# Bob Dylan just won the Nobel Prize for literature **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 13, 2016, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405 "2016-10-13T11:11:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/161 "2016-11-04T00:41:37Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > [Charles P. Pierce](http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a50131/dylan-stockholm/): “Once, when he accepted an honorary degree, we got a great song out of it. We can only hope.” > > CPP was referring to “Day of the Locusts,” which is a longtime favorite of mine. I went to [bobdylan.com/songs](http://bobdylan.com/songs) to see how many times Dylan had played “Day of the Locusts” in concert - that page keeps that count for all Dylan’s songs, and he’s sung some of them literally thousands of times. > > How many times has Dylan performed “Locusts”? Zero. > > Which had me asking the question, which maybe should have its own thread, so I’m giving it one: [what’s the best Dylan song that he’s never played in concert?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=808951) There may be even a second song at least inspired by an honorary event. Dylan could be a hoot at acceptance speeches as early as 1963 when he got the Tom Paine award and gave the saturated liberal elite a [big drunken fuck you](http://www.daysofthecrazy-wild.com/watch-listen-bob-dylans-infamous-1963-tom-paine-award-speech/) (the connected song is _[As I Went Out One Morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBV6hH7pGlU)_ from _John Wesley Harding_). His 1991 grammy speech [was a howler, too](http://www.expectingrain.com/dok/int/grammiesspeech.html). I’m very anxious about what he’ll be saying in Stockholm, but maybe it’ll be just: “Thank you”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/162 "2016-11-11T20:27:28Z")
I don’t mean to ruffle feathers as I am a Bob Dylan fan. And, I am not trying to bring ya down, dudes, but it must be asked: I understand Leonard Cohen wrote some of Bob Dylan’s tunes. This makes one ask just how much original material did Dylan write? Continuing, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes Cohen as the greatest writer of all time. So, should Leonard Cohen have been given the Nobel Prize instead? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/163 "2016-11-11T20:39:22Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > I don’t mean to ruffle feathers as I am a Bob Dylan fan. And, I am not trying to bring ya down, dudes, but it must be asked:\*\* I understand Leonard Cohen wrote some of Bob Dylan’s tunes\*\*. This makes one ask just how much original material did Dylan write? Continuing, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes Cohen as the greatest writer of all time. So, should Leonard Cohen have been given the Nobel Prize instead? [emphasis mine] Dylan always stole tunes and arrangements left and right, that’s for sure. But how do you come to the bolded conclusion? Never heard of that before, do you have any examples? Cohen wasn’t exactly famous for his _tunes_ (though he had some good ones), either. And Dylan didn’t get the Nobel for his tunes. That Cohen was a writer in the same league as Dylan though is unquestionable, but that was already addressed in this thread several times. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/164 "2016-11-16T20:55:38Z")
FYI, [he’s not going to Stockholm to receive the award in person](http://www.svenskaakademien.se/en/press/bob-dylan-has-decided-not-to-come-to-stockholm). But he’s required to give a lecture within six months. ---
**Author:** ![m30wc0w](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@m30wc0w](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/m30wc0w)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/165 "2016-12-11T09:14:29Z")
As good as a musician as he is, I think all of his songs sound better when they’re sung by someone else. Tears of Rage on Music from Big Pink is such an amazing, poignant song when sung by Richard Manuel since his voice is so much more capable of conveying depth and degree ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/166 "2016-12-11T13:18:20Z")
> [@m30wc0w](#): > > As good as a musician as he is, I think all of his songs sound better when they’re sung by someone else. I heartily concur. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/167 "2016-12-11T13:29:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > FYI, [he’s not going to Stockholm to receive the award in person](http://www.svenskaakademien.se/en/press/bob-dylan-has-decided-not-to-come-to-stockholm). But he’s required to give a lecture within six months. They shouldn’t waste everyone’s time giving awards to people who don’t care. Do they think it makes them better that Dylan thinks himself better than the award, or the committee? “He’s such a great man, he’s even better than the Award!” And I can see his lecture. “Hab en not smoff ona deer in the toone.” An hour of that! They’ll need Tom Petty to translate.😉 JAQ; not a Dylan fan (obviously) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/168 "2016-12-11T15:18:59Z")
Here’s his Nobel Prize speech, which was read at the ceremony by the U.S. ambassador to Sweden: > **[The Nobel Prize in Literature 2016](https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/2016/dylan/speech/)** > > The Nobel Prize in Literature 2016 was awarded to Bob Dylan "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition" He doesn’t say anything like he doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/169 "2016-12-11T16:00:05Z")
> [@m30wc0w](#): > > As good as a musician as he is, I think all of his songs sound better when they’re sung by someone else. I have to disagree. Dylan’s voice is a unique instrument that is vital to the success of his songs. His phrasing, emphasis, shading, and sometimes sheer contempt brings them a dimension that can’t be matched by anyone. They can be sung differently and well. Even so, they will lack his special sauce, a mysterious quality that contribute to the genius of his works. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/170 "2016-12-11T16:21:29Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Here’s his Nobel Prize speech, which was read at the ceremony by the U.S. ambassador to Sweden: > > [https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel\_prizes/literature/laureates/2016/dylan-speech.html](https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/2016/dylan-speech.html) > > He doesn’t say anything like he doesn’t care. Truly wonderful speech. Here’s Dylan imagining Shakespeare writing Hamlet: “When he was writing Hamlet, I’m sure he was thinking about a lot of different things: “Who’re the right actors for these roles?” “How should this be staged?” “Do I really want to set this in Denmark?” His creative vision and ambitions were no doubt at the forefront of his mind, but there were also more mundane matters to consider and deal with. “Is the financing in place?” “Are there enough good seats for my patrons?” “Where am I going to get a human skull?”…” ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/171 "2016-12-11T16:51:42Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I have to disagree. Dylan’s voice is a unique instrument that is vital to the success of his songs. His phrasing, emphasis, shading, and sometimes sheer contempt brings them a dimension that can’t be matched by anyone. They can be sung differently and well. Even so, they will lack his special sauce, a mysterious quality that contribute to the genius of his works. I woke up once thinking I was listening to bagpipes. It was a Dylan album. > [@bobot](#): > > Truly wonderful speech. Here’s Dylan imagining Shakespeare writing Hamlet: > > “When he was writing Hamlet, I’m sure he was thinking about a lot of different things: “Who’re the right actors for these roles?” “How should this be staged?” “Do I really want to set this in Denmark?” His creative vision and ambitions were no doubt at the forefront of his mind, but there were also more mundane matters to consider and deal with. “Is the financing in place?” “Are there enough good seats for my patrons?” **“Where am I going to get a human skull?”** …” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405/172 "2017-04-03T01:34:52Z")
And Bob Dylan has [finally received his Nobel Prize](http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/01/entertainment/bob-dylan-nobel-prize/). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dylan-just-won-the-nobel-prize-for-literature/768405.md?page=8)