26 thoughts on “In Fairness

    1. newsjustin

      They do. Also, the award is for literature not poetry. If you can write it on a page, it’s literature.

      1. Coppélia

        Well, the term is usually associated with having some degree of artistic merit. By your definition BS commentary constitutes “literature”

    2. Spaghetti Hoop

      Well, not all song lyrics could possibly be termed poetry. I found it was stretching it when a RTE radio panel were talking about poetry in the context of the Yeats commemorations, and one young wan said she only ‘read’ Leonard Cohen’s work.
      But this prize is for literature, and should not be swayed by musical taste. So the real question is, if you were teaching your kids the joys of literature would you include ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’?

      1. Coppélia

        No. I wouldn’t. I view it as snippets of acute observations that depend on music . Words alone do not generate the music.

      2. scottser

        and yet lyrical poetry is meant to be recited, not read. the earliest poets and historians were lyricists in that regard.

      3. irishstu

        Leonard Cohen is both a poet and a songwriter. He’s written and recorded songs, but also written and published books of poetry.

        1. SomeChump

          Was just about to post this. He has published 15 books of poetry and two novels.

          One of his books is called “The Spice-Box of Earth”. I’m guessing he’s had a Chinese take away in Dublin.

        2. Spagnolia von Hoop

          Yes, noted. But my point was that his audience is mostly made up of fans of his music and musical lyrics. As is Dylan’s. I think musical literature deserves its own category. Now we have a precedent set by the Nobel Lit. Committee which is a bit unfair to those exclusively dedicated to the written word and not the aired one.

  1. bisted

    …I’m sure Heaney would have applauded this and pointed to Dylans music and lyrics as genius which infuenced his and generations to come…

  2. Friscondo

    For instance, Jokerman and Hurricane are great songs, but take away the musical context, the lyrics read as awkward and stilted. This is wrong. He may deserve any number of awards but not this one.

  3. Caroline™

    Destructive capitalism, dysfunctional housing market, environmental apocalypse… and now this, the latest humiliation heaped on the world by those damn boomers.

  4. Brother Barnabas

    Can’t think of any writer more deserving. And I’d just like to leave this here for everyone’s delectation:

    Wiggle Wiggle
    Bob Dylan

    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle all dressed in green
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle till the moon is blue
    Wiggle till the moon sees you
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle in your boots and shoes
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, you got nothing to lose
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, like a swarm of bees
    Wiggle on your hands and knees
    Wiggle to the front, wiggle to the rear
    Wiggle till you wiggle right out of here
    Wiggle till it opens, wiggle till it shuts
    Wiggle till it bites, wiggle till it cuts
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
    Wiggle, you can raise the dead
    Wiggle till you’re high, wiggle till you’re higher
    Wiggle till you vomit fire
    Wiggle till it whispers, wiggle till it hums
    Wiggle till it answers, wiggle till it comes
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like satin and silk
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a pail of milk
    Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, rattle and shake
    Wiggle like a big fat snake

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