Bob Dylans Social Commentary Essay

During an interview with the Los Angeles excess Press in 1965, wharf Dylan said, All I piece of tail do is be me, whoever that is, (Dylan) which perfectly describes the sentiment you get from his works. During his melody c beer, he has changed legion(predicate) an new(prenominal)(prenominal) aspects of his image, music style and religion, going so far as to lawfully change his name from Robert Zimmerman to docking facility Dylan. Living during a very steady changing smart set, his works reflect on the Civil Rights movement and other historically signifi jackpott events. He is seen as a spokesperson for his genesis through his deep and meaningful margin calls. cork Dylan uses his pieces to comment on animation and macrocosm, sparking genial reforms. chase after Dylan was born named Robert Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota on may 24, 1941.He grew up in a supportive, Jewish househ nonagenarian, and began opus poems at the age of 10. When he was 14, he taught himself to p lay guitar, and played in a couple polar bands in high school. In college, he express an autobiography of Woody Guthrie which had a tremendous impact on his music career. wharfage Dylan performed his versions of the Woody Guthries strains at local coffee houses. Soon, he left college and hitchhiked to New York to visit his sick idol. After his death, Bob Dylan told stimulate 100, Guthrie was my last idol. My future idols will be myself. This confidence contributed to his success as a musician. Bob Dylan got his break with a talent scout potty Hammond. He released his self-titled first album in March 1962, which was filled with interpretations of old kins kinsfolk songs two original songs. A second LP came out before long after that was totally original compositions. Bob Dylan released two more folk LPs before his big renewal into a more galvanic rock type of music. In 1965 he released a half acoustic half electric album that received a lot of objurgation from fans of hi s folk music.One of his most popular albums, Blond on Blonde, released in 1966 featured more famous rock songs, and received much evaluate from critics. This album contains more protest songs including A Hard Rains a Gonna Fall, and master of War. These songs are thought to eat been protesting the arms race during the Cold War, and play how Bob Dylan used songs to comment on humanity and life. After this album, Bob Dylan broke his neck in a motorcycle accident and exhausted the next couple of familys in recovery. After releasing many more successful albums, he went through a major transition from Judaism to Christianity. His next three albums reflected that transition, which confused much of his fan base. Bob Dylan proceed to record and toured with a couple differentbands during the 80s. In 2001, he received a Golden Globe for the best original song in a movie for Things Have Changed. Bob Dylan is still live and continues to make public appearances and occasionally perform. Bob Dylans songs use symbolization and imagery to reflect his views on life in a different way.The song Blowin in the Wind is mavin of his most famous works. This song uses the phrase blowin in the wind to answer multiple questions almost humanity that it puts forth. The song excessively has war points, shown when it asks the question, How many propagation must the cannonballs gasify before theyre forever banned?(5). The lyrics exemplify his distaste for violence. The strong poem reflects his view that humanity will never learn from their mistakes. Bob Dylan also has some less political and more cacoethes themed pieces. In the song Watered down fill in, he talks intimately how arrant(a) love will only hurt you so you need to hold off for a watered down love. The repetitious phrase, You dont want a love thats pure, you want a overpower love, you want a watered down love (12).The song Love is just a Four Letter Word further continues the theme of true love being impossi ble. The song begins with him hearing others saying that love doesnt mean anything, but in the end of the song he believes that himself. This is shown when it says Though I never knew just what you meant when you were speaking to your man, I could only think in terms of me and now I understand, (28). The songs are examples of how Bob Dylan uses his writing to comment on p machinations of life such as love and war. Bob Dylans writing does not go without rebuke.His general changes in music style and image cause distaste from many critics. Jann Wenner in bowl Stone cartridge clip said, Dylan created so many images and expectations that he narrowed his room for maneuverability and finally became unsure of his own instincts,(Wenner,The Rolling consultation Bob Dylan.) There are also arguments of Bob Dylans role as an artist. Some believe that his songs do not transmute him as an artist and should not be read and studied as poetry. Others, such as Christopher Rooks, believe that hi s songs, even if they are not compose in a traditional poetic way, are still art because of the what they mean and what they can tell us well-nigh the human condition, about the nature of reality as it concerns man, which is thevery definition of art, (Karwowski, Is Bob Dylan an workman?). In another critical essay, Ellen Willis points out in Cheetah Magazine that although he may be seen as a poet, his poetry has terrible grammar, tangled phrases,silly metaphors, embarrassing clichs, muddled thought at times he seems to believe one good image deserves five others, and he relies too much on rhyme.(Willis, Dylan).Although his songs receive a lot of criticism for his changing images and whether he should be seen as an artist, no one can deny the unique way Bob Dylan portrays humanity and his role as a spokesperson for his generation. Bob Dylan is considered to be the greatest influence on popular culture of all time. His surroundings inspired him to write about important historical moments such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, president Kennedys assassination, the Civil Rights movement. Many of his songs are directly written about these events, most notably, The Death of Emmett Till., which was written about the murder of 15 year old Emmett Till, a black boy who was accused of flirting with a white girl. Other songs such as Blowin in the Wind, The Times they are A Changing, and A Hard Rains a Gonna Fall all have political and social meaning behind them.He said that the folk songs showed methat songs can say something human. (Dylan, 86) about his social commentary pieces. Bob Dylan was also a major player in the anti-war protests, sparked by the Vietnam War. His anti-war songs influenced activists, mostly college students who listened to his music. No other artist has had such a profound effect on the cultural evolution in America. He had an incredible influence on social reforms in this generation, as well as inspiring many other famous bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. No one can deny that he was a factor in the gyration of hundreds of thousands of people. Bob Dylan uses his songs as a way to comment on life, humanity, sparking social reforms.His childhood during the time period he lived in influenced his writing greatly through watching major historical event occur such as the Civil Rights Movement, World War Two, the Vietnam War and the assassination of death chair Kennedy. A famous song, Blowin in the Wind talks about societys inability to change their views, and can be translated to be an antiwar anthem or a Civil Rights commentary. Bob Dylan is criticized mainly on whether his songs can be called poetry and if he can be considered an artist. Also, the politics brought into his writing are very controversial. All in all, Bob Dylans songs had a considerable impact on society because of his commentary on humanity. plant CitedBob Dylan. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit Gale, 1998. St udent imagerys in Context. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Karwowski, Michael. Is Bob Dylan an Artist? Contemporary Review 1 June 2004 n. pag. Print. Wenner, Jann S. The Rolling Stone Interview Bob Dylan. Rolling Stone 29 Nov. 1969 32-35. Rolling Stone. Web. 15 Apr. 2013. Wenke, Joseph. Bob Dylan. The Beats Literary Bohemians in Postwar America. Ed. Ann Charters. Detroit. Gale Research, 1983. Dictionary of Litereary Biograhy Vol 16. Literature Resource Center. Web. 9 Apr. 2013. Yaffe, David. Bob Dylan Like a Complete Unknown. New haven Conn. Yale UP, 2011. Print.