“There’s just something about my lyrics”: the track that convinced Bob Dylan he was a unique songwriter
There’s something about Bob Dylan’s lyrics. The way he strings sentences together with perfect rhythm and rhyme. The way he uses his pen to portray and critique the world around him. The way he balances this realism with poetry and wordplay, with storytelling and carefully constructed metaphors. There’s something about his lyrics that sets him apart from every other songwriter in music history, and Dylan knows it, too.
Dylan’s influence on the craft of songwriting cannot be understated. When his protest-driven, poetic compositions began making their way into the mainstream in the 1960s, lyrics with comparable levels of style and substance were a much rarer feat. His writings were historical, literary, political, and personal, all at once, and the story was always at the centre of the song. His harmonica blows and raw vocals always came second to his lyrical content.
Over half a century later, Dylan’s impact on the medium of songwriting can still be felt. His work inspired some of his most acclaimed peers, such as fellow folk lyricist Joni Mitchell and The Beatles, but it also continues to inspire artists today. From fellow protest songwriter Billy Bragg to poetic indie pop artists like Phoebe Bridgers, Dylan’s influence can be found across modern music.
Dylan’s name sits atop almost every list of the greatest lyricists in music history. He has had praise heaped upon him for decades now, but that didn’t stop him from adding to the pile himself. Back in the early 1990s, speaking with Paul Zollo for The Song Talk Interview, Dylan spoke specifically about ‘Idiot Wing’ from Blood on the Tracks, a song he suggested could have had never-ending verses.
The verses seem to flow out of his pen and his mouth, detailing a more personal story than some of his other lyrics. “You’re an idiot, babe,” he sings, “It’s a wonder that you still know how to breathe.” It’s easy to imagine how Dylan could have kept these impassioned ramblings up for much longer than the already lengthy seven-minute runtime.
“It doesn’t stop. It wouldn’t stop,” he recalled, “Where do you end? You could still be writing it, really. It’s something that could be a work continually in progress.” This thought seemed to prompt Dylan to reflect on his own lyricism and on how it compares to those who have tried to imitate it. “Let me say that my lyrics,” he stated, “to my way of thinking, are better for my songs than anybody else’s.”
Dylan explained that some people have been inspired by how “opaque” his writing is and have hoped to share their own feelings in the same manner, but they never quite matched up to the original. “My response, always, is go ahead, do it, if you feel like it,” Dylan shared, “But it never comes off. They’re not as good as my lyrics. There’s just something about my lyrics that just have a gallantry to them. And that might be all they have going for them.”
Until his final comment, Dylan’s words might come across as a little conceited. But if anyone has earned the right to suggest that their songwriting is better than their competitors, it’s Dylan. And ‘Idiot Wing’ stands up as just one example of his talents. Writing rambled personal anecdotes and turning them into something beautiful is just one facet of his talent with a pen.
Never Miss A Tale
The Far Out Bob Dylan Newsletter
All the latest stories about Bob Dylan from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.