Writing about Bob Dylan’s politics would seem to be a thankless task. The famously curmudgeonly songwriter claims to know and care little about the subject, and what he has said comes across as confused and contradictory. He distrusts authority and empathizes with the underdog; score two for the Left. He is a Barry Goldwater fan and feels alienated from the counterculture he helped create; score two for the Right. He has kind words for George W. Bush . . . but he likes Obama, too. “[Obama] loves music. He’s personable. He dresses good,” Dylan told Rolling Stone when prodded to share some thoughts on the president; but then he added, “What the f*** do you want me to say?”
And that would seem to be the point. Bob Dylan is not a political theorist or historian. He’s not a TV commentator or an opinion columnist. He is a musician. So why are we asking him?
Comments