Dylan and I (5.5)

I used to abhor the sound of music, it was horrific to me. My body and mind would cringe when it came pouring into my ears. Things changed one day, riding home from the Villages with my mom, her friend, my friend, and I when, like lightning out of a clear sky, the most beautiful sound came flowing into my ear, into my conscience, and into my life. The tune that was playing then is one of the most beloved songs in history, perhaps the greatest ballad ever written: "American Pie" by Don McLean. Full of lyrical imagery and a chorus that will last longer than the song itself, it made me love music. But that song was only my first stop on a long, winding journey of whimsical musical discovery, it was all just a "simple twist of fate."

None of my peers have ever liked my choice of music, on the contrary, I never liked theirs either; I suppose we were even. After my discovery of Don McLean, I then stumbled upon "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" by the Charlie Daniel's Band. I would listen to that song every day, and I learned the words within two days of first hearing it. But it was in May of 2008, while walking in the music aisle in Target, when I stumbled across a new CD of Bob Dylan's titled "DYLAN." I'd heard his song "Mr. Tambourine Man" sung by Jason Castro on American "Idol," and I thought it was terrible, but when I picked up the CD, and saw that song on the track listing. I instantly bought the CD and listened to it, not just once, but over and over and over again. I learned "Blowin' in the Wind" within the first two sessions of the album. "Mr. Tambourine Man" hit me like a boat from the blue; its sheer poignancy and poetic language, the cascading landscapes portrayed throughout, and the chorus was simply wonderful. The song (or anthem) that impacted me most was "The Times They Are A-Changin'." This song can never be outdated, it is as true today, as it was a hundred years ago, or will be a thousand years from now. The fourth verse hit me hardest, and how Dylan declared his generation's dependence from the preceding in a stroke of truth and eloquence not found in today's music, "things have changed."

I didn't listen to the entire compilation until a few weeks later, when reading a book that I cranked up the speakers and went on the funniest, saddest, best, and most varied ride of my life. The disc was full of songs that apparently are giants in the world of song, songs like "Lay Lady Lay," "Forever Young," and "Like A Rolling Stone," and I just fell in love with his music. Many of my friends can't stand his music because of his voice. They think Dylan is some unknown wannabe, but they must be wrong if Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at number two in their list of greatest artists, above Elvis! The reason for his success is poetic language and his use of metaphors to captivate his listeners and bring them into his state of mind and point of view, it's all "tangled up in blue."

During that time, I was listening with different music, and when I saw a video attempting to explain "American Pie," it mentioned Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The song I first heard of theirs was "That'll Be The Day," a fun, sweet, last ditch love song. "Rave On" was even better, the refrain is so inspiring and aspiring that it makes you want to keep on keeping on. While listening to Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" when Stephen Hurley walked up behind me and said to listen to Jimi Hendrix's cover of that song, that was one of the best things I ever did. Hendrix's cover of "Watchtower" quite plainly blew my away. All of his songs do like "Purple Haze." His music introduced me to Pink Floyd, and found two new favorites: "Hey You" and "Wish You Were Here." And one day, when me and a longtime friend were chilling at my home, when I decided to hear the chirping of the Beatles. I don't think they impressed him much, but their songs hit me like someone kicked open the gates to my conscience.

After "blowing in the wind," "like a rolling stone," I had discovered many other bands such as Sublime, Led Zeppelin, The Band (Hawks), The Byrds, The Who, The Black Keys, and dozens of others. But only one artist and one band have always stayed with me, and always will: Dylan and The Beatles. Dylan struck me like truth in a world of lies, reality in the abstract, fun in the middle of seriousness. The Beatles are hilarious and serious, physcadelic and surreal, and wierdness amongst normality. Dylan is the most important to me, for Dylan has inspired me to write my own songs/poems/ballads, although they aren't good even when compared to little known songs of his like "Oxford Town." His songs have told me a message, over and over again, like a proverb or psalm that your priest jammed into your mind, a message of assurance. It is positively true, it is the climax of my childhood, a cherished journey I will never forget. He has always said, "Don't think twice, it's alright."