In 1965, Bob Dylan released a song--a long, wandering number filled with odd imagery known as “Like a Rolling Stone.” This 6 minute behemoth would go on to be one of the most influential songs of all time, and considered by Rolling Stone Magazine to be the “ greatest song of all time.”
Bob Dylan Struggles to Break Away From Traditional Folk Scene
Bob Dylan’s attempts to move beyond being just a “protest singer” in well documented. It is during this part of his career that “Like a Rolling Stone” was written.
During his 1965 tour of England (captured in the documentary Don’t Look Back) Dylan became increasingly frustrated with the music business and specifically the Greenwich Village Folk scene. Dylan wanted to expand into electric music, which was beyond the grasp of most folkies at that time. Folk music was in direct competition with Rock and Roll as the dominant music of youth.
This mess of emotions--frustration and anger--became the source of “Like a Rolling Stone.”
“Like A Rolling Stone” Born Out of Dylan Short Story
According to Rolling Stone, “during his British tour in May 1965 . . . Dylan began writing an extended piece of verse -- twenty pages long.”
The short story was a disjointed, angry and rambling tale of a “society girl turned lonely street urchin.” Yet if analyzed, the story can be taken as frustration at Dylan’s current situation, or what could happen if he continues down the path away from the status quo. Dylan is in effect, the society girl who might lose everything. Dylan knew exactly what he was up against, but followed his muse anyway.
Dylan would later distill the story into the lyrics to “Like a Rolling Stone.”
Musically, Dylan says that the chord progression to “Like a Rolling Stone” is a chip off of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba." However, the chord progression only vaguely resembles “La Bamba.” Instead it is a complex progression with an ascending baseline that causes each line to be delivered with triumphant and accusatory force.
“Like A Rolling Stone;” Best Song Ever?
At the end of 1965, Dylan said that “’Rolling Stone’s’ the best song I wrote." He is not alone in thinking that way.
Rolling Stone Magazine named “Like a Rolling Stone” its greatest song of all time, edging out “Satisfaction,” by the Rolling Stones and John Lennon‘s “Imagine.”
To clarify a myth, neither the magazine or the Jagger-led band is named after “Like a Rolling Stone.” Rather they are both named after the Muddy Waters song of the same name.
The Legacy of “Like a Rolling Stone”
Allmusic.com says that “If Dylan’s first incarnation was as a protest singer, “Like a Rolling Stone” signals the era of Dylan as court jester/verbal assassin.” More than that, the song marks the beginning of what is now called Folk-Rock. Dylan made it acceptable to have Rock and Folk sensibilities together. Rock bands like the Beatles would begin to experiment with Folk, and Folk group such as The Mammas and the Papas would experiment with Rock.
With one song, Bob Dylan changed modern music, and as the title of the above documentary says, he never looked back.
Craig Sanders - Craig Sanders is happy to be the Suite101 Feature Writer for Folk Music, as writing and music have been his twin loves his whole ...
