Bob Dylan vs John Lennon

[Yamisonic]

John Lennon, but Bob Dylan comes a close second. Dylan owns.

[Spoon87]

Lennon. i am not that much into Dylan. maybe it'll change.

[Yamisonic]

Yeah maybe it'll change for me too, I love Dylan more and more each day and I dont listen to Beatles so much anymore.

[Patience 4 Axl]

John Lennon without a doubt.

[Shia0bundan]

...

Bob Dylan is actually considered a poet by literary professors. John Lennon isn't. Bob Dylan had so much influence on the Beatles when he started coming out with his crazy lyrics, and they even admitted it. John Lennon is a better singer maybe (if thats your opinion), but NOBODY can touch Bob Dylan in songwriting. He's a poet. If you look in the Contemporary Literary Criticism anthologys, there's like 50 articles of Bob Dylan. He's basically the only songwriter that has ever made it into that book. I love John Lennon, but his protest music and ideas were SO much more basic than what Bob Dylan had in mind. John never moved away from black and white moralism and social folkie protest. Bob Dylan realized how simplistic that was and moved on to write greater things.

[Ken]

John Lennon was indeed pretty basic, even more basic if you compare him to Robert Zimmermann, aka Bob Dylan.

[IzzySixx]

lennon is.

i think that to judge a good songwriter is on how well they construct a song and melody.

lennon is much better at this than dylan in my opinion but dylan is the better lyricrist.

Edited June 7, 2005 by IzzySixx

[JeanGenie]

lennon is.

i think that to judge a good songwriter is on how well they construct a song and melody.

lennon is much better at this than dylan in my opinion but dylan is the better lyricrist.

yep

[Civil_War]

I had to null vote i couldnt pick.

[stevGNR666]

dylan by far.

i think that to judge a good songwriter is on how well they construct a song and melody.

blowin in the wind has just about the most famous melody in contemporary music since wwii (in my opinion) . The Times they are a-Changin' comes in the top 5 for me and there are so many more...sure like a rolling stone hangs onto a C the entire song but there's so much more to dylan than just "like a rolling stone"

[Axel1304]

John Lennon (Imagine fuckin rules)

[Shia0bundan]

...I can't believe this.

John Lennon's best lyrics:

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today

Imagine there's no countries,

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

You...you may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

You...you may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will live as one

(A sampling of) Bob Dylan's typical lyrics:

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll

We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing

As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds

Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing

Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight

Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight

An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched

With faces hidden while the walls were tightening

As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain

Dissolved into the bells of the lightning

Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake

Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked

Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail

The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder

That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze

Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder

Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind

Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind

An' the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales

For the disrobed faceless forms of no position

Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts

All down in taken-for-granted situations

Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute

Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute

For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed

An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting

Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones

Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting

Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail

For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale

An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught

Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended

As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look

Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended

Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed

For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse

An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Edited June 7, 2005 by shiaobundan

[thomyorke]

Just because lennon's lyrics are more simple doesn't mean they aren't as good. Some of the best lyrics of all time are the simplest. However, having said that, Dylan has written some stunning stuff...personally i think Just Like A Woman is amazing in every sense. Lennon for me though, simply because being a songwriter is more than just being a poet, Lennon wrote some of the finest melodies of all time and isn't world reknowned simply by chance. Thank you and goodnight.

[Fizz]

Imagine is hardly Lennons lyrical peak. He's wrote better songs than Imagine.

Dylan is still superior is writing lyrics though, I agree, he is a poet.

Both men had their strengths. Some people might take lyrics like "I was feeling insecure, you might not love me anymore" to heart more than "Now the moon is almost hidden, the stars are beginning to hide, the fortunetelling lady, Has even taken all her things inside" and vice versa.

I personally love both artists. I think Bob Dylan has written some of the most lyrically brilliant songs ever. John Lennon has also done the same, perhaps with less style some may argue.

They both get their points over differently. Both rule.

[kopie85]

Lennon. He is great.

[Rumin]

Bob Dylan was MUCH better songwriter. John Lennon was very good, but not that good. As far as vocals and melodies go, I would give Lennon the nod.

[axlslash]

(A sampling of) Bob Dylan's typical lyrics:

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll

We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing

As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds

Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing

Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight

Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight

An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched

With faces hidden while the walls were tightening

As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain

Dissolved into the bells of the lightning

Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake

Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked

Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail

The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder

That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze

Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder

Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind

Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind

An' the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales

For the disrobed faceless forms of no position

Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts

All down in taken-for-granted situations

Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute

Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute

For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed

An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting

Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones

Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting

Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail

For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale

An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught

Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended

As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look

Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended

Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed

For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse

An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe

An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.

Chimes of Freedom is one of my alltime favorite lyrical songs. I cry just reading through em sometimes. Really incredible stuff. I've seen His Bobness in concert 2x (April and Halloween) and each time, he pulled an even better setlist. His lyrics are absolutely amazing. My fave dylan lyrics would have to be this one, from Desolation Row:

Praise be to Nero's Neptune, the Titanic sails at dawn

With everybody shouting, "Which side are you on?"

Ezra Pound and TS Elliot are fighting in the captain's tower

While calypso singers laugh at them, and fishermen hold flowers

Between the windows of the sea, where lovely mermaids flow

And no one has to think too much about desolation row

It's so packed with political commentary and poetic symbolism.....wow. I love that verse.

[Shia0bundan]

Chimes of Freedom is one of my alltime favorite lyrical songs. I cry just reading through em sometimes. Really incredible stuff. I've seen His Bobness in concert 2x (April and Halloween) and each time, he pulled an even better setlist. His lyrics are absolutely amazing. My fave dylan lyrics would have to be this one, from Desolation Row:

Praise be to Nero's Neptune, the Titanic sails at dawn

With everybody shouting, "Which side are you on?"

Ezra Pound and TS Elliot are fighting in the captain's tower

While calypso singers laugh at them, and fishermen hold flowers

Between the windows of the sea, where lovely mermaids flow

And no one has to think too much about desolation row

It's so packed with political commentary and poetic symbolism.....wow. I love that verse.

Yea, I love that too. Some people would discredit that song (and him) for daring to mock T.S Elliot. People can't see past the fact that he's only lightly satirical, and get their panties in a bunch that he's criticizing a great poet. He's really not saying anything bad about the poetry or writing, mostly about the guys own conflicting ideas.

My favorite thing about Dylan is his humor though. "Motorpsycho Nightmare" is hilarious! It has an intelligent message, but he manages to make it funny at the same time.

I have to memorize thatentire song by tonight because I'm doing a report on Dylan's poetry for my English class tomorrow.

Just those lines right there are deeper philosophically than anything Lennon ever wrote, and they're better phrased too.

Edited June 8, 2005 by shiaobundan

[axlslash]

Ive done about 4 of those reports. If you need any help, feel free.

[Shia0bundan]

Ive done about 4 of those reports. If you need any help, feel free.

Yea gimme tips on how to memorize his incredibly LONG songs! I basically have his music on repeat right now so hopefully the words are so ingrained in my brain that I can just spew 'em out.

[axlslash]

Ive done about 4 of those reports. If you need any help, feel free.

Yea gimme tips on how to memorize his incredibly LONG songs! I basically have his music on repeat right now so hopefully the words are so ingrained in my brain that I can just spew 'em out.

1) Learn to play guitar

2) Learn the chord progression

3) Sing it a shit load over n over

Give it a half an hour n you're done

You could also just turn ridiculously harcore fan. It helped me memorize most of his lyrics

[Shia0bundan]

1) Learn to play guitar

2) Learn the chord progression

3) Sing it a shit load over n over

Give it a half an hour n you're done

You could also just turn ridiculously harcore fan. It helped me memorize most of his lyrics 

I'm not trying to sing his songs. I'm trying to memorize them as poetry and basically speak them as wrtten verse. I'm just afraid that I'll start breaking out into song by accident.

Edited June 8, 2005 by shiaobundan

[axlslash]

1) Learn to play guitar

2) Learn the chord progression

3) Sing it a shit load over n over

Give it a half an hour n you're done

You could also just turn ridiculously harcore fan. It helped me memorize most of his lyrics 

I'm not trying to sing his songs. I'm trying to memorize them as poetry and basically speak them as wrtten verse. I'm just afraid that I'll start breaking out into song by accident.

Singin em is the easiest way to remember

[wasted]

Dylan has this one down easy. Songwriter he's much better. There are songs like Desolation Row that Lennon could never write. Lennon is more of a rocker. He wrote some good songs. But Dylan has a body of work second to none. Lennon is more like a force of nature. A cultural lightening rod. But Dylan has been writing amazing songs for so long. Every song is a masterpiece. Like have you heard Things Have Changed?

[barhazan]

I dont think Bob Dylan tried to emphsize melodies in his works.. he tried to enlight his thoughts.. I, for some reason, enjoy Bob.