They’re two of the greatest songwriters ever. Two men who personify, in their own ways, the American rock genre. They are Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. Former bandmates in the Traveling Wilburys, but two whose music we could always hear more and more of.
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But since Petty passed away, it’s not feasible to get new work from him. So, in order to scratch our craving’s itch, we sought out our old pals at ChatGPT.
We asked the artificial intelligence outfit what it thought a song between the two would resemble today if such a thing were able to happen. So, below is the fictional song that the bot spit out. Enjoy!
“Hearts On Fire”
(Verse 1 – Bob Dylan Style)
Well, the times are a-changin’, can’t you see?
In this world of confusion, where we long to be free
The winds of change are blowin’, like a hurricane’s gust
In the heart of the struggle, in the fight we must trust
(Chorus – Tom Petty Style)
Yeah, we’re runnin’ down a dream, through the highways of time
With our hearts on fire, and a spirit that won’t decline
Oh, the waiting is the hardest part, but we won’t back down
We’ll keep rollin’ and pushin’ through, in this small town
(Verse 2 – Bob Dylan Style)
Times of trouble and sorrow, they come and they go
But the spirit of the people, it continues to grow
We’ll rise from the ashes, like a phoenix in flight
With justice as our guide, we’ll make everything right
(Chorus – Tom Petty Style)
Yeah, we’re runnin’ down a dream, no matter the cost
Facing the world’s heartaches, not letting anything be lost
Oh, we’ll stand our ground, with a rebel’s heart
And keep on runnin’ down this dream, never apart
(Bridge – Blend of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty Styles)
In this world of tangled emotions and fears
We’ll find our redemption, wipe away the tears
With a harmonica’s cry and a guitar’s sweet sound
We’ll navigate the roads ahead, where hope is found
(Verse 3 – Bob Dylan Style)
The answer, my friend, it’s blowin’ in the wind
The truth and the path, they’re not so hard to find
In the tapestry of time, we weave our story
With every step we take, towards a future of glory
(Chorus – Tom Petty Style)
Yeah, we’re runnin’ down a dream, with a wild heart’s beat
Through the highs and the lows, we won’t accept defeat
Oh, the world might be against us, but we’ll stand tall
In the spirit of Dylan and Petty, we’ll give it our all
(Outro – Blend of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty Styles)
So, let the times keep a-changin’, as we chase down our dreams
With the sound of our voices and the strength of our teams
In the styles of two legends, we’ll find our way
Guided by their spirit, come what may, come what may
Final Thoughts
While this is a fun look into the styles of Dylan and Petty, our ol’ friends at ChatGPT were a bit too on the nose here, it would seem. It seems rather unlikely that Dylan or Petty would quote their past songs in their new ones as if some partial karaoke experiment, but no matter. It’s just fun to use these thought exercises as a way to revisit what we love about the songwriters and to let our imaginations run a little wild with what a 2023 collab might resemble today.
Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images
