The legendary songwriter John Lennon called “artsy-fartsy crap”
Bob Dylan had a huge impact on John Lennon. In the early days, The Beatles could be described as simplistic and catchy pop – their success up to this point was indisputable, but there’s a reason why they became significantly more refined as the years went on.
When Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison discovered Dylan, it was a real game-changer for their songwriting. Not only did they become hugely inspired by his writing technique, but he also introduced the northern ensemble to marijuana, so their approach began to take on something more inspired and sophisticated.
Lennon, in particular, was utterly captivated by Dylan’s interpretation of rock and roll. Dylan’s intelligent and poetic approach to songwriting ignited a deep yearning within Lennon to follow suit. Recognising that this elevated literary element was the path they needed to traverse, The Beatles embarked on a transformative journey, driven by the ambition to ascend to even greater heights of musical brilliance. Inspired by Dylan’s artistic prowess, they set their sights on crafting a musical legacy that surpassed their previous achievements, setting the stage for their evolution into an even grander and more influential force in the world of music.
“Dylan got away with murder,” Lennon said. “I thought, ‘I can write this crap too.’ You just stick a few images together, thread them together, and you call it poetry.” Lennon admired Dylan’s ability to incorporate layered thoughts and experiences into his writing, and you can hear the influence in songs like ‘Norwegian Wood’, ‘You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away’, and ‘In My Life’.
While Lennon claimed that Dylan’s material was “artsy-fartsy crap”, the singer-songwriter played a pivotal role in enhancing Lennon’s songwriting abilities. In Lennon’s own words, Dylan helped him delve into more introspective and subjective songwriting territory. Prior to their encounter, Lennon’s compositions often centred around youthful romance, but after experiencing Dylan’s impact, he underwent a profound transformation, turning his gaze inward and exploring deeper emotional landscapes in his music.
Lennon greatly enjoyed Dylan’s mastery of “never saying what you mean but giving the impression of something”; a skill that allowed for multiple interpretations. The Beatle recognised that this approach sparked a profound impact and inspired a wave of intellectuals within the audience: something that he wanted for The Beatles.
The respect went both ways, too – Lennon and Dylan saw a lot of each other in the 1960s and to each other, they represented new musical ideas and opportunities. Their friendship became more than just borrowing inspiration from each other, though, as they genuinely developed a fondness that went beyond their professional work. In the book The Ballad of Bob Dylan: A Portrait, filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker said: “John just loved [Dylan]. And vice versa. They adored each other.”
It’s hard to imagine where music would be if the two hadn’t realised their kindred connection: sure, The Beatles would naturally have become influenced by Bob Dylan and vice versa, but the intertwining threads of mutual admiration and creative exchange between these iconic musicians wove a vibrant and captivating tapestry within the realm of ‘60s popular music.
Their relationship afterwards became a little more complicated, with both openly expressing disdain for each other in strange and surprising ways, but in the beginning, their collaborative energy sparked a renaissance of artistic exploration, pushing boundaries and forging new paths that left a significant mark on the musical landscape of the era.
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