The Enemy Of The Unlived Meaningless Life

Bob Dylan “False Prophet”

The verses of “False Prophet,” but most especially the fourth, contain lyrical sentiments that are pretty common themes in rap: performance of a grandiose persona, declarations of greatness and theatrical disdain for rivals, boasts about street knowledge and underworld associations. The music is jacked from a rare 1954 blues b-side by Billy “The Kid” Emerson – not an unusual move for blues or folk, but another echo of a genre initially built on samples. I don’t think Dylan is necessarily trying to draw a direct comparison to rap here, but he’s certainly aware of the lineage, and the larger process of art as a tradition and communicative medium. He insinuates a lot in his lyrics and arrangement choices, and I think one of those things here is nudging the listener to hear a historical through line. Formats and styles come and go, but a lot of creative impulses don’t really change much through time.

“False Prophet” is playful and sly, and you can hear the delight in the gravelly remains of his voice when he hits each of his punchlines. He’s lived in this version of his voice long enough to have mastered its limited range, so he’s surprisingly nimble and nuanced in the phrasing of every line of this song. He’s always been the singing equivalent of a character actor, but Very Old Man Dylan voice has a different weight to it, even when compared to the Somewhat Less Old Man Dylan of his late ’90s/early ’00s run of albums. He’s keenly aware of when this voice sounds profound and when it sounds funny, and this song is the perfect vehicle for playing to both strengths. You can always hear the jokes in this one coming as the music rolls up to the punctuation of the riff, but the deeper lines mostly hit you when you’re off balance.

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