Bob Dylan says Barack Obama is 'changin' America

[housewolf]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4076339.ece

June 5, 2008
Bob Dylan says Barack Obama is 'changin' America




His 1964 track 'The Times They are a-Changin' became the anthem for his generation, symbolising the era-defining social struggle against the establishment.

Now Bob Dylan - who could justifiably claim to be the architect of Barack Obama's 'change' catchphrase - has backed the Illinois senator to do for modern America what the generation before did in the 1960s.

In an exclusive interview with The Times, published in T2 today, Dylan gives a ringing endorsement to Mr Obama, the first ever black presidential candidate, claiming he is "redefining the nature of politics from the ground up".

Dylan, 67, made the comments when being interviewed in Denmark, where he stopped over in a hotel during a tour of Scandinavia.

Asked about his views on American politics, he said: "Well, you know right now America is in a state of upheaval. Poverty is demoralising. You can't expect people to have the virtue of purity when they are poor.

"But we've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up...Barack Obama.

"He's redefining what a politician is, so we'll have to see how things play out. Am I hopeful? Yes, I'm hopeful that things might change. Some things are going to have to."

He added: “You should always take the best from the past, leave the worst back there and go forward into the future."

Dylan's endorsement contains much symbolic significance. The legendary singer-songwriter, who has an art exhibition opening in London next week, became a focal point for young people worldwide when he released the album 'The times they are a-changin'," including the famous song of that name, in 1964.

The track, which he wrote as the social liberation of the '60s astonished politicians and parents, included lines urging people to accept and embrace what was happening around them.

Memorable lines included: "Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call. Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall," and: "Come mothers and fathers throughout the land, and don't criticise what you can't understand. Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly agin'."


Full interview:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article4074327.ece

[DerekJ]

1. :).

[Bicoastal]

2. Added Dylan--

"oooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooeeeeee..."

[silverweb]

3. Nice.

His song ..._with visuals._

[Undercurrent]

4. Sweet!

Thank you Bob! Still loving you after all these decades.

[Tunkamerica]

5. he's disappointed me in the past

mainly because he was one of my idols when i was younger. This makes me happy, especially since he's kept his mouth shut oabout this type of thing for a long time.

[RandomKoolzip]

6. He also thinks we ought to buy Cadillac Escalades.

So I take the Dylan endorsement with a grain of salt (wish it was Grain of Sand)

[Cha]

7. I've thought of Dylan's song a lot during

this campaign primary season.

Thanks, Bob Dylan~

[Hope And Change]

8. K & R!

[formercia]

9. Video tributes based on the theme:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/formercia/192

formercia's Journal
Four video tributes:
Posted by formercia in General Discussion: Primaries
Sun May 11th 2008, 01:20 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_8qehRGAuQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en8_fPsZUCI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGe8OwnDvXk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV4uaI8pdSc