I want to be Bob Dylan.
These have always been my favorite lyrics from the Counting Crows' breakthrough song Mr. Jones
possibly because I admire how casually front man Adam Duritz spits them out after singing, She's perfect for you man there's got to be somebody for me. But that's probably not the actual reason behind my admiration of those six words. The truth is ... I want to be Bob Dylan, or so I thought. Dylan is more than just a rock star (although I would settle for just being a rock star). He is a lyricist, an icon and a deity. Oh, he also has been in a Victoria's Secret commercial, which alone is quite an achievement.
As time has passed, I've realized that I can neither write songs nor play the guitar. Hell, my hair can't even look Dylan-esque. So I found myself thinking, How is it that I wanted to become Bob Dylan? As I searched for an answer, it occurred to me that the latest person I wanted to be was Atlanta Falcons defensive back Deion Sanders, mostly because of his ability to shut down any NFL receiver, and partly because he had two nicknames (Prime Time and Neon Deion). And though I still try to maintain a bit of that Prime Time demeanor, I now know how and why I wanted to become the man who sings Knocking on Heaven's Door.
It was sometime during the past winter that I read in Spin how references in our favorite works of art can influence our tastes and choices. This phenomenon seemed rather invalid -that is, until I applied it to my own interests. Looking back, I realized that I first discovered The Catcher in the Rye, my favorite book, when it was mentioned in W.P. Kinsella's Shoeless Joe. However, I wouldn't have been reading that particular book had it not been mentioned in the opening credits of Field of Dreams, the film that was based on that book. So it's plausible to say that I wouldn't be laughing out loud when I read about Holden Caulfield's NYC adventures unless I repeatedly watched Ray Kinsella's search for Moonlight Graham -a perfect example of a cultural reference connection.
So now, dear friends, it's your turn to figure out exactly how your favorite film, song or novel crossed your path. But while doing so, it's important that you not be embarrassed by the word mainstream. Sure, it's very cool to discover books, flick and bands that are sort of lost in obscurity, but we shouldn't pretend we were interested in these things before everyone else was. It's perfectly fine if you have read books based on a summary mentioned in Dawson's Creek or Sleepers. I know a guy who did the same thing.
My point is, excluding the Oprah effect (sorry, Mom), it shouldn't matter how we stumble across art because the important thing is that we find it and enjoy it. So remember, it's socially acceptable for you to buy an album because it was mentioned in a great book. You shouldn't get embarrassed if you watch a film because it was mentioned in a lame pop song from the mid-nineties. Don't be embarrassed by the Spin effect
embrace it. It's an interesting way of accepting the possibility that art is somehow connected in a Kevin Bacon sort of way.
As for my idolization of Dylan, it probably solidified when I first heard Shelter from the Storm at the end of the sporty chick-flick Jerry Maguire. Something about that song made me start buying his albums. However, my first purchase (beside the greatest hits album -those don't count) is even more proof that many of our favorite artists are connected. I bought The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan based on lyrics to Don McLean's American Pie.
When McLean sang that the jester (Dylan) sang for the king and queen in a coat he borrowed from James Dean
he was referring to, aside from singing for royalty, Dylan paying tribute to the mysterious James Dean on the cover of Freewheelin' (well, at least that's what I read in an article). So I bought the album and have listened to it a few hundred times. And if you really want to know the truth, I like to imagine myself as the one casually strolling down a city street, girl in arm, epitomizing what cool should be. (And for the record, I was a big James Dean fan before all of this. The fact that Bob and I both admire Dean is purely a coincidence ... or is it?)
So if this self-absorbed edition of Necessary Roughness leads to some of you listening to Dylan, reading Salinger or watching Rebel Without A Cause
then mission accomplished. As for Mr. Jones and me ... we're gonna be big stars.
-Trace Hacquard is a graduate student in the school of journalism. Send him an e-mail at lh303403@ohiou.edu.
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