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Mtl_zack's avatar

Where can i find bob dylan's opinions of his songs, Hurricane in particular?

Asked by Mtl_zack (6781points) September 7th, 2008

i need a “primary source” ASAP. it is for school, but you would be helping me find a source, not helping me analyze it. ive looked on google, proquest, and the databases that my mom has access to (shes a librarian), but i found nothing.
i dont need other peoples opinions, but his reflections of the song

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2 Answers

marinelife's avatar

This article, a rather lengthy and detailed conversation, is the most definitive thing that I have seen. It is probably not as detailed as you would like, but he does not talk about his work much. Here is an excerpt:

“No, no, no,” Bob Dylan says sharply when asked if aspiring songwriters should learn their craft by studying his albums, which is precisely what thousands have done for decades.

“It’s only natural to pattern yourself after someone,” he says, opening a door on a subject that has long been off-limits to reporters: his songwriting process. “If I wanted to be a painter, I might think about trying to be like Van Gogh, or if I was an actor, act like Laurence Olivier. If I was an architect, there’s Frank Gehry.

“But you can’t just copy somebody. If you like someone’s work, the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to. Anyone who wants to be a songwriter should listen to as much folk music as they can, study the form and structure of stuff that has been around for 100 years. I go back to Stephen Foster.”

AstroChuck's avatar

My understanding is that Dylan began believing that Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was guilty and would no longer perform the song because of this. I’ve read this somewhere but can’t remember if it was he himself that said this or if it was just someone else reporting it.

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