3 Acoustic Classic Rock Songs From the 60s That Are More Like Poetry

In the 1960s, two things were true. The acoustic guitar was alive and well and classic rock music was succeeding right along with it. Indeed, during the decade, there were expert songwriters penning classics seemingly on every street corner, using their acoustic six-string.

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Here below, however, we wanted to dive into three of the best—a trio of tracks that rose to be the cream of the crop. Why are they so good? Because their lyrics shine and sparkle like poems. These are three acoustic classic rock songs from the 60s that are more like poetry.

“The Times They Are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan from ‘The Times They Are A-Changin” (1964)

The acoustic guitar owes a lot to Bob Dylan. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, in the 1960s, the two were often hand-in-hand, so to speak. Dylan wrote and performed a number of his most timeless tracks on the acoustic, including the prescient “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. This song is pure poetry. That’s the thing about the acoustic—sometimes it can lie down quietly and let the words be the focus. That’s not always the case in big, electrified, bombastic bands.

“Yesterday” by The Beatles (Single, 1965)

Famously, Paul McCartney came up with the lyrics for the tune in his sleep, in a dream. So, putting a giant drum kit, bass guitar, and several more rhythm guitars over the top of the lyrics would make the tune seem inauthentic. So, McCartney kept the dream-like state with his acoustic six-string. The result is perhaps the most famous song from the decade, a track many have tried to cover but few have nailed. A song about yesterday, about love—it’s poetry.

“Scarborough Fair/Canticle” by Simon & Garfunkel from ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme’ (1966)

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were all about lyrics. They knew that if the lyrics shone, their songs would go far and wide, because the lyrics that Simon chose were sublime. Together, Simon and Garfunkel blended their singing voices so well that the result felt like sunshine. And that made the lyrics twinkle. Just check out “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” by the duo—poetry incarnate.

Photo by David Warner Ellis/Redferns