Performed Literature: Words and Music by Bob DylanBob Dylan is not a poet. He is a singer-songwriter, a performing artist. The unit of his art, as collected and documented by his intended audience, is the live performance. Right now, no existing technological tool can give researchers ready access to his entire corpus of work. Revised from the author's Ph.D. dissertation (UC Berkeley, 1978) and again from its first edition (Indiana UP, 1982), Performed Literature develops a methodology for close analysis of verbal art that is heard, not seen, using as comparative examples 24 performances of 11 songs by Bob Dylan. The second edition adds a preface, two major appendices and one minor one, and a detailed index. |
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Page 20
sing before the downpour . Instead , tension is resolved by a closing sound effect
... on a high note each time Ferry sings “ it ' s a hard , ” and they harmonize with
him on “ hard rain ' s gonna fall . ” In each refrain somewhat differently , Ferry and
...
sing before the downpour . Instead , tension is resolved by a closing sound effect
... on a high note each time Ferry sings “ it ' s a hard , ” and they harmonize with
him on “ hard rain ' s gonna fall . ” In each refrain somewhat differently , Ferry and
...
Page 21
In stanza two he sings , “ and it ' s a hard . . . ha - hard . . . hard , ” his vocal pitch
highest on the last syllable . In the next he sings , “ and it ' s a hard . . . hard . . .
hard . . . hard ” on a level pitch , increasing in loudness . In the fourth stanza he ...
In stanza two he sings , “ and it ' s a hard . . . ha - hard . . . hard , ” his vocal pitch
highest on the last syllable . In the next he sings , “ and it ' s a hard . . . hard . . .
hard . . . hard ” on a level pitch , increasing in loudness . In the fourth stanza he ...
Page 113
The lead vocalist sings more loudly than before ; the other musicians harmonize ,
singing " a - a - ah ” four times in each eight - measure line . During the first
refrain , the lead vocalist sings more loudly still and more harshly . The other
singers ...
The lead vocalist sings more loudly than before ; the other musicians harmonize ,
singing " a - a - ah ” four times in each eight - measure line . During the first
refrain , the lead vocalist sings more loudly still and more harshly . The other
singers ...
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