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Bob Dylan: A Pop Culture Artifact

Bob Dylan is an American musician who gained fame in the early 60’s. He rose to fame due to his talent in folk music and later incorporated areas of rock, blues, country, and some pop elements into his music. His discography is an amalgamation of various genres and themes which is why he is sometimes referred to as a musical chameleon. He famously collaborated with Joan Baez, a contemporary folk singer and political activist. She encouraged Bob Dylan to include themes of political activism in his songs. To the surprise of many, both musical artists are still alive and perform many of the songs they once sang together (separately). 

Although Bob Dylan is admired for his musical talent, many of you might question his authenticity when it comes to political activism. Various of his songs including “Masters of War’”and “Only A Pawn In Their Game” highlight important political issues going on at the time such as the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. I admire his protest music as it still rings true today, but others question his authenticity because he no longer speaks against injustice. On the other hand, Joan Baez is still outspoken about political injustice and is considered an activist to this day. So, we are left wondering if we can consider him an activist or just someone who includes strong themes in his music. 

Decades after his peak in the music world, he remains a living legend in the world of music. This year a biopic about his life, “A Complete Unknown,” was released in theatres and explores his life and relationships, particularly with Joan Baez. If you’re familiar with gen z slang, you can describe this dynamic as the situationship of the century. They were extremely fond of one another but never fit quite right. To read more about their relationship, here’s a link: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/folk-prophet-and-a-barefoot-madonna-what-happened-between-bob-dylan-and-joan-baez/ 

Other references:

Bob Dylan as Modern Day Prophet

In his new book, political theorist Jeffrey Green takes a unique view of the famous musician.

Bob Dylan's most important protest songs

With the release of the Timothée Chalamet Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown upon us, here are the singer-songwriter's most powerful lyrics.