Bob Dylan

“Now all the authorities
They just stand around and boast
How they blackmailed the sergeant at arms
Into leaving his post
And picking up angel who
Just arrived here from the coast
Who looked so fine at first
But left looking just like a ghost…”

Bob Dylan played by his own rules. He said to hell with the authorities and popular opinion, “I’d had it with the whole scene.”

I always appreciated Dylan’s music, although I did think his early work got a little monotonous. But after watching Martin Scorsese’s documentary ‘No Direction Home’, Dylan; the man, the myth and the legend inspired me.

‘No Direction Home’ is a very rich look at the life and times of Bob Dylan leading up to his motorcycle accident and focusing on the change of his folk music into his Highway 61 Revisited and when he went ‘Electric’. Throughout Scorsese’s documentary it is apparent that Marty wanted to focus on certain sections of Dylan’s life and the scene and skip other topics. That’s fine, even though it was a little manipulative. But what truly shines through is Dylan’s attitude and his way of doing things.

Whatever the man wanted and wanted to do, he did it.

When Bob was starting out, he wanted to be a better guitar player, listen to every folk record, and move to New York to play. Soon, he was in Greenwich Village, playing everyday in front of audiences and stealing records from friends and associates.

Dylan wanted to record and have a record out. Boom, he became a self promoter, went and told people about himself, hung out with promoters, tried his damnest to get there.

He was sick of the folk music scene and wanted to change styles. He went electric and half of his audience hated him for it. But eventually, he made his audience follow what he thought was cool, and not the other way around.

Man, it hit me in the face like a two by four. Whatever the man wanted and wanted to do, he did it.

I need to be more Dylan like. Stop worrying about people saying no. Stop worrying about people not liking what I do. Be happy with my work, my art and if someone doesn’t like it, fuck ‘em, “play it fucking loud.”

Thank you Bob Dylan.