One song is enough to “warrant the Nobel Prize for Literature” which Bob Dylan received, his fans have claimed.
Though Dylan’s Nobel Prize win would cause controversy at the time, it’s undeniable that his body of work is award-worthy. The writer Rabih Alameddine would tweet at the time: “Bob Dylan winning a Nobel in Literature is like Mrs Fields being awarded 3 Michelin stars.” Trainspotting writer Irvine Welsh would add: “I’m a Dylan fan, but this is an ill-conceived nostalgia award wrenched from the rancid prostates of senile, gibbering hippies.” Dylan is not without his defenders, though, and many of his fans believe one song is worth a Nobel Prize for Literature alone, let alone his whole body of work. In comments left on a live version of Hurricane, uploaded to YouTube, people praised the veteran performer. One person suggested: “Brilliant song. Bob definitely deserves the Nobel Prize.”
Others were more general in their praise for Dylan and Hurricane, a song which featured on his 1976 album, Desire. One listener wrote: “This story is written like a screenplay. It keeps such a vivid picture.” Another added: “Dylan is so talented. This song is as relevant today as ever.”
A third shared: “This song is honestly so amazing and still underrated today! Bob Dylan just tells the story so well, and the actual music stands out from anything else I’ve heard.”
Another fan would summarise: “This song has such power! The eloquence of the lyrics, which poignantly tell the story with such clarity and passion verse after verse, and the violin breaks – sublime. For this alone, he deserves the Nobel Prize.”
Dylan would receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, and fans believe he was still writing worthy songs this century, too.
Despite the vast selections on offer, from his first releases of the 21st century with Love and Theft to his modern offerings on Rough and Rowdy Ways, fans echoed one song more than most. Though there were plenty of suggestions, and Dylan’s discography this century is filled with quality, Mississipi stood out for fans. Some were reminded of Like a Rolling Stone when listening to the song, while others have dubbed it a modern-day “classic” from the legendary songwriter. A post to the r/BobDylan subreddit saw fans suggest more than a few songs which could be crowned as his best.
The post reads: “Favourite post-2000s Bob song? Judas has arguably had a post-2000 career to rival that of most other musicians’ entire lives, without even considering his output in the 60s and 70s. My personal favourite 21st century Dylan track is I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You from 2020’s Rough and Rowdy Ways. The line that really sold the song for me is: I’m giving myself to you, I am / from Salt Lake City to Birmingham / From East L.A to San Anton / I just can’t bear to live my life alone.
“The thought of an ageing Bob giving himself to his audience for the rest of life as a means of simply warding off loneliness is one that makes me inexplicably emotional. I’m not one for taking his songs too literally, but I thought it was a nice, if not slightly melodramatic idea.”
Other fans were taken with earlier releases from Dylan, with some pointing to the often overlooked Love and Theft as a goldmine for his best works. One user wrote: “For the longest time I thought this was a standard or something because of how amazing the songwriting is. Turns out it’s just another Dylan classic.”
Another added: “Things Have Changed. Mississippi might be a better written song (not sure), but Things Have Changed is more fun.” A third wrote: “Mississippi, for some reason it reminds me of Like A Rolling Stone.”
Some users considered Dylan’s work on Mississippi to be an “impeccable” piece from him, both in writing and in performance. One user wrote: “For me, I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You, Mississippi, and When the Deal Goes Down are tied.
You can watch Dylan perform Hurricane, the song some believe is worthy of a Nobel Prize on its own, below.
