Codes and Lyrics

To some people, it’s ironic that Bob Dylan is considered one of the greatest lyricists of all time. Even those who love Dylan, and there are millions of people out there, have to admit that he’s not always the clearest, cleanest singer out there. You need look no further then Dylan’s recent performance of “Maggie’s Farm” at the 2011 Grammy Awards as evidence of what people mean. You could barely hear any of Dylan’s rambling lyrics, which is a shame considering how important the lyrics of the song are to understanding just how great of a talent Dylan truly is.

If you only know Dylan for his ramblings, you really need to do yourself a favor and check out his lyrics. Is he not the best singer out there? Absolutely. But you take a song like “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and read the lyrics, and you’ll see why he’s a modern day poet; the last of a generation that love to give a message, without bashing you over the head with it. Just take a look at the lyrics to “Maggie’s Farm” and see how it relates to the world we live in today as much as it did to the world that Dylan wrote it for in the 1960′s.