A Meeting With Mr. Dylan (806 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: 2 on 11 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by DiggityDarth <Smeagol.at.yahoo.com> (View user info) at 2006-03-06 12:36:21 EST
The year was 1964. At the time I was a struggling singer-songwriter, making hardly a living playing on the streets during the day, in clubs at night. Life was difficult, sometimes I could afford a motel room for the night, but more often I found myself on the street. Luckily, it was 1964, which we all now know as the "year of perpetual springtime". You youngsters might think it is called this because of the hippy movement, but it was actually very warm and pleasant the entire year. Not once did the temperature change from a nice 68 degrees. This made my nights on the street much more comfortable, and helped me from freezing to death.
My guitar, as most were during the 60's, was made of lead and weighed close to 90 pounds. At the time, we did not know that wooden guitars produced a nicer sound, and the material of choice was lead. The weight of my guitar, combined with the fact that I walked everywhere, meant that I was a very lean and rugged fellow. Indeed, the hippy ladies were all fans of my well toned, folk music playing body.
I recall reading the paper one morning. A small article mentioned Bob Dylan, who was then only a local figure. It gave a brief story of his life, and how he had to train for years to just be able to lift his guitar (made of pure iron ore it weighed well over 200 pounds). The article then gave the location of a small pub, the Finch and Bull Bar, where he would be playing on a Friday night. I took note of this, as his story was enticing. Who was this Bob Dylan who played a 200-pound guitar? I had to find out.
I did find out, and still to today I try to understand what happened in my few hours with Mr. Dylan. I arrived at the Finch and Bull Bar earlier than the paper stated Bob would be playing. My hopes were to find him setting up. Initially I was disappointed. The only musician I saw was a man who had to be in his 50's. His face was leathery, and his hair graying. "Excuse me Sir," I said to the old man "Is Bob Dylan in yet?" He looked at me, with what I now believe was a smile, but at the time I could only focus on the masses of wrinkles around his eyes and lips, and the fact that he was smoking three cigarettes at once. All unfiltered.
"This is he" the old man replied. The sound of his voice was shocking. A review of Bob Dylan's work that I'd read had mentioned that his voice was raw and innovative, and naturally I thought this only applied to his singing voice. But his speech was like nothing I've ever heard. "So you're the one they call Bob Dylan? It was said you are only 17, yet you look like a reasonably old man! How is this?" Looking back on it, the question I asked seemed a bit rude, but Mr. Dylan must have been used to such questions. His answer was short and precise, "I was born like this".
I now have my doubts about his response, and I believe that his aged look can be credited to his constant smoking of three cigarettes at a time. Regardless of how he came to look like he did, Bob Dylan was quite a sight. He was nearly eight feet tall, and had the build of an ox. His massive arms lifted his 200-pound guitar with ease. Bob sat the guitar on his lap, and began the lengthy process of tuning the huge instrument. It took perhaps a full hour of hard work, even for a man of his strength. During this hour, Bob Dylan and I moved to a quite corner and had a conversation I will never forget, but never fully remember. I will also never fully understand the conversation, as Bob Dylan has a tendency to speak in the third person and this causes much confusion.
Bob said that he had immediately recognized me as a folk musician, and that he could tell by the size of my strumming arm. I was, of course, flattered. Here was a man whose arms put even the most professional athlete to shame. He then asked, "What songs have you wrote? It would please me greatly if you'd play for the Bob." I told him that my guitar was back at my motel room, and apologized. Then, very demandingly, he said "Then you shall play Dylan's guitar, and make the room merry with sweet folkish music."
I obeyed. How could I not listen to such a personality? Be glad that Bob Dylan chose the profession of a folk musician and not that of Ruler of the World, for none can deny him of what he wants. The guitar was heavy indeed. As I sat it on my leg, I winced and cried out. Bob Dylan only smiled. "Now, play!" he shouted. I began playing what I believed was my most creative song, "Below the Drawbridge", and Bob Dylan burst into a crazy dance of stomping and spinning. His dancing fever spread and soon all in the bar were dancing like lunatics.
What happened after this is now all a blur. The sheer power of the guitar frightened me, but the sweet sound it produced was enchanting. I stopped playing and the set the enormous guitar on the floor. Bob Dylan came up to me and told me what a very fine song I had made. "Was that an A minor, G, F chord progression?" he asked. "Yes, yes it is." I replied. He then went somewhere in the back to discuss payment with the owners of the bar. I did not stay for the show, could not stay. My head was spinning, I had to go back to my motel room and try to understand all that had happened.
Things went back to normal for me after my meeting with Bob Dylan. All was well, until about 2 months later when I was listening to the radio. The announcer talked of a new smash hit artist Bob Dylan and his groundbreaking song "All Along the Watchtower". Curious, I thought. The title sounds like a play off of my own song "Below the Drawbridge"! Not only was the title similar, but the actual song even more so! Bob Dylan had stolen my music! And there was nothing I could do.
At the time I was furious. I felt robbed and used. Today, I'm not so angry. Bob Dylan's version of the song was far superior then mine. And though I never did make it big, probably because of Bob Dylan's actions, I do not regret meeting him.
User Reviews
Submitted by BranDo (user info) at 2006-03-07 09:44:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Dylan
Submitted by Nellypaal (user info) at 2006-03-07 04:42:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Random nonsense always scores highly with me.
Submitted by shandythedog (user info) at 2006-03-07 04:39:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
i was hoping this would be a TRUE ACCOUNT OF A REAL MEETING, but nevertheless enjoyed this.
and i know how you feel - he stole most of his stuff by astral travelling into my infant mind. or was that the beatles?
Submitted by NerfHerder (user info) at 2006-03-07 01:58:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
YES! x3
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-03-07 01:41:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Shenanigans!
Submitted by evesapple (user info) at 2006-03-06 15:15:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
you're weird
+2 cause my name's Johanna
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2006-03-06 14:20:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i liked this.
ads are by yahoo now, not google?
Submitted by DarthAwesome (user info) at 2006-03-06 13:56:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
o god im supa high
Submitted by DarthAwesome (user info) at 2006-03-06 13:56:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
this is inanity
ii dont know what to do with all this
Submitted by MrSparkle847 (user info) at 2006-03-06 12:44:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Lead guitar.
Submitted by Falconer (user info) at 2006-03-06 12:41:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Odd but +2 for Robert Zimmerman.