nHow can we make sense of Bob Dylan and his songs? Looking back on his long career, we can trace multiple styles, a variety of songs, and many musical forms. We can trace a life in which numerous friends and musical collaborators have contributed to his artistry.

The influences are legion, and commentators have pressed the case for the impact of literary, philosophical and musical forerunners on his development. Some see Dylan as a philosopher, others relate him to classic literature, and biographers relate his songs to the ins and outs of his life. In this book we take Dylan himself to be a good guide to how he is to be taken.

He is neither a philosopher nor, despite the Nobel Prize, primarily a literary figure. Dylan himself speaks of the influence of folk, blues and rock'n'roll predecessors. While his songs reflect literary, philosophical, political and biographical influences, he is primarily a musician and song writer.

We should listen to his songs.n