Bob Dylan is one of my heroes. I don’t have many, but he’s easily one of them. There are thousands and thousands of reasons as to why I am in love with his music. Some may say he never believed in his own words, that it was all an act. I don’t care, the fact that his music made me believe in something- fake or not, is a good thing. It’s always good to believe in something; it doesn’t matter what it is. It’s a personal thing. Whether it’s religious, spiritual or even music. It’s all powerful, and it is all yours.

Bobby’s music has been with me all my life. My mum is a huge fan of his. I remember when we were in Edinburgh 2 years ago seeing Morrissey and we walked past the venue Bobby was playing. She saw his tour bus and made me stand looking at it for ages just in case he came out. See, this is exactly where I get it from. I’m not sorry, and neither is she.

His music was always being played around the house or my mum would be singing a song of his. Forever Young is one song I always remember my mum singing a lot.

With a career like Bob Dylan’s, where on earth could one begin? I don’t want to dissect his career; I just want to discuss what it is that he means to me and why he means what he does to me. His way with words, his voice, the way he never listened to anyone and just did his own thing; all of this is so inspiring.

One of the first songs I remember listening to, after raiding my Mum’s Bobby collection was Like A Rolling Stone. At over 6 minutes long, I couldn’t get enough of this song. I played it over and over. Every verse amazed me, with every listen; I found something else to love about the song. I love the song so much; I have Like A Rolling Stone tattooed on the back of my neck. For me, this song is just everything. I’d heard it many times before but I truly paid attention to it the summer before I went to University. I spent that summer working a job I hated with all I had, but I wanted to have money in my pocket for when I buggered off to Uni. I’d walk to work playing this song; I’d walk home playing this song. It was just everything to me. I could lose myself in this song like no other. I could get over the dullness and bore of every day life during that summer.

Whilst at Uni, whenever I missed home all I had to do was play Forever Young. It just made the homesickness easier to deal with. I studied Bobby a lot whilst at Uni. Not in the sense that I was told to by lecturers, but I bought as many books as possible that were about his music, read articles online about his work- I just took so much in about him. I didn’t care for his personal life; I just wanted to know what drove him and influenced him to make the music that he did. I even used his lyrics as part of my dissertation. If it wasn’t for Woody Guthrie, we wouldn’t have Bob Dylan. I spent my free time listening to anything and everything Bobby had ever done. I was just in constant awe of what I was hearing. There was also a hint of sadness because I knew nothing would ever be this good again. People like Morrissey, Patti Smith and Bob Dylan are rare. They don’t happen often; maybe another will never come along again. I’m content with that though, nothing and no one could ever compare with those three at all.

Of all the albums, it is Blonde On Blonde that owns a large segment of my heart. I remember getting into a discussion with my mum about the best album of his. She couldn’t see why I thought Blonde On Blonde was my choice. I explained why pretty much every single song is a work of art, how gorgeous the production is on the album and just how honest to the core each song is. I received a text off her a few days after this conversation, “Liv, you were right about Blonde On Blonde xx”

So why is Blonde On Blonde his greatest album? Well, it’s a matter of personal taste to be honest. Some may not think so, and that’s okay. He has around 34 studio albums, it’s impossible to pick the one that rules your heart. Highway 61 Revisited is a work of art. Then you have Blood On The Tracks; one of the most exquisitely written albums with regard to pain and heartbreak ever. The bitterness and anger in the songs is brutal, but in Bobby’s own special way. However, I still stand by Blonde On Blonde being his best album. It’s also one of my favourite albums ever.

Bobby’s touring the UK this year, and I did want to go but I asked my mum if she would want to and her reply was, “I want to remember him how he was when I first heard him.” I can see her point. I think if I was to see him now, his performances would not be the same as they were in the 60s and 70s. He changes the way he plays his songs a lot, and I’m not sure if I want to see that.

There’s no way I could possibly pick my favourite Bobby song, but one that always seems to have meaning is Positively 4^th Street. I love how he conveys the disappointment from another into this song, how seeing someone is such a drag. Everyone knows someone who causes these feelings to erupt, it can be quite draining. But with a song like this, it makes the feeling easier to just shrug off and let go. That’s the best way to deal with anything.

Without Bob Dylan’s music, I probably wouldn’t love lyrics as much as I do. I know I regard Morrissey as my favourite lyricist, but Bobby has something else. A completely different take that I don’t think I can describe without boring you to death. Which, I have no doubt already done. So I am going to leave it here. It’s all been said before how wonderful people think Bobby is. I love the way he is in interviews, quite like Lou Reed. There’s never been anyone like him, and there never will be again. That’s just how it should be.