The influence of ‘Moby Dick’ on Bob Dylan: “A fascinating book”
At Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize Lecture, he touched on the key cornerstones of his folk-infused sounds. Buddy Holly and Leadbelly were touted as huge inspirations, their electrifying sonic presence giving his articulate lyrics a direction, a musical frame to hang his words. He also noted that the great American blues standards, sea shanties, and Appalachian ballads had also all contributed to his sound.
But it was the words of Herman Melville that had a surprising impact on the singer-songwriter’s output, with his seminal novel, Moby Dick, shaping more than a few of Dylan’s songs. That the literary world shaped Dylan’s output will be no surprise to his fans, who have often been treated to his expositions on the brilliance of beat generation writers Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac.
Dylan said it was the drama and dialogue that made Moby Dick a “fascinating book”, one that makes demands of its readers. He goes on to explain the plot, which follows the “mysterious” Captain Ahab on his mission to find the white whale, Moby Dick, who took one of his legs. This chase spans across the Atlantic and into the Indian Ocean.
“It’s an abstract goal, nothing concrete or definite,” mused Dylan. “He calls Moby the emperor, sees him as the embodiment of evil. Ahab’s got a wife and child back in Nantucket that he reminisces about now and again. You can anticipate what will happen.”
Dylan was drawn to Melville’s use of zodiac symbols, religious allegory, and stereotypes throughout the story. “This book tells how different men react in different ways to the same experience,” he said. An abundance of Old Testament references feature in the biblical names (Gabriel, Rachel, Jeroboam, Bildah, and Elijah), which also struck Dylan, who himself has used the Bible as an artistic platform on ‘Long Ago, Far Away,’ ‘Whatcha Gonna Do,’ and the entirety of his gospel works.
The Pagan names that appear in the book (Tashtego, Flask, Daggoo, Fleece, Starbuck, Stubb) were a feature of curiosity for Dylan, who explained the Pagans were idol worshippers: “Some worship little wax figures, some wooden figures. Some worship fire. The Pequod is the name of an Indian tribe.”
Dylan delighted in the fact Moby Dick embraced all kinds of mythology, much as his prodigious songwriting has. “Everything is mixed in, all the myths: the Judeo Christian bible, Hindu myths, British legends, Saint George, Perseus, Hercules,” he said, noting each of the book’s smallest details, seemingly in awe of Melville’s ability to make the history of whale oil seem a crucial plot point.
“We see only the surface of things, we can interpret what lies below any way we see fit,” he added. “Crewmen walk around on deck listening for mermaids, and sharks and vultures follow the ship. Reading skulls and faces like you read a book.”
Imploringly, he instructs the audience: “Here’s a face. I’ll put it in front of you. Read it if you can.” For those who can’t face its 135 chapters, a brief listen to ‘Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream’ is a far shorter ode to Captain Arab.
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