Paul’s review of Decoding Dylan: Searching For The Sources To The Songs Of Bob Dylan > Likes and Comments
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I like jazz. Jazz men are shameless about copying. Ella Fitzgerald once famously said, “I stole everything that I heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.” And we are all better for it, I say. After all, all music is derivative of Mary had a little lamb” up tempo in G.
I adore Bob Dylan and will not be reading this book thanks to your awesome review.
I listened to him relentlessly for years. I remember a time when a listened to Brownsville Girl over and over again every night after work.
According to Wikipedia it's a version of a Woody Guthrie song Danville Girl. The lyrics are incredible. He's only played it live once!
Thank you for this take-down of Searching for Dylan’s Sources Derangement Syndrome. While watching the river flow when stuck inside of Memphis hoping to revisit Highway 61, I accepted that Bob was a great writer and I was happy to just listen to his words. Of course, I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.
Thanks Brad Mary & Ray - I can't hear any Danville Girl in Brownsville Girl no matter how I squint. Sometimes searching for sources hits the mainline, as for instance Johnny and Jack singing Uncle Joe's Bongos - now that was a revelation. And I do think Bob just goes TOO far when he rips off the tune of Red Sails in the Sunset for Beyond the Horizon - come on, Bob, at least change it around a bit! But mostly I think whatever he's doing he's doing it so well and who would have thought he'd make one of his best albums at the age of 79. Amazing.
I'm with you on Rough and Rowdy Ways, Paul. Bob ain't no false prophet. He contains multitudes. Obsessively searching for sources in songs this great is murder most foul.
I am one of your biggest fans, Paul, but even in jest, please do not give any sort of legitimacy to the dangerous use of the phrase "Trump Derangement Syndrome". It is a gaslighting strategy, as we know, that pathologises and dehumanises political dissent in order to allow corruption, mayhem and criminality to continue on its merry way. It of course dismisses the very concept of engagement: if you disagree, you are simply mentally ill... The history of the use of this kind of strategy is tragically illuminating. We are watching the dismantling of democracy in the US and this kind of rhetoric is a powerful weapon -- I know you didn't mean to draw any serious parallels and sorry to be so humourless! I love your hilarious reviews and you've made me laugh so much... but I'm worried...
ah sorry about that! From my distant British perspective it just seemed like a funny phrase, I thought it was used in a tongue in cheek kind of way.... surely didn't mean to give toxic politics any oxygen.... amendment made.
I'm envious of your British perspective. Things that seem like they should obviously be tongue in cheek are tragically dead serious! It's hard to tell if the person whose name is in the syndrome has some kind of humorous edge in his postings, or is able to connect ideas in such a way, but the people who are followers take it as gospel.
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Brad
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Jun 27, 2026 01:17PM
I like jazz. Jazz men are shameless about copying. Ella Fitzgerald once famously said, “I stole everything that I heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.” And we are all better for it, I say. After all, all music is derivative of Mary had a little lamb” up tempo in G.
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I adore Bob Dylan and will not be reading this book thanks to your awesome review. I listened to him relentlessly for years. I remember a time when a listened to Brownsville Girl over and over again every night after work.
According to Wikipedia it's a version of a Woody Guthrie song Danville Girl. The lyrics are incredible. He's only played it live once!
Thank you for this take-down of Searching for Dylan’s Sources Derangement Syndrome. While watching the river flow when stuck inside of Memphis hoping to revisit Highway 61, I accepted that Bob was a great writer and I was happy to just listen to his words. Of course, I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.
Thanks Brad Mary & Ray - I can't hear any Danville Girl in Brownsville Girl no matter how I squint. Sometimes searching for sources hits the mainline, as for instance Johnny and Jack singing Uncle Joe's Bongos - now that was a revelation. And I do think Bob just goes TOO far when he rips off the tune of Red Sails in the Sunset for Beyond the Horizon - come on, Bob, at least change it around a bit! But mostly I think whatever he's doing he's doing it so well and who would have thought he'd make one of his best albums at the age of 79. Amazing.
I'm with you on Rough and Rowdy Ways, Paul. Bob ain't no false prophet. He contains multitudes. Obsessively searching for sources in songs this great is murder most foul.
I am one of your biggest fans, Paul, but even in jest, please do not give any sort of legitimacy to the dangerous use of the phrase "Trump Derangement Syndrome". It is a gaslighting strategy, as we know, that pathologises and dehumanises political dissent in order to allow corruption, mayhem and criminality to continue on its merry way. It of course dismisses the very concept of engagement: if you disagree, you are simply mentally ill... The history of the use of this kind of strategy is tragically illuminating. We are watching the dismantling of democracy in the US and this kind of rhetoric is a powerful weapon -- I know you didn't mean to draw any serious parallels and sorry to be so humourless! I love your hilarious reviews and you've made me laugh so much... but I'm worried...
ah sorry about that! From my distant British perspective it just seemed like a funny phrase, I thought it was used in a tongue in cheek kind of way.... surely didn't mean to give toxic politics any oxygen.... amendment made.
I'm envious of your British perspective. Things that seem like they should obviously be tongue in cheek are tragically dead serious! It's hard to tell if the person whose name is in the syndrome has some kind of humorous edge in his postings, or is able to connect ideas in such a way, but the people who are followers take it as gospel.