Bowie and Lennon Wrote Very Different Songs About Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan has influenced a plethora of musicians throughout his six-decade career. Two of those musicians, John Lennon and David Bowie, each wrote a song about him, but for very different reasons. Lennon’s solo work moved away from 1960s idealism, and his song "God" strips down the notion of external idols.

Its opening line, "God is a concept / By which we measure our pain," sets the tone, and Lennon’s blunt line "I don’t believe in Zimmerman" refuses the worship of cultural figures. In rejecting mythologizing he urges listeners to place faith in what is real, though his insistence on believing in himself could, as the song notes, potentially lead to allegations of hypocrisy.

David Bowie’s "Song for Bob Dylan" reads as a cryptic but affectionate salute.

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