In 1963, the young songwriter Bob Dylan arrived on the set of CBS's The Ed Sullivan Show to play his song titled Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues. He was told that the song was too controversial and was unable to perform it.
I found the artifact to be extremely interesting. I listened to the song both before and after reading the paper. It is amazing how much more interesting and powerful the song was after knowing the historical context and the story behind the song's creation. I did not know much about Bob Dylan before reading this essay, but I think that the scene at the Ed Sullivan Show reveals a lot about his folksy, liberal tendencies. I would be interested to know what other controversial songs Dylan has recorded. Also, in the introduction, Senator McCarthy is mentioned for a sentence or two. I would have liked to read a little more about his influence on the public in a post-WWII environment (For example, the McCarthy hearings could be mentioned). I especially liked the quote that was included from Dylan's song: "Now we all agree with Hitler’s views, although he killed six million Jews. It doesn’t matter that he was a Fascist, at least you can’t say he was a Communist." Dylan was obviously trying to ignite controversy. His lyrics were quite sarcastic and inflammatory. I can't imagine how he had the courage to sing something like that. Overall, thank you Fred. I very much enjoyed getting a taste of the post-war Anti-communist era!
Dude, your writing is good. Represent to my liberal hommie Bob Dylan. The song is great, It's funny and soulful. Plus I like knowing the historical context now that I've read your essay. I didn't see any footnotes on the essay though which is kind of odd.
I found the artifact to be extremely interesting. I listened to the song both before and after reading the paper. It is amazing how much more interesting and powerful the song was after knowing the historical context and the story behind the song's creation. I did not know much about Bob Dylan before reading this essay, but I think that the scene at the Ed Sullivan Show reveals a lot about his folksy, liberal tendencies. I would be interested to know what other controversial songs Dylan has recorded. Also, in the introduction, Senator McCarthy is mentioned for a sentence or two. I would have liked to read a little more about his influence on the public in a post-WWII environment (For example, the McCarthy hearings could be mentioned). I especially liked the quote that was included from Dylan's song: "Now we all agree with Hitler’s views, although he killed six million Jews. It doesn’t matter that he was a Fascist, at least you can’t say he was a Communist." Dylan was obviously trying to ignite controversy. His lyrics were quite sarcastic and inflammatory. I can't imagine how he had the courage to sing something like that. Overall, thank you Fred. I very much enjoyed getting a taste of the post-war Anti-communist era!
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ReplyDeleteDude, your writing is good. Represent to my liberal hommie Bob Dylan. The song is great, It's funny and soulful. Plus I like knowing the historical context now that I've read your essay. I didn't see any footnotes on the essay though which is kind of odd.
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