Bob Dylan - Troubadour of our Times - Turns 70

Bob Dylan turned 70 on the 27th of May - and The Hindu marked the occasion with an excellent editorial, titled "Troubadour of our times." Dylan is 70! Made me realise I'm not getting any younger, either! 

I am therefore dedicating this post to some songs of Dylan that the young and uninitiated might not have heard - songs that are important to remember, hear, and sing, because they constitute Dylan's contempt for "education." The first of these songs is "My Back Pages" (1964, from the album Another Side of Bob Dylan). Below are two verses from this powerful song - and you can find the full lyrics (and hear the original) here.

A self-ordained professor’s tongue
Too serious to fool
Spouted out that liberty
Is just equality in school
“Equality,” I spoke the word
As if a wedding vow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

In a soldier’s stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not that I’d become my enemy
In the instant that I preach
My pathway led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now.

I have never heard anyone else singing this song - although you can find at least 20 versions of "Blowin' in the wind." It was only in the concert marking the 30th anniversary of Dylan's first recording that I heard a whole bunch of great musicians joining in with Dylan and performing "My Back Pages." The video of that performance is here.

Another great song by Dylan against education and, in particular, against degrees and diplomas, is "Day of the Locusts"  from the album New Morning (1970). Below are the opening and closing verses:

Oh, the benches were stained with tears and perspiration 

The birdies were flying from tree to tree

There was little to say, there was no conversation
As I stepped to the stage to pick up my degree
And the locusts sang off in the distance
Yeah, the locusts sang such a sweet melody
Oh, the locusts sang off in the distance
Yeah, the locusts sang and they were singing for me....

I put down my robe, picked up my diploma
Took hold of my sweetheart and away we did drive
Straight for the hills, the black hills of Dakota
Sure was glad to get out of there alive
And the locusts sang, well, it give me a chill
Yeah, the locusts sang such a sweet melody
And the locusts sang with a high whinin’ trill
Yeah, the locusts sang and they was singing for me
Singing for me, well, singing for me.

You can hear the original and read the full lyrics here.

So, long before Pink Floyd's The Wall, it was none other than Bob Dylan who was warning the youth against the educators, the schools and colleges, and their degrees and diplomas.

My teachers, too, "spouted out that Liberty is just Equality."

And, like Dylan, "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."

May you stay "forever young," Mr. Bob Dylan.