that he won, but there is this...

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Why Bob Dylan Shouldn’t Have Gotten a Nobel

Bob Dylan does not deserve the Nobel Prize in Literature.

He does deserve the many Grammys he has received, including a lifetime achievement award, which he won in 1991. He unquestionably belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 1988 along with the Supremes, the Beatles and the Beach Boys. He is a wonderful musician, a world-class songwriter and an enormously influential figure in American culture.

But by awarding the prize to him, the Nobel committee is choosing not to award it to a writer, and that is a disappointing choice.

Link to full article:
[www.nytimes.com]

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Pietro

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dead.Aquamarine
I disagree. I'm a literature professor, for decades, and I would say Dylan is the only musician of his generation whose lyrics stand alone as poetry (and that isn't dissing song lyrics, but acknowledging that, as you suggest, they're a different genre). It's true that the work of a few other songwriters crosses over into poetry, such as Leonard Cohen--but none of them match either the consistency of his poetic power or his incredibly far-reaching influence, on generations of writers (not just song writers). So this is a very well-deserved honor, going to a man who isn't bound by genre or indeed by anything else. And whose very best words aren't matched by anybody else, any time, anywhere..

Mr. Literature Professor, I'm a fiction writer (published) and have been one for twenty-six years. Whether his lyrics stand alone as poetry is a moot point because they weren't presented as poetry -- they came dancing in with a song.

I like Bob Dylan very much, especially the period between 1965 and 1970, but Dylan's work isn't literature, it's music. If you want to read the lyrics of his songs as poetry, that's fine, but that is not how they were intended.

To me this award is kind of sad because it reminds me that that the written word is in decline. Reading from the page is too much work for most people. It taxes their mental powers and their imaginations. Listening to audio and watching video is so much easier (though not as rewarding). And audio and video are so easy to obtain on the Internet.

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stanlove
I think Dylan is by far the greatest artist of the rock era and think that some of his lyrics are in a league of their own but I also believe some of his lyrics are overrated. I think it got to the point where some people try to make a big deal out of some lyrics he wrote just because he is Bob Dylan.

Someone even mentioned Hurricane in this thread. There is nothing special at all about the lyrics in that song unless you considered defending a cold blooded murderer special. I couldn't even listen top that song knowing what I know.

I don't know how anyone can have a strong opinion of this topic unless they study those who have not won the award. But Its Alright Ma is one example of Dylan that is head and shoulders above all other lyric writers in Rock.

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Pietro

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dead.Aquamarine
I disagree. I'm a literature professor, for decades, and I would say Dylan is the only musician of his generation whose lyrics stand alone as poetry (and that isn't dissing song lyrics, but acknowledging that, as you suggest, they're a different genre). It's true that the work of a few other songwriters crosses over into poetry, such as Leonard Cohen--but none of them match either the consistency of his poetic power or his incredibly far-reaching influence, on generations of writers (not just song writers). So this is a very well-deserved honor, going to a man who isn't bound by genre or indeed by anything else. And whose very best words aren't matched by anybody else, any time, anywhere..

Mr. Literature Professor, I'm a fiction writer (published) and have been one for twenty-six years. Whether his lyrics stand alone as poetry is a moot point because they weren't presented as poetry -- they came dancing in with a song.

I like Bob Dylan very much, especially the period between 1965 and 1970, but Dylan's work isn't literature, it's music. If you want to read the lyrics of his songs as poetry, that's fine, but that is not how they were intended.

To me this award is kind of sad because it reminds me that that the written word is in decline. Reading from the page is too much work for most people. It taxes their mental powers and their imaginations. Listening to audio and watching video is so much easier (though not as rewarding). And audio and video are so easy to obtain on the Internet.

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wonderboy

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dcba

Next year : a Nobel of Economics for Mick? ><

And then Keith gets one for Medicine.

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Stoneage
I don't think he will. He accepted the Polar prize and came to Stockholm back in 2000. J-P Sartre, however, declined the prize in 1964. Although he secretly called the committee and wanted his prize money in 1975.
Which they, of course, refused him. Some trivia:

- Boris Pasternak wasn't allowed by the Soviet regime to recieve his prize in 1958.
- Three German scientists - Kuhn, Butenandt and Domagk - weren't allowed by @#$%& to collect their prizes in 1938 and 1939.
- Vietnamese politician, Le Duc Tho, refused the Nobel Peace Prize, which he awarded together with Kissinger, in 1973.

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ladylou

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latebloomer
I think it's cool that he won, but there is this...

---

Why Bob Dylan Shouldn’t Have Gotten a Nobel

Bob Dylan does not deserve the Nobel Prize in Literature.

He does deserve the many Grammys he has received, including a lifetime achievement award, which he won in 1991. He unquestionably belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 1988 along with the Supremes, the Beatles and the Beach Boys. He is a wonderful musician, a world-class songwriter and an enormously influential figure in American culture.

But by awarding the prize to him, the Nobel committee is choosing not to award it to a writer, and that is a disappointing choice.

Link to full article:
[www.nytimes.com]

THE MAN IS A POET!!!

there is this: