Bob Dylan goes straight for the heart every time he sits down with a pen and paper, a guitar on his lap, and a harmonica hanging out of his mouth. Although he has released 40 CDs over the course of his 60-year career, the emotional impact of his work much exceeds those figures. Almost every aspect of the human experience is covered in his lyrics.
His songs are always straight from the heart, even in the middle of protest lyrics and poetry. Over the past 60 years, they have thereby captured the hearts of millions of people. Dylan’s capacity to poeticize those emotions and legends accounts for his ongoing success. Whether he is pondering the status of the world or gazing inward.
Dylan’s songs are both universal and deeply personal, ranging from the beautiful strums of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” to the calming phrases and harmonica bends of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright.” Thus, it makes sense that one of the composers Dylan respects the most. He has demonstrated a comparable capacity to win over a large number of people.
Bruce Springsteen was doing the same in the rock world, while Bob Dylan was winning over listeners with his all-encompassing folk. With his transition to unique performer, he’s a favorite on playlists and in hearts like his folk counterpart. Adopted with affection as “The Boss,” Springsteen has more than lived up to the moniker.
With a rendition of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” he truly won Dylan over as well as the folk musician’s appreciation. Dylan once acknowledged on his website, via Stereogum, “He did that song like the record, something I myself have never tried.” I didn’t even think it was worthwhile.
Performing the song as part of a celebration of Dylan’s 2015 MusiCares “Person of the Year” award, Springsteen brought in Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. This addition helped round out his sound. The rendition pays homage to the 1973 song that even Dylan said brought “all the power and spirituality and beauty out of it like no one has ever done.” While keeping the heart of the original and adding some of his own rocking style and distinctive voice.
Even watching a little YouTube video of the performance is an emotional experience. Springsteen’s unpolished vocals and exquisitely layered orchestration somehow honor the song’s enormous significance and its author. They effortlessly inspire magnificent tenderness and spirituality. It’s understandable why Dylan was so touched by the performance.
He came to the conclusion that Springsteen can “get to your heart, my heart anyway,” calling him a “conscientious cat.” Having performed for many years, he has perfected the knack of using song to speak to people’s hearts—not just Dylan’s. There is a reason Bruce Springsteen is regarded as one of the greatest performers of all time. Whether he is reinventing his own songs or doing covers of folk classics.
It’s hardly surprising that Dylan and Springsteen appreciate one another. They’ve written some of the greatest, most beloved, and universally moving songs ever. Whether you like Springsteen’s guitar solos and Tom Morello over Dylan’s devoted folk ballad “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” There’s no denying the duo’s unmatched talent for moving listeners with song.
