From heartache to an apocalypse, Bob Dylan has written about it all. The celebrated musician, who once said ‘songs are my lexicon’, turned 80 on May 24.
Showtime spoke to popular musicians from Bengaluru to find out their favourite song by the legendary American singer-songwriter.
‘Timeless wonder’
Grammy Award-winning Indian musician Ricky Kej says his favourite song is ‘The Times They Are a-Changing’. “It’s a song that is timeless. It is a song of activism without being too aggressive. Also, it is a song of hope,” he says. The first time he heard the track was when it played in ‘Wonder Years’, a series he watched as a kid. “The song stuck with me,” he says.
‘Feeling of Hope’
‘Blowin’ in the wind’, is Peter Alvin’s song of choice. The musician, a member of ‘TAP- The Acoustic Project’, says the song gives a feeling of hope. “I first heard it when I was seven. It was the first song I learnt to sing and play. It reminds me of my music teacher who struggled so much, teaching me to play it,” he says.
Husband-wife duo Jagadeesh MR and Madhuri Jagadeesh of world fusion ensemble ‘MoonArra’, echos Peter’s thoughts. For Jagadeesh, it is the feeling of displacement of the individual that captures his heart.
“It shows how life can be a leveller. The song itself is quite simple but Dylan’s inimitable phrasing is so infectious,” he says. Madhuri too enjoys the profoundness couched in the simplicity of the song. “There are so many life lessons in that song,” says Madhuri.
‘Relatable to all’
‘Forever Young’ is drummer Roberto Narain’s favourite track. He first heard the song when he was six. “It’s one of those songs that turn up consistently in life and always connects with me. It is a powerful song that is universal in concept,” he says.
Aarushi Pareek, frontwoman of ‘The Chronic Blues Circus’, says she was introduced to Bob Dylan at 13 by her uncle. “There is something about Dylan’s lyrics that makes you feel that oneness with him and the song. I have many Dylan favourites but if I have to name one it would be ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ because it is all about one being privileged but still having to face the realities of life,” she says.