Why Liam Gallagher called Bob Dylan “miserable”
Liam Gallagher never met a singer that he couldn’t take issue with. The former Oasis singer is legendary for his contempt for just about everything, whether it’s his own brother or the state of modern music. Gallagher has made his name on ludicrous quotes and outlandish quips, so it should come as no surprise that the man has some fiery rhetoric saved for one of music’s most sacred cows: Bob Dylan.
“I know all about him and that, but he’s a bit of a miserable cunt as far as I’m concerned,” Gallagher told The Times back in 2011. “I like that tune he did, ‘Lay Lady Lay’. People go nuts for him, but he doesn’t really do it for me. All those fuckersers playing their greatest hits are shitbags.”
Of course, if you catch a Liam Gallagher gig these days, you’ll hear plenty of classic songs from Oasis’ golden period. Is it a bit hypocritical of Gallagher to dig into someone like Dylan for playing ‘All Along the Watchtower’ while he gamely belts out ‘Rock ‘N Roll Star’ night after night? Probably, but this is Liam Gallagher we’re talking about: self-awareness isn’t really a part of his brand.
Unfortunately, Gallagher has no real choice but to listen to music of the past. “There’s nothing new I want to listen to,” he told NME around the same time. “I’m living in the moment. It’s like, that was a great fuckinging moment. Now get over it – there’ll be another one tomorrow.”
Gallagher has occasionally responded to fans on Twitter who have asked him about his opinions on Dylan. Sometimes Gallagher is amicable to Dylan, like when Twitter user ladylislis asked him if he liked the ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ write. “Not mad on him but I hear he’s got a few tunes,” was the reply.
Other times, Gallagher is ready to throw down against the nasally-voiced icon. “No Bob Dylan no punk no punk no rap no rap no Taylor swift,” Gallagher claimed in a rant that could have come straight from the jukebox at the pub.
Surprisingly enough, Dylan himself has complimented Gallagher in the past. In a 2022 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Dylan claimed that he was a fan of “the Oasis brothers”, in a slight verbal miscue that Gallagher himself would likely be proud of. Maybe one day, the two will bury the hatchet and share some tips on vocal technique, but it probably won’t happen for a while.
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