So much has been made of Bob Dylan’s songwriting: When he put hand to typewriter (as he liked to often do), his lyrics came out indelible, engrossing and timeless. Here’s the Avenue’s picks for the killer lines that send Dylanologists into convulsions.
“How many roads must a man walk down/ Before you call him a man?”
— From “Blowin’ in the Wind”
“I muttered something underneath my breath/ She studied the lines in my face/ I must admit I felt a little uneasy/ When she bent down to tie the laces of my shoe/ Tangled up in blue”
— From “Tangled Up in Blue”
“God said to Abraham, ‘Kill me a son’/ Abe says, ‘Man, you must be puttin’ me on’/ God say, ‘No,’ Abe say, ‘What?’/ God say, ‘You can do what you want Abe but/ The next time you see me comin’ you better run.’”
— From “Highway 61 Revisited”
“‘Equality,’ I spoke the word/ As if a wedding vow/ Ah, but I was so much older then/ I’m younger than that now”
— From “My Back Pages”
“I see my light come shining/ From the west unto to the east/ Any day now, any day now/ I shall be released”
— From “I Shall be Released”
