Bobby Darin: The musician Bob Dylan said “doesn’t need words”
Bob Dylan has been a reclusive figure for many decades, keeping even his most loyal fans confused about his thoughts and feelings about the world. Now, the only subject that Dylan is prepared to speak candidly about is music, which has remained the only constant in his life since he invented the Bob Dylan persona upon moving to Greenwich Village.
Dylan exists within his own universe, which he delicately crafted within his imagination. Even within his music, it’s difficult to ascertain the difference between fact and fiction. Admittedly, the mysterious nature of Dylan’s work only heightens his appeal as an enigmatic figure that’s impossible to pin down. Yet, when he speaks about music, the steely facade drops and the real Bob Dylan momentarily becomes visible.
The singer’s word on music is the gospel truth, and it’s a subject that he could speak about freely until dawn. In 2022, after decades of waiting, Dylan finally answered every fan’s wish by writing a book full of his musings on the world of music, The Philosophy Of Modern Song. In the book, Dylan analyses 66 songs from history that he views as crucial in the development of the art form, which makes for illuminating reading.
One unexpected artist Dylan highlights as a pioneer is Bobby Darin, who tragically died in 1973 in New York City when he was only 37 years old. Despite having his career cut short due to his premature passing, Darin worked at a prolific pace, even though he didn’t receive the flowers he deserved while alive.
Darin’s career began behind the scenes as a songwriter for Connie Francis before exploding into the mainstream with the hit single, ‘Splish Splash’, which sold over a million copies in 1958. For the next couple of years, Darin was a constant presence in the hit parade and had a series of successful singles climb the chart.
Dylan’s favourite track from Darin is ‘Beyond The Sea’. He writes of the track in his book: “This is a good day if there ever was one. Round the clock, day and night, the breezes belong to you — all the waves are your friends. You’re going over to the far side, above and beyond, going off limits. You’ve been knocking about on this voyage since forever, riding on the crest of a high rippling wave, heading for a place you never heard of. You’re the skipper.”
Later in the passage, Dylan wrote about why Darin’s chameleon-like tendencies were both his greatest asset and the biggest flaw of his artistry. “Bobby Darin could sound like anybody and sing any style. He was more flexible than anyone of his time. He could be Harry Belafonte. He could be Elvis. He could be Dion, he could be a calypso singer, he could be a bluegrass singer or a folk singer. He was a rhythm and blues singer. The guy was everybody if anybody,” Dylan said.
He added: “But here’s the thing about chameleons, if you don’t watch them changing colors they just look like an ordinary lizard. Their uniqueness lies in their transformative nature. So, more fairly, Bobby Darin was more than a chameleon, for each of his guises he inhabited with verve and gusto and even in repose he just about vibrated with talent.”
According to Dylan, Darin didn’t need words because of his skilful approach. The singer-songwriter believed this attribute separated Darin from his peers and made him worthy of inclusion in The Philosophy Of Modern Song. “His phrasing, especially on a pop ballad like this, is the driving wheel of the production,” Dylan said.
Dylan elaborated: “Time and time again he’ll slip the first few words of a line upstairs into the end of the previous line. He’s very subtle and you don’t realize he’s doing this. But if he sang songs like this straight, it probably wouldn’t reach you. He’s playful. He’s a playful melodist and he doesn’t need words. He keeps it simple even when he’s singing about nothing. The sea, the air, the mountains, the flowers. It all floats. It never touches the ground.”
In his career, Dylan has also adopted a playful approach on many occasions, similar to Darin despite their different styles of execution. Although Dylan could be forthright and direct with his lyrics, he could also make listeners feel the intended emotion without the requirement of spelling it out with words.
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