Author Archives: TonyAttwood

  by Larry Fyffe The dramatic romantic comedy movie “Picnic”, starring William Holden and Kim Novac, influences a number of Bob Dylan’s song lyrics. A coincidence perhaps, but “Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues” could be one. The satirical song … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood It is primarily because there are very few Dylan songs left to review that I’m including a few songs now that may or may not have had any real input in terms of songwriting from Bob Dylan.  … Continue reading →

  by Larry Fyffe Usually containing the word ‘like’ or ‘as’, a simile is a trope that creates a vivid comparison between an object (or action), and a different thing that has some similar aspect. Bob Dylan constructs lots of … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood The issue recently arose on this site recently about certain somewhat obscure songs that Bob Dylan has mentioned that he really likes and which it seems may have been an influence upon him.  I considered one of … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst The first time we can hear Charlie Chaplin’s voice is in Modern Times (1935), in – very appropriate – “The Nonsense Song”. Chaplin has to sing a song for a waiting audience in a restaurant. He has … Continue reading →

  By Larry Fyffe To liven up a thought, writers employ figures of speech known as ‘personifications’ – human characteristics are attributed to nonhuman things (and to abstract concepts), ie, ‘daffodils flutter and dance in the breeze.’ Singer/songwriter Bob Dylan … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood Aaron Galbraith kindly pointed out to me that I’d missed out a few songs of Dylan’s recently, so we’re carrying on always trying to play catch up. “When I got troubles” was recorded in 1959, and appeared … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst Understandably, son Jakob stays away from his father’s oeuvre, but unfortunate it is all the same. With his Wallflowers he repeatedly demonstrates his talent to upgrade songs of others; very successful covers of “I Started A Joke” … Continue reading →

  by Larry Fyffe Because this particular figure of speech is more open to interpretation than others, metonymy is often used in Post Modern poetry and song lyrics. Metonymy twists one term into another associated with it as when a … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood This article follows on from a comment made by Jochen Markhorst in his excellent review of  Buckets of Rain relating to Bob Dylan’s professed adoration of the song “So Cold in China”  In case you missed it, here is … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst (“The image that was here has been removed due to copyright infringement.”)   Leo Kottke is an exceptional world-class guitar player, whose records have led to open mouths and despondency among industrious guitar students since 1969. His … Continue reading →

  by Larry Fyffe Synesthesia is a literary technique whereby ambiguous senses of words, and the five conventional physical senses – hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, touching – are meshed together to create striking images that transmit layers of meanings to … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood Before I started doing any reading around this song I wondered how Dylan and Ginsberg could write a song together, both being lyricists.   And I was further puzzled when I noticed that Eyolf Østrem who knows a thing … Continue reading →

by Jochen Markhorst No hard feelings, for their part. The listening preferences of the three African Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus) Léo, Zoé and Shango are being monitored in 2012 by researchers at the University of Lincoln on possible love for … Continue reading →

By Larry Fyffe Bob Dylan announces upcoming tour of the planets Though we know that the concerts of singer/songwriter/musician Bob Dylan that were planned for the planet Saturn have been cancelled due to slow ticket sales, the editors at the … Continue reading →

By Tony Attwood Here is the recorded version of this slow traditional blues Obviously the lyrics are those from Dylan’s 1967 notebook, while the music is composed by Marcus Mumford.  The song appears as one of the extra tracks on … Continue reading →

One More Cup Of Coffee (1976) by Jochen Markhorst Desire is a key word in Bizet’s masterpiece, the opera Carmen (1875). The pitiful Don José endured the shame and inconvenience of the prison thanks to the flower Carmen had thrown at … Continue reading →

by Larry Fyffe At long last, the full story that Bob Dylan only partially reveals in the song “Lily, Rosemary, And The Jack Of Hearts” can be told. Turns out the backstage manager of the “Cabaret” (a night club which … Continue reading →

by Tony Attwood This is one of the five songs not placed on the standard version of the New Basement Tapes album, but is avaialable on the deluxe edition, and has music by Taylor Goldsmith. It’s just under three minutes … Continue reading →