19 Comments
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William Routhier's avatar

Reff - thanks for the thoughtful comments. You're probably right about DeVere. University chairs will need to be vacated by them dying off before people can start to examine the obvious truth of Oxford's authorship. Truth will out. Somebody said that. De Vere actually means 'of the truth.' Veritas. I'd disagree about Dylan limiting his words strategically, but who knows? About McCartney he said, "He’s about the only one that I am in awe of. I’m in awe of him maybe just because he’s just so damn effortless. I mean I just wish he’d quit, you know."[laughs] So, a joke, but it betrays a less than gracious feeling harbored underneath. So yeah, I think Bob succumbs to the praise. But, bless him, man, whatever. He's human, and he's given so much.

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Daniel Moran's avatar

Great comparison to “da Bears.” And true overall—he’s great, but he’s not Shakespeare. Apples and oranges.

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William Routhier's avatar

Thanks, Daniel. Yeah, it's the comparisons that aren't correct. Comparisons are odious, Cervantes said.

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Linda Gilkison's avatar

Loved him in the Traveling Wibury’s but my favorite song writers are Tom Petty and Mike Campbell

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William Routhier's avatar

There's something really solid and well crafted about Petty's songs with Mike Campbell. I admire that writing at times over Dylan's, where Dylan is vague or sloppy.

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Reff's avatar

Bob probably agrees with you as much as anyone, he sometimes seems absolutely embarrassed by the worship, also, it will probably be awhile before the rest of the world is able to acknowledge Edward DeVere as the most likely candidate to be the man known as Shakespeare. Bob probably seems more mysterious due to having to limit his words because they are so often devoured like raw meat by overly bobsessed dylanologists. Bob’s conversion to Christianity may have partially been an attempt at transferring that worship to a higher ideal. You would also have to forgive him if he sometimes succumbs to being seduced by such endless praise.

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Anecdotage's avatar

Bob Dole doesn't like bobdolatry.

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Matt Gately's avatar

He saw an animal up on a hill

Chewing up so much grass until it was filled

He saw milk coming out but he didn't know how

Ah, think I'll call it a cow

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Gail Sand's avatar

💋🌹❤️💃💋

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William Routhier's avatar

Thank you Gail. I saw that you're from Minnesota, so you probably know your Bob.

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JB's avatar

It is said that Cohen and Dylan sat down and spoke about "Hallelujah" and "I and I" respectively.

Bob asked Leonard how long it took him to write his song. Cohen replied that it took him a month.

He then in turn asked Bob how long it took him to write his song.

Bob said "15 minutes."

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William Routhier's avatar

I did hear that story. The way I heard was Cohen said, 5 years, and Dylan said fifteen minutes. Dylan said that about Blowin' in the Wind too, but his sense of veracity has always been somewhat fluid and metaphorical, a punch line in a story. But it's true Cohen was writing additional verses to Hallelujah for years, that's documented.

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Majik's avatar

OK, but were YOU “blinded by the Devil, born already ruined?”

I rest my case.

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William Routhier's avatar

Not the last time I looked.

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William Routhier's avatar

I know. It was a joke. Can't look if you're blind.

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Majik's avatar

LOL. That’s a good one, Friend!

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John Nogowski's avatar

Interesting take. Having written three books about the guy, I’ve followed his career closely written a lot about him and he’s given us way more than we had a right to expect. And some crap, too. But I’m so glad I was around to see and hear it all.

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John Nogowski's avatar

Love you to poke through my Substack, William. Lots of Bob.

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