Composition and Analysis
While there is debate as to whether the tribute to Bob Dylan is a eulogy or a "harangue", Bowie invokes Dylan-esque musical progressions in "Song for Bob Dylan." The song is in E major and the "Dylanesque, though neither passively imitative nor parodistic" coda is described as "attain ectasy when...electric guitar weaves tipsy arabesques over broken chord pulses on two acoustic guitars." The simple, descending bass line that accompanies the folk-chord progression invokes Dylan circa 1965. Bowie also imitates Dylan's adenoidal voice throughout the song and the lyrics reflect Dylan's style of starkly contrasting narrow range-verse and swelling chorus.
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