When you think of genius songwriters, Bob Dylan likely is one of the first to come to mind. His unique songwriting voice has produced countless beloved tracks. But, who does Dylan rate as a top songwriter. While we’re sure he has a few artists on his list, there is only one that he labelled a “genius.” Find out which artist that is, below.
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The Songwriter Bob Dylan Thought Was a Genius
Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor falls, the major lifts
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen is equally as lauded as Dylan. His songs have become standards–chief among them is “Hallelujah.” Dylan himself has covered this ballad, putting it on a pedestal. This track highlights an aspect of Cohen’s songwriting that Dylan deeply admires: his melodies.
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
“When people talk about Leonard, they fail to mention his melodies, which to me, along with his lyrics, are his greatest genius,” Dylan once said. “Even the counterpoint lines—they give a celestial character and melodic lift to every one of his songs. As far as I know, no one else comes close to this in modern music.”
“‘Hallelujah’ has resonance for me,” Dylan continued. “There again, it’s a beautifully constructed melody that steps up, evolves, and slips back, all in quick time. But this song has a connective chorus, which when it comes in has a power all of its own.”
It’s certainly high praise-especially coming from an artist like Dylan. Revisit this Cohen staple, below.
You say I took the name in vain
I don’t even know the name
But if I did, well, really, what’s it to you?
There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
(Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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