Bob Dylan shares he had to write songs because ‘nobody else was writing’ what he wanted to sing

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Bob Dylan says the reason he started writing songs is that “nobody else was writing” what he wanted to sing about.

The Grammy Awards and Academy Award winner would pen pieces like Desolation Row, Blowin’ in the Wind, and Mr. Tambourine Man early in his career. Dylan would write up a storm in every decade, though some were more prolific in quality than others. Whatever the case, the veteran performer has remained very active in recent years, with all-time greats like Things Have Changed, Beyond Here Lies Nothin’, and Murder Most Foul additions to his discography from this century. Dylan once claimed he had a reason to write which went beyond a gift for it. He suggested in 1963 that he had no choice but to pen songs because none of his peers were writing what he wanted to sing. The folk hero turned electric pioneer would say he merely wanted a “song to sing” but had to come up with the song himself.

He said in 1963: “I wanted just a song to sing, and there came a point where I couldn’t sing anything. I had to write what I wanted to sing because what I wanted to sing, nobody else was writing.”

You can see part of Dylan’s frustration at having to write the words to his own feelings in a letter shared with Suze Rotolo. In it, he says life gets “very complicated” for him and that he feels like he is “livin’ in a contradiction.” We are better off for having Dylan’s songs, but the legendary performer seemed to struggle with his role.

He wrote: “but other times the back of my mind tells me / it is not honest… for I am just fulfillin / a myth t somebody who’d actually treasure my / handwritin more’n his own handwritin… / this gets very complicated for me / an proves t me that I am livin in a contradiction…”

Dylan would later share he felt as though he was “doin’ nothin'” with his career despite the success of his record sales. He would add: “it makes me think that I’m doin nothin / it makes me think that I’m not being heard / yes above all the mumble jumble an rave praises / an all the records I’ve sold… thru all the packed / houses I play… thru all the communication systems / an rants an bellows an yellin an clappin comes.”

Despite this difficulty with songwriting, some of Dylan’s songs have been described by his fans as some of the “most relaxing” listens around. A post to the r/BobDylan subreddit saw fans share their thoughts on what the most relaxing songs from the songwriter were.

A user asked: “What is the most relaxing Bob Dylan song?” Fans are spoilt for choice when it comes to the laid-back listens from Dylan’s discography, and shared a handful of songs which could be considered his most relaxing works.

One user wrote: “Wigwam is the most relaxing Dylan song I can think of. New Morning may be his most relaxing album, and one of his warmest and most upbeat and all-around happy and friendly. Time Passes Slowly, If Not for You, New Morning, Winterlude. 

“Self Portrait, Another Self Portrait, and Nashville Skyline are upbeat and relaxing too. On a Night Like This also comes to mind, but I guess it’s more upbeat and happy, but not as much relaxing, given how fast its tempo is.”

Another user suggested New Morning track The Man in Me, to which a third replied: “I agree, but part of the relaxed vibe comes from imagining The Dude [from The Big Lebowski] walking around a supermarket in his bathrobe.”