Bob Dylan: canções da liberdade

Gênio da música, conhecido tanto pelo viés revolucionário de sua obra, quanto pela poesia contida nela, o “forever young” Bob Dylan completou 70 anos em 24 de maio. Um artista considerado único, exatamente por ser tantos, conquistou seu espaço na memória coletiva de todos, ao saber reinventar-se, colocando suas canções à serviço do mundo.

Juntou a melancolia do folk à eletricidade do rock; fez música política em forma de poema; abraçou a discrição em tempos de celebridades. Ele nasceu Robert Allen Zimmerman, em 1941, mas ficou conhecido como Bob Dylan desde 1961, quando começou a tocar em Nova York e, sobretudo, depois de 1963, ano em que surgiu Blowin’in the wind, que se transformou num autêntico hino da luta pelos direitos civis nos EUA.

Talvez seja sua canção mais célebre, embora a revista Rolling Stone – que em 2004 classificou Bob Dylan como o segundo principal cantor da história, superado apenas pelos Beatles – tenha escolhido outra canção de Bob Dylan, Like a Rolling Stone, como a melhor de todos os tempos.

Adotou o nome Bob Dylan em homenagem ao poeta Dylan Tomas, mas sua principal inspiração musical foi Woody Guthrie, o cantor folk que lutou para fortalecer a consciência de classe dos trabalhadores dos EUA e, até deixar de existir, em 1967, esteve ligado aos comunistas americanos.

Foi o guru de Bob Dylan, que se tornou seu amigo em 1961 e sobre quem declarou: "Você pode escutar suas canções e aprender a viver"; ou: “Eu disse a mim que seria o maior discípulo de Guthrie".

Bob Dylan, que gravou 45 discos, foi uma das principais expressões da luta pelos direitos civis nos EUA e suas canções foram hinos da democracia pelo mundo afora no movimento de maio de 1968. Cantou a dignidade humana, lutou contra a guerra, a opressão, o preconceito, a barbárie. E, ao completar 70 anos de idade, continua inquieto e produtivo.

Veja abaixo algumas músicas de Bob Dylan:

Blowing In The Wind
Bob Dylan

How many roads must a man walk down,
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail,
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes and how many times must cannonballs fly,
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind

Yes and how many years can a mountain exist,
Before it's washed to the seas (sea)
Yes and how many years can some people exist,
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes and how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretend that he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes and how many times must a man look up,
Before he can see the sky?
Yes and how many ears must one man have,
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes and how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind

Like a Rolling Stone
Bob Dylan

Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it
You said you'd never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He's not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him do you want to make a deal?

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?

Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?