Nobel Prize

How could someone who wrote popular music win such a prestigious award as a Nobel Prize? The answer is that musical lyrics are a type of literature, which is one of the six Nobel Prize categories - the others being chemistry, peace, physics, physiology/medicine, and economics, the latter of which was added in 1968.

Bob Dylan won a Nobel Prize for literature in 2016 for his lyrics. With works such as "Blowing in the Wind," "Like a Rolling Stone," and "The Times, They are A-Changin'," Dylan's works rose above a sea of mediocrity. Yes, there are other great lyricists, but they are in the minority. And, unlike many musicians, much of Dylan's work can stand alone as poetry.

Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota (my home state.) He moved to New York in 1961, where he spent much of his adult years. He was most known for his guitar and harmonica playing, and, most significantly, his lyrics. When he sings, it is clear that he is largely self-taught (sorry, Bob, I had to say it!)

Some people think that the Academy's decision to choose Bob Dylan for this honor was misguided.

Novelist Rabih Alameddine wrote, "Bob Dylan winning a Nobel Prize in Literature is like Mrs. Fields being awarded three Michelin stars."

Jodi Picoult, a best-selling novelist, replied, "I'm happy for Bob Dylan, but does this mean I can win a Grammy?"

He did have supporters, though. Among them, novelists Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, and Salman Rushdie.

Regardless of how he is regarded, Mr. Dylan's lyrics spoke to the unrest of the 1960s. He had a large, loyal following of like-minded individuals who hung on his every word. When he jumped on the electric bandwagon by setting aside his acoustic guitar at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, many of his fans complained or abandoned him, saying he had sold out.

Bob Dylan, soon to be 80, continues to perform. In fact, he first snubbed the Nobel Prize Committee by not accepting his award, claiming he had "pre-existing commitments." He did finally accept about a year later in a private ceremony, receiving the award and the cash prize, equivalent to about $900,000 before it had to be forfeited. He did say that he was honored and surprised, claiming that he had as much chance of winning a Nobel Prize as walking on the moon.

Many people think that Bob Dylan was the first musician to win a Nobel Prize since its inception in 1901. That is not the case. Just over a century prior, in 1913, Rabindranath Tagore, and Indian poet, painter, and musician took the prize for literature. The Committee downplayed Tagore's musicianship, stating it as an afterthought, despite the fact that he wrote over 2,000 songs. Instead, they focused on his poetry.

Rabindranath Tagore was wildly talented and well regarded. He was influenced by India's emergence into the modern age, utilizing new media and other cultures. Three of his songs were chosen as national anthems by India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. No one else has that credit to his or her name. If you search, “Rabindra Sangeet” (Bengali for “Rabindranath songs”) on YouTube, you can hear many of his works. He wrote stunningly beautiful music, even by today's standards.

Rabindranath Tagore has been remembered well beyond his days, as will Bob Dylan, the "poet laureate of the rock era." They were both prolific and self-taught, and both were associated with nonviolent social change. Their words have already stood the testament of time, which is how one earns a Nobel Prize as a musician.

I'd better get to work on those songs I've got sitting around!

Online Resources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nobel-Prize

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/14/arts/music/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-literature.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39429032

https://theconversation.com/no-bob-dylan-isnt-the-first-lyricist-to-win-the-nobel-67023