“If I wasn’t Bob Dylan, I’d probably think that Bob Dylan has a lot of answers myself,” the singer once said. He is now brimming with answers in a new book.

Waxing Poetic

By David Yaffe

The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan

You have always wondered what Bob Dylan is listening to when he’s not being Bob Dylan for us. The public Dylan is already a mystery. Dylan, the listener, is an even bigger secret. You want to know how he reacts, and what he likes, or really hates.

There’s a time when the performance stops, the muse malingers, and we just take in someone else’s song. And when you are listening in private, no one has any expectations. No one is cheering for your “Watchtower” encore.