Hunky Dory presents us with three homages to Bowie's heroes: Lou Reed ('Queen Bitch'), Andy Warhol ('Andy Warhol') and Bob Dylan ('Song For Bob Dylan').

We have learnt that Lou Reed loved 'Queen Bitch', whereas Warhol hated 'Andy Warhol'. But it has not to my knowledge been documented what Bob has thought of 'Song For Bob Dylan'.

I have been reading the Bob Dylan autobiography Chronicles and there is a chapter relating to how, now that he has found fame, he is constantly harangued by the press, and the public. He cannot understand why he is held up in such a supreme light, and why his fans are demanding for him to take charge of an entire generation. They all want more songs too, but he will in his own time, and on his own terms.

Dylan is struggling with creativity at this stage, but it doesnot seem to overly bother him. He knows that inspiration can strike at any moment, and he doesnot need to force it, yet his audience demand it of him. They're practically outside his house whilst he tries to bring up a family and he feels resentful.

Therefore I don't think Dylan would have warmed to the lyrics of 'Song For Bob Dylan', where Bowie, like everyone else is urging him to come out, take charge, write more songs for people to live their life by.

It is somewhat contradictory on Bowie's part as well, in that in 'Cygnet Comittee' Bowie is urging us to not follow alternative leaders, yet three years down the line, he is writing precisely the opposite.

Perhaps this is another forshadowing of Ziggy Stardust. Bowie may well be in on the joke and documenting the absurdity of holding Dylan up as this messianic figure. And with his next album he'll take it even further and present his own absurd rock messiah - Ziggy Stardust - to his audience.

I'll leave you with a quote from Chronicles

"Eventually different anachronisms were thrust upon me - anachronisms of lesser dilemma - though they might seem bigger. Legend, Icon, Enigma (buddha in European Clothes was my favorite) - stuff like that, but that was all right. These titles were placid and harmless, threadbare, easy to get around them. Prophet, Messiah, Savior - those are the tough ones." - Bob Dylan

Its about time I had a signature

The Thin White Duke: David Bowie Tribute Band

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Bowie may well be in on the joke and documenting the absurdity of holding Dylan up as this messianic figure.

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Agree entirely.

zigbot

hey,i like bob dylan and really enjoy listening to him. but in the 1967 rockumentary ,if you will ,of bobs British tour he is frequently described as pompous and arrogant. it has been suggested this was a paranoid reaction to his sudden fame and adulation. i was under the impression david wrote this song from the perception of bob on tour,and especially the way he treats Donavon in the film.

We had a friend, a talking man
Who spoke of many powers that he had
Not of the best of men, but Ours
We used him
We let him use his powers
We let him fill Our needs
Now We are strong

So is this part of Cygnet Committee about Dylan, too?

Dylan probably hated the song...I just watched the new documentary 'No Direction Home', the other day, which really goes into how sick and tired of the media and everyone telling him who he was and what a "leader" he was...I seem to remember reading somewhere that Dylan didn't like the song, and they had some sort of encounter...not too sure. I think he was very affected by how much attention Dylan was receiving, and he did definitely try to do that folk singer thing like him (just not as well)...I think Bowie's just being a cheerleader on those three songs

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So is this part of Cygnet Committee about Dylan, too?

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It could be...So many levels !

I read somewhere Dylan didn't like "his" song ("Song for B Dylan"), because Bowie spoke about him using his real name, Robert Zimermann (good spelling?)

There's this feeling that we're going to be living until the end of time
This is ME

Edited by bibiStardust on 12/29/05 04:03 AM (server time).

If Dylan was upset, he should've replied to Bowie in song. It would have been fun to see the two writers at each other's throats. :)

The Last of the Disco Kings MP3 by Adam D Versus David B

http://www.bowiedownunder.com

Now hear this David Robert Jones,
just who the hell are you?
Just a strange drag queen from England
in a suit of pink and blue.

You think you could tell me what to do,
so you wrote it in a song.
many have tried and many have failed
but all have been wrong.

Oh here I come, here I come,
here I come again.
You are just a painted lady,
sings the same old song again
You think you're oh so modern
with your glitter and your paint
but a couple of licks of ol' Chuck Berry
it tells me that you ain't

I see your pictures in the student rooms
At least a picture on my wall
You said goodbye at Hammersmith
As told them they are wonderful
Then you wondered what to do
In a Chateau down in France
The studio costs are still rising
And you are not writing
Anything at all

Oh here I come, here I come,
here I come again.
You are just a painted lady,
sings the same old song again
You think you're oh so modern
with your glitter and your paint
but a couple of licks of ol' Chuck Berry
it tells that me you ain't

Now here this David Robert Jones
Though you hope we’ll never meet
Here’s your good friend Dylan
Searching down your old street
Now you can tell me face to face
What you think of my songs
Tell me what you think of me
Tell me your better than me
You’ll never play in Tennessee
Throw bottles at your faggotry

Oh here I come, here I come,
here I come again.
You are just a painted lady,
sings the same old song again
You think you're oh so modern
with your glitter and your paint
but a couple of licks of ol' Chuck Berry
it tells me that you ain't

Edited by Pablo-Picasso on 12/29/05 01:36 PM (server time).

oh yes, that song could definitely be on 'John Wesley Harding'

Pssst, FastChanges, that's your cue! Pablo provided the lyrics, now you provide the vocals.




Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring... Bananaphone!

Just added the second and third verses.

Did I ever tell you that I think you're brilliant?




Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring... Bananaphone!

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You’ll never play in Tennessee
Throw bottles at your faggotry

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Now that's a good lyric!

zigbot

Yeah, I have to admit, I liked that line

In reply to:

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Pssst, FastChanges, that's your cue! Pablo provided the lyrics, now you provide the vocals.

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We'll see, I've been kind of lazy in the recording studio lately.

"I never knew butt sex could be so sweet" - Monkeyboy

That's bloody excellent alan, how long did it take you to compose that?
Mr.Zimmerman looks like a Tony Defries clone on that pic!

I am an architect, they call me a butcher
I am a pioneer, they call me primitive
I am purity, they call me perverted