138 - Did Bob Dylan Steal THESE Songs?

In this video, we're looking at the 6 songs from Bob Dylan's first album that launched his career and where he drew his inspiration from. While my sources say he wasn't a song thief, I think you'll be able to draw your own conclusions after this video...

Bob Dylan is definitely one of the most influential singer-songwriters that ever lived. I mean, the guy has a Nobel Prize in literature.

But if we look at the beginning of his career, to the very first set of songs he recorded and started selling commercially, how many of them were covers?

I'm not saying that just because Bob Dylan did covers that he means he stole. My point is more nuanced: did he give credit? Did he pay homage to those folk heroes who he is standing on today?

To help understand, we're looking at the 6 songs from Bob Dylan's self-titled first studio album.

#6: "Song to Woody"
Bob Dylan was a huge fan of folk musician, artist, and writer Woody Guthrie. In fact, Bob Dylan went so far as to style himself after Woody Guthrie. In paying tribute to Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan wrote "Song to Woody," one of the few originals on the self-titled album.

Funny enough, the melody for "Song to Woody" is directly lifted from Woody Guthrie's song "1913 Massacre." Did Bob Dylan use the same melody to pay homage to Woody Guthrie? Or, did Bob Dylan decide to lift the melody because it was just that good? Let me know what you think in the comments!

#5: "Highway 51 Blues"
Written by a blues pianist by the name of Curtis Jones, "Highway 51 Blues," is another song Bob Dylan covered on his self-titled album. Curtis Jones' vocals and piano playing is spectacular on this song and sounds drastically different from the Bob Dylan cover.

I love listening to an original tune that I've only heard covered. "Highway 51 Blues" is no exception. I always thought Bob Dylan wrote this song, but I'm happy to know that the original Curtis Jones song is just as awesome and inspiring — even if it is on piano!

#4: "You're No Good"
A one-man band rockin' a twelve-string, Jesse Fuller wrote "You're No Good." Like my experience with "Highway 51 Blues," I came to love and appreciate the original after I started doing this research.

While I can't feature "You're No Good" performed by Bob Dylan or Jesse Fuller due to copyright, I can feature Jesse Fuller's "Railroad Blues." He is one incredible, driving singer with a classic acoustic blues sound.

#3: "In My Time of Dyin'"
While Bob Dylan's cover of this song is stunning, if you trace it all the way back to the beginning...it's even more stunning. The earliest recording of this song comes from Blind Willie Johnson.

Blind Willie Johnson has a voice that just sends shivers down your spine. I've always loved his voice and I know you NEED to check out his performance of "In My Time of Dyin'." Bob Dylan's version is definitely the neater, cleaner, the more commercial sound of what Blind Willie Johnson created and passed on.

#2: "Fixin' to Die"
It was sometime in college, when I was maybe 18 or 19, that I first heard this song covered by Bob Dylan. When I heard it, it sounded like Bob Dylan transformed into a completely different person. His singing was just unlike the other songs he played.

As I came back to this song, I discovered that this song was written by Bukka White. I was stunned because Bukka White is such an incredible played that you NEED to check out. With a distinct style and voice, Bukka White is clearly being channeled by Bob Dylan in his cover of "Fixin' to Die." Let me know what you think in the comments though!

#1: "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"
Written by Blind Lemon Jefferson, this song has become a standard in the American songbook. So many artists have covered this song over the years, and some better than others. To give you a sense of Jefferson's style, I played "One Dime Blues" for you.

While Bob Dylan's version of "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" is similar to Blind Lemon Jefferson's, it's just a different version altogether.

So...is Bob Dylan a song thief? No.

But follow me down this train of thought:

Bob Dylan choosing these songs was a way of him simultaneously honoring and making his mark on the folk world.

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