Dylan’s lyrics decoded

Thanks to Andy Maultby for notice of two promising BBC radio programmes, set to coincide with Dylan’s eight British gigs, starting 24 April in Sheffield:


* The Lyrics Of Bob Dylan
Saturday 25 April, 10.00-11.00pm BBC RADIO 2

Laura Barton attempts to decode the lyrics by exploring and analysing 10 songs from the perspective of poets, critics, musicians and contemporaries.

Voices: Poet Laureate Andrew Motion; authors Professor Christopher Ricks and Nigel Williamson; Dylanologist Michael Gray; Greenwich Village contemporary Tom Paxton; singer Gwyneth Herbert; cultural commentator David Quantick; Pete Shelley of Buzzcocks; and Mark Rudd of revolutionary political agitators The Weathermen.

Songs examined include Subterranean Homesick Blues, Like A Rolling Stone, Lay Lady Lay, Visions Of Johanna and It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding).


* Archive on 4, a history of bootleg recordings, is on Saturday 17 April at 8pm on BBC Radio 4.



You can probably hear the programmes online - some BBC programmes are accessible online via iPlayer for a short period after transmission (though copyright restricts the territories in which they’re available):

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer



Gerry Smith