[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> I probably wont be the first to point this out but Surfin' USA was a Beach
> Boys song obviously not a Chuck Berry song. I try to imagine Chuck surfing
> but my brain twists.
You are right, Surfin' USA was written by the Beach Boys-the lyrics
were, anyway. The song is attributed to Chuck Berry because he
successfully sued them, saying it was a direct copy of his "Sweet
Little Sixteen".
Bob Dylan's influence on The Beatles has been acknowledged by
Lennon-it seems George Harrison sat him down and said 'Listen
To This'-Lennon wrote his own heavily influenced Dylan-type
song, "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" in 1965 (a veiled
reference to their homosexual manager, Brian Epstien, in the
days when being in the closet was a given). The Beatles realized
there was room to say more in a song than "She Loves You Yeah,
Yeah, Yeah".
Dylan also introduced the Beatles to marijuana (which the
Supreme Court blockheads yesterday decided American
citizens should not be allowed to use as medication, good thing
they are looking after our well being-I'm sure they went and
had a stiff consciousness-lowering drink after session BUT I
DIGRESS) while they were in NY. Dylan said he thought
they knew all about pot, after all, they had that song "I Get
HIIIIGH...." Well, they said, actually it's "I Can't Hide".
He said to the Beatles 'where do you get those chords?'
and they said 'where do you get those words?'.
I saw Dylan's son Jacob of the Wallflowers in concert on
TV and Springsteen came on. It was then I realized that
Jacob Dylan's act is basically an imitation of Springsteen's,
which is itself a (poor IMO) imitation of Dylan's. Funny how
the circle turns around.
Dylan's lyrical genius is undeniable. Check out the words
to "Tangled Up In Blue" "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"
"A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" "Dignity" & "Jokerman"
for starters.
Dylan and Joni are the king and queen of rock lyrics. No
one else comes close.
RR
