The Beatles Song Where John Lennon Impersonated Bob Dylan
John Lennon had many influences behind his music, including Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley. Sometimes, imitation is the best form of flattery, and Paul McCartney said Lennon was trying to impersonate Dylan in one of his songs with The Beatles.
John Lennon claimed Bob Dylan inspired his songwriting
John Lennon has said he always preferred to write songs with more personal lyrics rather than inserting himself into an unknown situation. While discussing the song “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” in 1971 (shared via rockpasta.com), Lennon said this was a more personal Beatles song, and Dylan’s music helped him give his lyrics a more subjective touch.
“I think it was Dylan who helped me realize that,” Lennon recalled. “I had a sort of professional songwriter’s attitude to writing Pop songs, but to express myself I would write ‘Spaniard In The Works’ or ‘In His Own Write’ —the personal stories which were expressive of my personal emotions. I’d have a separate ‘songwriting’ John Lennon who wrote songs for the sort of meat market, and I didn’t consider them, the lyrics or anything, to have any depth at all. Then I started being me about the songs… not writing them objectively, but subjectively.”
Paul McCartney said Lennon imitated Dylan on ‘You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away’
“You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” debuted on the album Help! in 1965. The track was written and performed by John Lennon, who showed off his respect for Bob Dylan in his writing and vocal performance. In 1984, McCartney said that Lennon imitated Dylan with how he sang the record.
“That was John doing a Dylan… heavily influenced by Bob,” McCartney said. “If you listen, he’s singing it like Bob.”
Lennon was open about trying to capture Dylan’s essence. In the 1980 Playboy interview, the “Imagine” singer said he was in his “Dylan period” when he performed that song.
“That’s me in my Dylan period again,” Lennon confirmed. “I am like a chameleon… influenced by whatever is going on. If Elvis can do it, I can do it. If the Everly Brothers can do it, me and Paul can. Same with Dylan.”
Dylan also influenced Lennon on ‘In My Life’
“You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” was not the only track where John Lennon was inspired by Bob Dylan. “In My Life” is one of Lennon’s most intimate tracks with The Beatles, and he found the personal touch through listening to Dylan. While discussing the song, he confirmed the song was inspired by Dylan and journalist Kenneth Allsop, who worked with the BBC.
“Paul helped with the middle eight musically,” he explained. “But all lyrics written, signed, sealed, and delivered. And it was, I think, my first real major piece of work. Up till then it had all been sort of glib and throwaway. And that was the first time I consciously put my literary part of myself into the lyrics. Inspired by Kenneth Allsop, the British journalist, and Bob Dylan.”
