Bobcats beware! Bob Dylan the Copycat

Heard the new Dylan: Modern Times?
Great American music - old style.
Whata yu tsink about it?

Yesterday a misdemeanour concerning that album surfaced in the NYTimes.

It seems that many of the lyrics on that album, Mr. Dylan’s first No. 1 album in 30 years (down to No. 3 this week), bear some strong echoes to the poems of Timrod, a Charleston native who wrote poems about the Civil War and died in 1867 at the age of 39.

(....)

“No doubt about it, there has been some borrowing going on,” said Walter Brian Cisco, who wrote a 2004 biography of Timrod, when shown Mr. Dylan’s lyrics. Mr. Cisco said he could find at least six other phrases from Timrod’s poetry that appeared in Mr. Dylan’s songs. But Mr. Cisco didn’t seem particularly bothered by that. “I’m glad Timrod is getting some recognition,” he said.

(....)

Mr. Dylan does not acknowledge any debt to Timrod on “Modern Times.” The liner notes simply say “All songs written by Bob Dylan” (although some fans have noted online that the title of the album contains the letters of Timrod’s last name).

Well, nothing comes from nothing.

Did you know his previous album, Love & Theft was released on 9/11 2001?
...and contains lyrics like

Some things are too terrible to be true,
I won't come here no more if it's botherin' you
There's a southern pacific leaving at 9:45
I'm havin' a hard time, believin' some people would ever arrive
(....)

...or this

Tweedle-dee Dum and Tweedle-dee Dee
They're throwing knives into the tree
Two big bags of dead man's bones
Got their noses to the grindstones

Is Bob a seer?

[edit on 15/9/06 by khunmoon]

I have not heard Bob Dylan's new album, "Modern Times". However I am certainly looking forward to seeing Bob Dylan, in concert. I have already purchased my tickets to see his appearance at the John Labbat's Centre in London, Ontario on November 3rd.


As for the comments that Bob Dylan might have "ripped off" an, otherwise, obscure poet/songwriter, I'll leave that the "experts" to decide. Personally, at this point, I simply want to see and hear this icon of folk music before either one of us dies.

I hope you'll have a good time going to the concert. I've heard it's steady good performing, he does these days. It was not always like that.

I've seen him about 20 times in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. First time was 1st of May 1966 on his first world tour. I'll never forget that gig.

Have you seen the movie by Martin Scorsese about Bob Dylan, called No Direction Home? If not, go for it man. It's 2½ hour present day Dylan talking mixed with never before seen footage from the 1966 world tour. Great music, great movie, rating 9 out of 10 stars. Use the link if you wanna know more.

You probably know the official site bobdylan.com. Here's another one, the best and most comprehensive I know off is ExpectingRain.

Enjoy your concert, man. Let me know how it was.