When the biggest movie star in the world depicts you in a new Oscar-nominated biopic, you probably did something incredible. And when it comes to the Minnesota-born songwriter Bob Dylan, that’s most definitely the case. One of the best lyricists of all time, Dylan was part poet, part boundary pusher.
Perhaps more than anyone else in the 20th century, Dylan impacted culture. First, it was his acoustic-driven socially-minded songs. Then it was his transition into electric rock & roll. For the rest of his life, Dylan has shape-shifted. He’s taken on new forms and new styles, and then shed them for the sake of others.
But in order to become one of the most influential artists of the past 100 years, you have to start off with some talent. Bob Dylan checks that box, too. Here, we wanted to explore five genius songs the man known as The Bard wrote before his 22nd birthday.
1. “Song to Woody” from Bob Dylan (1962)
Bob Dylan’s self-titled debut album was released in 1961 when he was just 20 years old. And while most of the record was comprised of covers—traditional tunes like “Man of Constant Sorrow” and “House of the Risin’ Sun”—there were two originals on it.
The one that stands out is “Song to Woody,” the acoustic track Dylan wrote as an homage to his hero Woody Guthrie.
2. “Blowin’ in the Wind” from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
Born May 24, 1941, Dylan recorded his second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, from April 1962 to April 1963. So by the time it was all done, he was just shy of his 22nd birthday.
“Blowin’ in the Wind” might be the song, among all the others, that cements him in the all-time pantheon of composition. It’s simple, pretty, picturesque, and memorable. And it explains the nature of existence perfectly.
3. “Masters of War” from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
The 1960s were scary times. There were nuclear weapons positioned at the United States from just miles away in Cuba. Leaders were being assassinated left and right. And so Dylan, reflecting the times, wrote a song about those who hungered and mongered for more war.
This song sounds like a bomb coming closer and closer until the language and expression explode onto its audience.
4. “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
It’s easy to see why people fell in love with Bob Dylan, the artist, in the 1960s. He exudes cool while also maintaining that ghostly poet energy. His songs elucidate, enlighten, and also escape.
Here, Dylan sings about the difficulty of life and the even more difficult reality of consequence. The images that stream from his mouth are like a Dhali painting put to music.
5. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
The ultimate breakup song. What devastation Dylan lays at the feet of the person he is choosing to depart from. If the only constant in life is change, then he was sure going to embody that.
This song is his letter to anyone who tries to keep him in one place. It’s his theme song for leaving. Because before you know it, Dylan is gone, down the dark side of the road. Still, he reminds, it’s going to be okay. It’s alright.
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