Using both mystery and craft, songwriting is a never-ending journey. However, the magical destinations of songs must begin somewhere. Woody Guthrie leads to Bob Dylan, making way for Bruce Springsteen. Joni Mitchell and John Prine are bullet trains to Taylor Swift and Sturgill Simpson. Holland-Dozier-Holland are Detroit ancestors to Dr. Dre in Compton.
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Some use poetry while others use man-in-the-street prose. Below we take a closer look at five American songwriters who revolutionized the art of storytelling.
[RELATED: 6 American Songs That Define the Spirit of Each Decade, from the 1950s to the 2000s]
1. Bob Dylan
Dylan has said he was born into the wrong place. He left Minneapolis for Greenwich Village, changed his name, and studied hard. On his way to becoming his generation’s orator of record, he learned hundreds of songs and read books voraciously. He became everything he studied: Kerouac and Blake; Guthrie and Johnson. Sounding like a singing poet, his words continue to be as important as any great novelist.
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 the cannonballs fly Before they’re forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind The answer is blowin’ in the wind
2. Willie Dixon
Willie Dixon wrote blues standards that became the foundation of rock and roll. His Chicago blues was adopted by The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and pretty much everyone else in rock, whether they knew it or not. He sang what sounded like old folk poetry with a booming voice. Dixon recorded for Chess Records but found his biggest success as a songwriter for Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Buddy Guy. “Back Door Man,” “Little Red Rooster,” and “Spoonful” are classics. To hear the evolution of blues to rock and roll in three songs, listen to the 1956 Otis Rush recording of Dixon’s “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” then Rush’s 1966 rework, and finally, Led Zeppelin’s 1969 version on their first album.
Whoa, I can’t quit you baby But I got to put you down a little while
3. Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen sings about redemption. Giving a voice to the working class, Springsteen writes songs of sympathy for the hopeless. Even the seedy characters in Springsteen’s songs deserve respect—curious and smart, Springsteen peaks under the hood to find out why the engine failed. And no one makes the down-and-out sound as powerful as the Boss. With a knack for everyman anthems, a Springsteen concert is an experience of communion.
Born down in a dead man’s town The first kick I took was when I hit the ground End up like a dog that’s been beat too much Till you spend half your life just to cover it up, now Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A.
4. Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie is one of the most significant American songwriters in any genre. His catalog of songs is like a ‘how to’ guide for protest singers. “This Land Is Your Land” was Guthrie’s contentious answer to “God Bless America.” Dust Bowl Ballads paved the way for using songs for social activism. A range of artists from Dylan to Springsteen to The Clash followed the trail set by Woody Guthrie.
There’s a great and a bloody fight ’round this whole world tonight And the battle, the bombs and shrapnel rain Hitler told the world around he would tear our union down But our union’s gonna break them slavery chains Our union’s gonna break them slavery chains I walked up on a mountain in the middle of the sky Could see every farm and every town I could see all the people in this whole wide world That’s the union that’ll tear the fascists down, down, down
5. Hank Williams
In just four years, Hank Williams established the future of contemporary country music. His life was like a country song. Years of difficulty, plagued by tragedy, led to his early death at age 29. He left behind what became the standard for country music, and just popular music in general. Songs like “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and “Hey, Good Lookin’” are foundational to American songwriting.
Hear that lonesome whippoorwill He sounds too blue to fly The midnight train is whining low I’m so lonesome, I could cry I’ve never seen a night so long And time goes crawling by The moon just went behind the clouds To hide its face and cry
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
