100 Days
of Bob Dylan
My Journey to Ascertain the Genius that is Bob Dylan
How Does it Feel?
The first morning I woke up at college, someone in my dorm had these two huge speakers turned facing out of his window and blaring, “Like a Rolling Stone.” It was the first real day out on your own and you hear, “How does it feel to be on your own, away from home, like a rolling stone?”
Since that first day at State University of New York in 1973, my father has grown a deep appreciation for Bob Dylan. As a Milennial, this same adoration did not come naturally. I just didn’t get it. Why Bob Dylan? He’s not even a good singer. His lyrics don’t really make sense. Why do people think he’s the best songwriter?
In an effort to get to know my father on a deeper level, and to understand the impacts of Bob Dylan’s legacy, I set out on a journey to explore the music for myself. Part of the expedition included this book, “Dylan: 100 Songs and Pictures” by Peter Doggett.
Each song posted here includes content from this book along with other sources I cited where applicable.
BOOK: “Dylan: 100 Songs & Pictures”
Blog Posts
Bob Dylan – Song #40: “Rainy Day Women #12 and #35”
Link to Song: Rainy Day Women #12 and #35 What you should know about this song: The recording for this hit single in 1966 was apparently quite a rowdy one, the pinnacle of which included Charlie McCoy playing bass guitar and trumpet simultaneously! Lyrically, I found...
Bob Dylan – Song #39: “One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)”
Link to Song: One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) What you should know about this song: "One of Us Must Know" is an emotional confession that truly highlights Dylan's mastery of poetic lyrics. There is a ting of sadness as the song carries through and Dylan recalls...
Bob Dylan – Song #38: “Visions of Johanna”
Link to Song: Visions of Johanna What you should know about this song: Some people say this was Dylan's greatest song. Rolling Stone Magazine referred to is as "a tour de force, a breakthrough not only for the writer but for the very possibilities of songwriting." The...
Bob Dylan – Song #37: “Positively 4th Street”
Link to Song: Positively 4th Street What you should know about this song: This non-album hit single was one of the most vocal pop songs ever written up to that point in 1967.* Many speculate "4th Street" refers to New York's 4th Street in Greenwich Village where Dylan...
Bob Dylan – Song #36: “Desolation Row”
Link to Song: Desolation Row What you should know about this song: One word really describes this song: epic. This 11-minute finale to Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited album is an incredible ensemble featuring Michael Bloomfield on guitar and has been a cornerstone of...
Bob Dylan – Song #35: “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”
Link to Song: Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues What you should know about this song: People aren't quite sure whether Bob Dylan ever visited Mexico prior to writing this interesting take on the border town, but nevertheless the song has long been regarded as another gem...
Bob Dylan – Song #34: “Queen Jane Approximately”
Link to Song: Queen Jane Approximately What you should know about this song: The Queen of Folk, Joan Baez, once called the Highway 61 Revisisted album a "bunch of crap," maybe for its new sound or more likely for this particularly song. Despite the speculation,...
Bob Dylan – Song #33: “Ballad of a Thin Man”
Link to Song: Ballad of a Thin Man What you should know about this song: Who is this "Mr. Jones" Dylan speaks of throughout this song? The identity of this character has long been in dispute, but in an interview with Dylan in 1965 he responded, "He's a pinboy. He also...
Bob Dylan – Song #32: “Highway 61 Revisited”
Link to Son: Highway 61 Revisited Live with Bruce Springsteen, 2003: Highway 61 Revisited What you should know about this song: "I always felt like I'd started on it, always had been on it, and could go anywhere from it," Dylan told Rolling Stone Magazine about...
Bob Dylan – Song #31: “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry”
Live version from the George Harrison Concert for Bangladesh: It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry What you should know about this song: This bluesy song was originally recorded for the Highway 61 Revisited album featuring Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield,...
Bob Dylan – Song #30: “Tombstone Blues”
Links to Song: Original recording for Highways 61 Revisited (1965) - http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Tombstone+Blues/4kZbsD?src=5 Later recording with the Chambers Brothers for The Bootleg Series Vol. 7...
Bob Dylan – Song #29: “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream”
Link to Song: Bob Dylan's 115th Dream What you should know about this song: Dylan had a number of people accompanying him on this humorous song featured on the Bringing It All Back Home album, including Bill Lee, John Hammond Jr., Bobby Gregg, and guitarist Bruce...