"How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone"
- Bob Dylan, song 'Like A Rolling Stone'
I think he wrote that song Rolling Stone about me.......
In 1965 Bob Dylan had completed a hectic European tour and was suffering. He was taking too many drugs, had lost a lot of weight, he hated the media harrassing him about the meaning in his songs and he told his Manager he was quitting music and was going to write a novel.
And that's eggs actly what he did. He jumped on his motor bike and vroomed up to a tiny little cabin in Woodstock. No guitar, all alone. Only a notebook and pencil for company. He did nothing for the first few days while he unwound from the hectic tour schedule. Then when he was ready he sat at the table. With no reason he grabbed the pen and wrote the start of a story "Once upon a time......." Then for no reason he kept writing for several hours and wrote 20 pages of a story which he shortened to the song "Like A Rolling Stone". He later said he did not intend to write the stuff he did and it was like a ghost writing a song which he referred to as vomit.
When he finished writing he realised that he'd never written anything like it before and it suddenly came to him that this is what he should do. Prior to this he had written and sung about specific topics like injustice, or the war. But this was erratic nonsense. He let his 'ghost' take control. He trusted the ghost. From then on he let his ghost, his creative being, his creative INSIGHT write all of his songs. "Like A Rolling Stone" is widely regarded as one of the culture changers in the music industry at the time.
What Dylan did was use CREATIVE INSIGHT to find a thread to connect a whole range of previously recorded musicians as diverse as imaginable,from Fellini and Brecht, to Delta blues, La Bamba, Ledbetter and the Beatles. Such diversity had never been tried before.
And that's eggs actly what he did. He jumped on his motor bike and vroomed up to a tiny little cabin in Woodstock. No guitar, all alone. Only a notebook and pencil for company. He did nothing for the first few days while he unwound from the hectic tour schedule. Then when he was ready he sat at the table. With no reason he grabbed the pen and wrote the start of a story "Once upon a time......." Then for no reason he kept writing for several hours and wrote 20 pages of a story which he shortened to the song "Like A Rolling Stone". He later said he did not intend to write the stuff he did and it was like a ghost writing a song which he referred to as vomit.
When he finished writing he realised that he'd never written anything like it before and it suddenly came to him that this is what he should do. Prior to this he had written and sung about specific topics like injustice, or the war. But this was erratic nonsense. He let his 'ghost' take control. He trusted the ghost. From then on he let his ghost, his creative being, his creative INSIGHT write all of his songs. "Like A Rolling Stone" is widely regarded as one of the culture changers in the music industry at the time.
What Dylan did was use CREATIVE INSIGHT to find a thread to connect a whole range of previously recorded musicians as diverse as imaginable,from Fellini and Brecht, to Delta blues, La Bamba, Ledbetter and the Beatles. Such diversity had never been tried before.
But what I find soooo interesting is how Dylan had to 'escape' from his routine. He had to dump his 'normal' existence, go to a place of reverie where he could relax without distraction, and be alone, without a home, a complete unknown. Just like a Rolling Stone.
So who does this sound like? And who does it sound like he is singing about? It can't be me obviously and yet it sounds like ME soooo much. The reason is the same for all of the great inventors, innovators and artists. They all have the one thingie in common. The seclusion. Being ALONE with only their thoughts. At least Dylan was a musician. I have written some songs with a 'ghost' as well but I haven't the musical background that he had.
So what does it all mean?
Guess we'll know a little more when we all hear my songs, no? But it is veeeery interesting how these creative types seem to follow a similar pattern prior to discovery and invention.
So who does this sound like? And who does it sound like he is singing about? It can't be me obviously and yet it sounds like ME soooo much. The reason is the same for all of the great inventors, innovators and artists. They all have the one thingie in common. The seclusion. Being ALONE with only their thoughts. At least Dylan was a musician. I have written some songs with a 'ghost' as well but I haven't the musical background that he had.
So what does it all mean?
Guess we'll know a little more when we all hear my songs, no? But it is veeeery interesting how these creative types seem to follow a similar pattern prior to discovery and invention.
"Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People call, say "Beware doll you're bound to fall
You thought they were all kiddin' you
So how does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
With no direction home
Like a rolling stone"
Wish they wouldn't refer to me as a 'bum'!
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