No Direction Home

Continuing the music meme, the Martin Scorcese directed documentary of Dylan--No Direction Home-- was previewed this week. I only caught a portion of it but look forward to seeing the entire thing this weekend.

I have strong feelings about Dylan and his huge volume of work. His far-reaching influence is still being felt in groups who don't even realize it.

The interesting thing about Dylan was his reluctance to take up the flag as icon to the anti-war, anti-establishment left in the country. The media thrust this upon him and he threw it back while constantly giving them the finger.

Anyone who ever took the time to listen to Dylan knows full well that he was not writing for anyone else but Dylan. Everyone thought of Dylan as the voice of his generation except for him. He didn't want it.

The excellent Laura Ingraham discussed Dylan quite a bit this week and pulled this gem of a quote out from the documentary:

For some reason, the press thought that performers had the answers to all these problems in society. You know, what can you say to something like that? It's just kind of absurd.

Exactly. Dylan has never allowed himself to be caught up in the politics of the moment, nor allowed himself to be figured out.

He has been scathing in his writing, his lyrics saying what he was feeling about people and their actions. As example A, I give you the brutal Idiot Wind:

People see me all the time and they just can't remember how to act
Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts.
Even you, yesterday you had to ask me where it was at,
I couldn't believe after all these years,
you didn't know me better than that
Sweet lady.

Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your mouth,
Blowing down the backroads headin' south.
Idiot wind, blowing every time you move your teeth,
You're an idiot, babe.It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe.

This is not peaceful or anti-establishment, it's a man writing about people and experiences. Same as the equally biting Positively 4th Street:

I know the reason
That you talk behind my back
I used to be among the crowd
You're in with

Do you take me for such a fool
To think I'd make contact
With the one who tries to hide
What he don't know to begin with
You see me on the street
You always act surprised
You say, "How are you?" "Good luck"
But you don't mean it
When you know as well as me
You'd rather see me paralyzed
Why don't you just come out once
And scream it

Those are not words of a guy who belongs to a politically correct group socialists.

More on this as time allows and after I see the documentary.