‘The Mighty Quinn’: Noel Gallagher’s favourite Bob Dylan song
Since emerging from the folk circuit in the late 1960s, Bob Dylan has never lost his knack for songwriting. His discography now spans 40 studio records and hundreds of individual songs, each and every one of them infused with his penchant for poetry and his astute observations about the world around him. His extensive catalogue can make it feel like an impossible task to pick out your favourite track, but there is one song that has particularly endeared itself to former Oasis rock star Noel Gallagher.
The Gallagher brothers are rarely willing to offer up praise for their predecessors, for their contemporaries, or even for one another. Between the highly publicised feud at the centre of Oasis and a series of digs carelessly thrown at other artists, the rock ‘n’ roll star has become well-known for his cold, critical personality. But there are some musicians he holds a real appreciation for, including Dylan.
Gallagher has even shown his admiration for Dylan’s work through a series of covers throughout his career, providing his own takes on classics such as ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright’ and ‘You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’. Though they are some of the most celebrated songs in Dylan’s catalogue, neither of them takes the title of the Oasis star’s favourite.
Rather, that title goes to another, slightly more obscure song Gallagher has previously covered as part of his live set: ‘Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)’. Alongside performing it with the High Flying Birds, Gallagher has previously cited the track as one of his favourite songs.
Recorded in the same year Gallagher was born, the track was first recorded by Manfred Mann before Dylan unveiled his version to the world on his 1970 album, Self Portrait. The song tells the story of its titular character, “the mighty Quinn,” who seems to have an intrinsic ability to lighten the spirits of those around him.
“Everybody’s in despair,” Dylan sings over muffled guitar strums, “every girl and boy, but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here, everybody’s gonna jump for joy.” The effect of his presence even extends to the pigeons, who all run to him. Dylan’s lackadaisical vocals mirror the placating presence of Quinn, taking on their own stress-easing effect as he urges us to, “Come all without, come all within.”
Though a solid track, ‘Quinn the Eskimo’ seems like a strange choice for Bob Dylan’s best work. It’s certainly not the finest example of his penchant for poetic songwriting, which can be found on tracks like ‘Visions of Johanna’ and ‘Tangled Up in Blue’. It doesn’t show off his talent for protest songwriting like songs such as ‘Hurricane’, either. Still, the track seems to have endeared itself to Gallagher.
While the track may not seem like the height of Dylan’s artistry, it’s easy to see why Gallagher was drawn to it. With melodic guitar twangs and slightly lighter lyrics, yet still infused with storytelling prowess, it’s a fitting song for him to favour. When he plays it live, it sounds as if it was always intended for him, as his vocals takes on the story of Quinn seamlessly, surrounded by bright guitars and gentle drums.
While ‘Quinn the Eskimo’ probably isn’t a contender on most people’s rankings of the best Bob Dylan songs of all time, Gallagher’s choice shows just how subjective his work can be. In a catalogue of hundreds of songs, each has the potential to endear itself to fans in a different way.
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