Bob Dylan God's Poet

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Bob Dylan's prolific poems of protest and prediction

I'm making this page about Bob Dylan, first because he has been dubbed America's poet laureate. (Click the link and read the first article in the link module below). Bob Dylan is a most prolific song writer whose contribution to the 60's folk revival was invaluable. Bob Dylan wrote so many songs, most of them protest songs of one sort or another, that it would be impossible to remember them all. He does sing them with great passion as well, although admittedly his voice leaves something to be desired. Yet, listening to Bob Dylan sing, one is so carried away by the pure passion and intensity of his performance that his voice quality becomes of minor import. I suppose, that's what makes me classify him more as a poet--and I agree that he should be dubbed poet laureate--than a musician, even though many of his songs did have wonderful melodies. Yet it was the lyrics that went with the melodies that helped influence his generation.
But I'm making this page primarily to show that Bob Dylan was both a knowing and an unknowing instrument of God. More on this further on.

Amazon Spotlight: Bob Dylan documentary

by Martin Scorsese

This two-disc set of Martin Scorsese's full two-part documentary includes treats such as Dylan working on a song at his hotel during the UK tour as well as performing several songs as in concert or on TV.

Bob Dylan - No Direction Home

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This documentary shakes us free of our comfortable assumptions. In the process, it plays out on several levels at once, each taking shape as an unfailingly fascinating narrative. Scorsese's 200-plus-minute focus on Dylan's earliest years allows for a portrayal of unprecedented depth, with multiple angles: a rich composite photo is the result. The main narrative has an epic quality: it moves from Dylan growing up in cold-war Minnesota through Greenwich Village coffeehouses and the Newport Folk Festival, climaxing in the controversial 1966 U.K. tour that crowned a period of unbridled and explosive creativity. In his transition from Robert Allen Zimmerman to Bob Dylan, we observe him concocting his impossible-to-describe, unique combination of the topical with the archaic, like an ancient oracle.

Release Date: 09/20/2005

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To give you an idea how he sounds,

If you never heard him, take a listen-- You may or may not like his voice or singing style.

Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue
by BobDylanVEVO | video info

8,008 ratings | 4,793,178 views
curated content from YouTube

Bob Dylan called America's Poet Laureate

Aquarius Papers - Global Astrology: Happy Video Birthday to Bob Dylan, America's Poet Laureate
by Robert Wilkinson
His work is vast, awesome, majestic, and compelling, We haven't known an American poet who embodied such electricity since Walt Whitman. Happy 66th, Lucky Wilbury. You were one of my most potent influences as a teen in...

NOW you can get these Bob Dylan songs from ! iTunes

Track Artist Album  
Mr. Tambourine Man Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
The Times They Are A-Changin' Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Knockin' On Heaven's Door Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Tangled Up In Blue Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Maggie's Farm Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Like a Rolling Stone Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Subterranean Homesick Blues Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
It Ain't Me, Babe Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Just Like a Woman Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
All Along the Watchtower Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Lay, Lady, Lay Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Forever Young Bob Dylan The Essential Bob Dylan
Blowin' In the Wind Bob Dylan Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
Farewell, Angelina Bob Dylan The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991
When the Ship Comes In Bob Dylan The Times They Are A-Changin'
Queen Jane Approximately Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
With God On Our Side Bob Dylan The Times They Are A-Changin'

More about Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bob Dylan From Wikipedia,
Birth name: Robert Allen Zimmerman
Also known as Elston Gunn[1] Blind Boy Grunt, Lucky Wilbury/Boo Wilbury, Elmer Johnson, Sergei Petrov, Jack Frost, Jack Fate, Willow Scarlet, Robert Milkwood Thomas.
Born May 24, 1941 (1941-05-24) (age 67)
Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, author, poet, screenwriter, disc jockey
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards, piano, bass
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is the uncontested poet laureate of the rock and roll era and the pre-eminent singer/songwriter of modern times.
Bob Dylan: Dylan's Journey
Darren Hirst examines the spiritual journey of 20th century music icon BOB DYLAN.

Conclusion: Bob Dylan: an instrument of God?

Social protest, esoteric meanings and his conversion to Christianity

Bob Dylan wrote mostly protest songs about war, poverty, injustice and social wrongs. although he did write some songs that are simply love songs of some sort or other also, although most of them are somewhat esoteric as well. A lot of Bob Dylan's songs are esoteric--that is, you can't really understand their full meaning at first, and some of them you never will really figure out the entire meaning. Bob Dylan will tell you himself that he doesn't even know the full meaning of some of some of his songs. That's what makes them so interesting--which brings me to my next point:
Another reason I'm making this page about Bob Dylan is to point out something most people, Christian and otherwise, are unaware of, namely the influence of God upon his writing--that he was an instrument of God.
One reviewer mentions "echoes of the book of Isaiah in 'All Along the Watchtower,' a song that seemed eerily similar to Mark 13:35." My favorite Bob Dylan song, "Hard Rain's gonna fall" seems to pre-figure "Slow Train Comin'" from his Christian era. One person in Martin Scorscse's documentary (above) went so far as to say that when Dylan was writing, you could see the Holy Spirit in him.
For more on Bob Dylan's "pre-Christian era" Christian references see my (blue)black box below.

In 1978, Dylan did openly embrace Christianity, having found Christ through the Vineyard Christian Fellowship Church. Late that year, he starting writing songs with a Christian message, although many of these also spoke of social wrongs, but as seen from a Christian perspective both of the present and the future. "Slow Train Coming'" is a good example. He made 4 Christian albums, but "Slow Train Coming" was the best known and he included several songs that were right to the point, like "Y' Gotta Serve Somebody" and "When He Returns." (See 3rd link in the link list below "Bob Dylan: Dylan's Journey" as well as the the Amazon Spotlight: "Inside BOB DYLAN'S JESUS YEARS..")

Bob Dylan's Christian Albums

The Gospel According to Dylan

Bob Dylan made 4 Christian albums, if you count the tribute album (last one listed), but "Slow Train Comin'" was the best known and he included several songs that were right to the point, like "Y' Gotta Serve Somebody" and "When He Returns."
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An analysis of Bob Dylan's Christian albums from YouTube

Bob Dylan- Gotta Serve Somebody - Gospel Songs of
by baddaboom | video info

444 ratings | 563,441 views
curated content from YouTube

You can even get Bob Dylan's Christian songs from iTunes

Track Artist Album  
Slow Train Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming
Gotta Serve Somebody Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming
I Believe In You Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming
Man Gave Names to All the Animals Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming
Precious Angel Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming
When He Returns Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming
Gonna Change My Way of Thinking Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming
When You Gonna Wake Up Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming
Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others) Bob Dylan Slow Train Coming

Amazon Spotlight: Bob Dylan's Jesus Years

Bob Dylan's "Jesus Years" are today regarded as among the best of his career. Here is an insiders view into Bob Dylan's "Born Again" transformation, and its affect on his life and music. .

Inside Bob Dylan's Jesus Years: Busy Being Born... Again!

Amazon Price: $6.55 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now
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In his first-ever interview, Dylan's Bible class teacher, Pastor Bill Dwyer, details Bob Dylan's embrace of Jesus Christ and Christianity. Director/Producer Joel Gilbert weaves the story of Bob Dylan's Jesus Years through revealing insider interviews. Included are rare photos and exclusive live concert footage from 1978-1981, while Bob Dylan himself explains the impact of Jesus on his life and art in a recently unearthed interview from 1981. FOR A REVIEW of this film from Christianiy Today, Go Here

Release Date: 10/28/2008

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Bob Dylan, unknowing instrument of God?

There are songs written before his Christian era that seem to speak metaphorically of the return of Christ and the coming judgement of God.. For examples, see the 5 best songs section below. (See also the spotlight 'Prophecy in the Christina era" below.) Thus, I conclude, that even before he knew God, God was using Dylan as an instrument, and his conversion and Christian era were the climax of his career to which everything prior in his life was pointing.

Explore this deeper. Read this CT article

Check out this Christianity Today article. They come at it from a slightly different angle that I did in the blue box above, After reading it, please vote in the poll module as to whether or not you agree with me that Bob Dylan was an unknowing instrument of God in his pre-Christian years.
Bob Dylan: Still Blowin' in the Wind
Christianity Today reviews Dylan's work before the singer's conversion to Christianity, which work, according to the article, "reflected his religious upbringing."

Amazon Spotlight Personal Review

In this DVD, "Director & Producer Joel Gilbert weaves the story of this monumental period of Dylan's life and music..

Bob Dylan - 1975-1981 Rolling Thunder and The Gospel Years

Amazon Price: $3.25 (as of 02/16/2012)Buy Now
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For the hardcore Dylan fan looking to gain new insights into one of the strangest periods of his career, it answers a ton of questions.

Release Date: 04/04/2006

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BOOKS BY OR ABOUT BOB DYLAN

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PROPHECY IN THE CHRISTIAN ERA:

A Study of Bob Dylan's Work from 1961 to 1967 Emphasizing His Use of Enigma to Teach Ethics & Comparing Him to Dante Alighieri & Other Poets (Paperback)

This excellent book will interest dylan fans especially. Heart-warming, sincere and inspired analysis of dylans mystical nature.

Prophecy in the Christian Era: A Study of Bob Dylan's Work from 1961 to 1967 Emphasizing His Use of Enigma to Teach Ethics & Comparing Him to Dante Alighieri & Other Poets

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Her insights are incisive and succinct, and while her conclusions are not phenomenologically scientific in the Aristotelean sense, they are perfectly true hermeneutically in addressing the enigmas and parables embedded within the textuality of Dylan's verse.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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The 5 best songs by Bob Dylan--NOT listed in best to least best order

From protest to judgement

These are my picks. You may or may not agree. Certainly the most popular Bob Dylan song ever was the first listed, but definitely his best song of all, as I see it, is the one I listed 3rd.

1)"Blowin" in th' Wind."--I listed this one first because it is perhaps his most famous, made so by Peter Paul & Mary. It's protest pure and simple. If you want another war protest song, I'll throw "Masters of War" in for free. (not one of the five)

2)"Farewell Angelina"--one of his most esoteric songs, but speaking metaphorically of the end of the world as a warning.

3)A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" (This is actually my favorite: Great words of social protest and a great tune to go with it. And this one seems to me to refer metaphorically to the return of Christ (and the coming judgement of God), even though it's before Dylan's Christian era.

4)"Slow Train Commin"--This one is from his Christian era, but compare it with "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall--the same sort of social protest linked to a metaphor of the return of Christ." Your really should get this whole album. (1st on gospel music module).

5)"When the ship comes in." Another great song of social protest, but which also speaks metaphorically of the return of Christ (very clearly I think--I can't get away from it). And this one was also written before his Christian era, like "Hard Rain." "When He Returns" in the "Slow Train" album speaks pointedly of the return of Christ, but I feel these two (this one and Hard Rain" were precursors to lead up to that one, even unbeknown to Dylan.

Here they are from YouTube, so you can take a listen

'Farewell Angelina' Bob Dylan
by ChrisyMcCullagh83 | video info

31 ratings | 26,014 views
curated content from YouTube

Here they are, for your convienice, on iTunes

Sung for the most part by someone other than Bob

Track Artist Album  
Blowin' In the Wind Peter, Paul & Mary The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary
Farewell, Angelina Joan Baez Baez Sings Dylan
When the Ship Comes In (Live) Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger More Together Again In Concert (Remastered)
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall Pete Seeger The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert, June 8, 1963 (Live)
Slow Train (Live) Bob Dylan & Grateful Dead Dylan & the Dead (Live)

MORE DVD'S BY OR ABOUT BOB DYLAN

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Do You Agree?

Having read my thesis in the blue box above and the Christianity Today article which follows it and any of the other books listed between there and here, DO YOU AGREE with my thesis, that Bob Dylan, before his Christian era, was an unwitting instrument of God?

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Multi-artist CD Tributes to Bob Dylan

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Single artist tributes to Bob Dylan

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Recent posts about Bob Dylan

Chuck Ragan Covers Bob Dylan
While copying the massive amount of lyrics between these two numbers, I found the already enormous amount of respect for Bob Dylan grow 10 fold. I often wonder exactly where, how and why these lyrics, in the order that they've been laied out, ...
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Bob Dylan on eBay

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Amazon Spotlight Personal Review 

Chronicles: Volume One

Amazon Price: $3.97 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

an odd but ultimately illuminating memoir that is as impulsive, eccentric, and inspired as Dylan's greatest music.