Bob Dylan Says 1 Beatles Song Is Like ‘an Out-of-Body Experience’
During an interview about great songs, Bob Dylan discussed the effects that two Beatles songs had on him. He said one makes him feel like he’s levitating. The other gives him a clear picture in his mind’s eye. Interestingly, John Lennon wasn’t interested in co-writing one of those songs.
Bob Dylan said this Beatles song could be played many ways and still amaze him
In 2022, Dylan released his fascinating book, The Philosophy of Modern Song. In an interview on his website, he discussed his idea of musical greatness. “I think a great song has the sentiments of the people in mind,” he said. “When you hear it, you get a gut reaction and an emotional one at the same time.
“A great song follows the logic of the heart and stays in your head long after you’ve heard it, like ‘Taxman,’ it can be played with a full orchestra score or by a strolling minstrel, and you don’t have to be a great singer to sing it,” the “Lay Lady Lay” singer added. “It’s bell, book, and candle. Otherworldly. It transports you and you feel like you’re levitating. It’s close to an out-of-body experience.”
That wasn’t the only Beatles tune Bob Dylan admired
Dylan also cited The Beatles’ “Paperback Writer” as a good song. He felt that he could see the song in his mind’s eye. Dylan could imagine the author from the song writing a book by hand.
Dylan made use of biblical imagery while discussing great music. “A great song mutates, makes quantum leaps, turns up again like the prodigal son,” he said. The Prodigal Son is a Christian parable about a man who leaves his father’s household only to return when the world has humbled him.
“It crosses genres,” he added. “Could be punk rock, ragtime, folk-rock, or zydeco, and can be played in a lot of different styles, multiple styles. Bobby Bland could do it, Gene and Eunice, so could Rod Stewart, even Gene Autrey. Coltrane could do it wordless.”
John Lennon didn’t want to help George Harrison write the song
It’s interesting that Dylan had high praise for “Taxman,” considering that John Lennon wanted nothing to do with the song! The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, the “Imagine” singer said the song was George Harrison’s idea. However, he wanted help with it. George reached out to John because Paul wasn’t interested in the track at first.
John wanted to avoid aiding George, as he was already working so hard on his own material as well as Lennon-McCartney songs. Regardless, John took pity on George because he hadn’t been much of a songwriter up to that point. The “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night” singer wrote some one-liners for “Taxman” anyway without receiving a writing credit.
Everything worked out in the end. “Taxman” is likely Revolver‘s most beloved album track because of its humorous lyrics, relatability, energetic beat, and great guitar solo. It was also a clear inspiration for “Start!” by The Jam.
“Taxman” is the perfect pop song, and it has a mystical effect on Dylan. What greater compliment is there?
