Bob Dylan has been the subject of many artistic endeavors, and consequently, his notoriety has also landed him a prized position in a couple of diss tracks. Who knows what Dylan thinks when he gets burned? But, it might be safe to assume that he raises an eyebrow and gives a little chuckle. Frankly, the man is too large to fully put down, at least at face value.
Despite his untouchable status, critics and musicians have not stopped in their pursuits of kicking Dylan off his mountain. One of the more notable attempts to do so came from Dylan’s folk contemporaries, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
Videos by American Songwriter
Bob Dylan’s Divisive Decision
One of the most notable moments of Bob Dylan’s career was the moment he went electric at The Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Folks of the folk world were enraged by his transition, and Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were two people part of the party. Well, kind of, Simon & Garfunkel weren’t necessarily enraged with Dylan, rather, they just wanted to poke fun at his newfound identity.
The song that accomplished just that is the obscure Simon & Garfunkel song, “A Simple Desultory Philippic.” The song’s lyrics read, Not the same as you and me, he doesn’t dig poetry / He’s so unhip, when you say Dylan / He thinks you’re talking about Dylan Thomas, whoever he was. In the recording, it is quite evident that Simon is also imitating Dylan’s staple nasally voice, but according to Simon the sarcasm didn’t hit in the intended way.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Paul Simon divulged how the song came up short of his intentional mission. He told the publication, “One of my deficiencies is my voice sounds sincere. I’ve tried to sound ironic. I don’t. I can’t.” He added, “With Dylan, everything he sings has two meanings” and “He’s telling you the truth and making fun at the same time.”
Paul Simon’s diss track seemed to try to tear Dylan down. However, according to the songwriter himself, it failed. Furthermore, it seems Dylan was rather unscathed by the attempt of mockery. Following the song’s release, Simon & Garfunkel debuted at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village and Bob Dylan was in attendance. Although, instead of impressing Dylan, they seemingly got what they deserved, as Bob Dylan laughed at them during their set.
Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon perform for more than 500,000 fans in Central Park per Getty Images
More Behind The Song
-
396207 20: Brooks and Dunn perform at the Country Freedom Concert October 21, 2001 at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center. The concert will benefit the Salvation Army's Disaster Relief Fund and the victims, families and rescue workers affected by the events of September 11th. (Photo by Bill Steber/Getty Images) -
American Country musician Kenny Rogers (1938 – 2020) performs onstage at Brendan Byrne Arena (later Meadowlands Arena), East Rutherford, New Jersey, October 20, 1988. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) -
(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Aerosmith Steven Tyler live at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, June 1988. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) -
Ohio Rock and funk group Wild Cherry (best known for their huge hit "Play That Funky Music") pose for a publicity still circa 1976. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
HOLLYWOOD – SEPTEMBER 18: Members of Fleetwood Mac from left: John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham on the SECOND ANNUAL ROCK MUSIC AWARDS. Image dated September 18, 1976. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) -
1986: Singer Mick Hucknall of Simply Red performing. (Photo by BSR Agency/Gentle Look via Getty Images) -
British pop and soul singer Dusty Springfield (1939 – 1999) performing on the music TV show, 'Ready Steady Go!', at the Rediffusion studios in Kingsway, London, 14th February 1964. (Photo by Frank Martin/BIPS/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
American funk band Cameo (American singer Charlie Singleton, American singer and musician Larry Blackmon, and American singer and musician Tomi Jenkins) in the press room of the 1987 Soul Train Music Awards, held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, 23rd March 1987. Cameo won the awards for 'Album of the Year (Group, Duo, or Band)' for 'Word Up!' and 'Best Single (Group, Duo, or Band)' for 'Word Up'. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)