Bob Dylan

Contrasting Chroniclers: The Unique Narratives of Billy Joel and Bob Dylan

Posted on by Jonh Luke

In the vast landscape of American “oldies music,” few artists have chronicled history with such distinctive voices as Billy Joel and Bob Dylan. While their musical styles and lyrical approaches often diverge, a fascinating connection can be drawn between two of their most ambitious historical pieces: Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire” and Dylan’s recent epic, “Murder Most Foul.” This exploration delves into how these legendary musicians, billy joel bob dylan, each captured cultural touchstones and grappled with the elusive “American Dream,” offering unique perspectives that resonate differently across generations.

Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire”: An Anthem of its Era

Released in 1989, Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire” became an instant anthem, a rapid-fire recitation of historical events from the end of World War II through the late 1980s. For many, including this writer, who was just turning 18 as the Soviet Union began to crumble, the song felt like a potent totem of urgency, capturing the peculiar junction between school and adulthood, suspended between moments in history.

Yet, despite its initial impact, “We Didn’t Start The Fire” hasn’t aged with universal grace. Joel’s strength often lay in his deeply personal narratives, creating easily digestible, open-hearted pop songs. When he attempted broader social commentary—as in “Allentown” or “Goodnight Saigon”—his approach, though not subtle, was powerful because it was anchored in human experience. The challenge with “We Didn’t Start The Fire” is its tendency to be a list without a profound underlying message, more huff than puff.

The song is undeniably angry, a catchy rap of names from Stalin to Elvis to Bernie Goetz, punctuated by the chest-thumping chorus: “We didn’t start the fire / It was always burning / Since the world’s been turning.” While some of its rhymes, like “JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say?”, might now elicit a wince, the song’s earnest, almost befuddled energy endures. Its video, showing Joel raging as flames engulf the background, underscores its blunt, immediate appeal, conveying a simple, albeit urgent, message: “Hey, shit happens.”

Bob Dylan’s “Murder Most Foul”: A Profound Contemplation

In stark contrast, Bob Dylan’s “Murder Most Foul,” at 17 minutes the longest track of his storied 50-year career, presents an even more extensive “laundry list” of cultural fragments. Dylan peppers his narrative with references to Tom Jones lyrics, Freddy Krueger, Buster Keaton, and BB King, among countless others. However, unlike Joel’s song, “Murder Most Foul” is structured around a singular, hallucinatory narrative: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This tragic event serves as the axis around which fragments of Americana are scattered, lamenting the death of a dream: “They killed him once and they killed him twice / Killed him like a human sacrifice.” To delve deeper into the artist’s discography and influence, explore the best of bob dylan.

At 79, Dylan doesn’t rage; he contemplates. There’s a mesmerizing power to “Murder Most Foul” that doesn’t rely on tempo changes or explicit fire like Joel’s. Instead, it possesses the quiet strength of a mystic chanting around a campfire centuries ago. Dylan asks, “What is the truth, and where did it go?” a poignant question that resonated profoundly in the uncertain waters of 2020.

Contrasting Styles, Enduring Themes: Joel’s Yell vs. Dylan’s Sermon

The fundamental difference lies in their approach: Joel’s “Fire” is a list, a direct yell of outrage. Dylan’s “Foul” is a sermon, a prayer, weaving America’s highs and lows around the fateful events in Dallas in 1963. This narrative framework allows Dylan to conjure something far sadder and more haunting than Joel’s outraged yelp. Each listen to “Murder Most Foul” unfolds new facets, revealing Dylan as an autumnal magpie, collecting bits and pieces of pop culture from across history and repurposing them to say something entirely new.

It’s tempting to ponder if Dylan, in assembling what might be his magnum opus—a song stretching wide and high to define the indefinable—found a kernel of meaning to redirect from Joel’s earlier, perhaps less subtle, historical chronicle.

One song, “We Didn’t Start The Fire,” seemed perfect for the perhaps misguided optimism of 1989. The other, “Murder Most Foul,” felt inherently right for the muddy, perplexing uncertainty of 2020. One captured the sounds of being 18; the other resonates deeply as one nears a half-century on this strange, perplexing world. Both songs, in their distinct ways, grapple with that enduring old chestnut: the American dream, a hope and a mystery that no one ever truly seems able to solve.

Conclusion

The comparative analysis of billy joel bob dylan through “We Didn’t Start The Fire” and “Murder Most Foul” reveals two master storytellers, each offering a unique lens on American history and culture. Joel’s energetic, catalog-like approach captured the zeitgeist of its release, while Dylan’s contemplative, narrative-driven epic delves into the profound scars of a nation. Both songs serve as invaluable cultural artifacts, inviting listeners to reflect on the past and ponder the ever-evolving nature of the American experience. We encourage you to rediscover these timeless tracks and appreciate the distinct ways these artists contributed to the rich tapestry of American oldies music.

References

Jonh Luke

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