"THE MAN IN ME" BOB DYLAN (1970)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: The Big Lebowski

One of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski features a strong, diverse set of songs on its soundtrack — from a Gypsy Kings cover to a CCR staple. But no other song on the soundtrack embodies the film and The Dude more than “The Man in Me”. The song a director picks for an opening scene can sometimes make or break a film. It’s the mood setter. And the Coen brothers nailed it. There was no better song to kick off The Big Lebowski and top it off with the dream scene than with Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”.

Not your typical Dylan anthem, it felt like it was written and performed specifically for The Dude — a melodious homage to the main character. Beyond the opening scene inside Ralph’s Supermarket, it’s used again in the famed hallucination scene — and apparently Jeff Bridges has sung it and led audience participation at Lebowski Fest. It’s not just widely loved, it’s beloved. “The Man In Me” is The Dude put to music – with its “la la las” and stoner organ hook, endearing us to the main character from the very opening scene.

“STORM CLOUDS ARE RAGING ALL AROUND MY DOOR. I THINK TO MYSELF I MIGHT NOT TAKE IT ANYMORE. TAKE A WOMAN LIKE YOUR KIND TO FIND THE MAN IN ME.”

"MR. TAMBOURINE MAN" BOB DYLAN (1965)

One of the most powerful things about music is that it is the soundtrack of our lives. Fellow music fanatic Sharon Hepworth started a music challenge on Twitter for the month of July. Each day, fans around the world will select a song from their life and describe what it means to us. These are my songs. #SoundtrackToYourLife

Day 27

I wasn’t always a big fan of this song – and wouldn’t even consider myself a casual fan of Dylan. But I developed an affinity for “Mr. Tambourine Man” when I became a dad. From now on, this song will always remind me of the time when my daughter Sophia was just a few weeks old. To help her fall asleep I’d carry her in the bathroom with the fan on and I’d sing her this song. She would just stare at me with her wide eyes, barely blinking. Like the songwriter, she was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. And it seemed all she was interested in was listening to a song.

Though “Mr. Tambourine Man” may be interpreted as a song about LSD, its musicality matches a lullaby through and through. The single note guitar picking, Dylan’s vocals and even the sashaying harmonica parts create a steady lulling effect. When I listen to “Mr. Tambourine Man” again today, I’m right back there on that bathroom floor, helping my baby girl get some shuteye while growing her deep, deep love for music.

“Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me. I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.”

"HURRICANE" BOB DYLAN (1975)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: The Hurricane

Dylan’s songwriting prowess has always been his strongest suit. Say what you will about his voice. But it’s hard to argue that there’s a lyricist as profound, prolific and poetic as Dylan. On the instrumental side, most of his music is characterized by his acoustic guitar playing – and quite a few songs are graced with his harmonica. That’s why a song like “Hurricane”, as core to Dylan’s catalog as it is, is a bit of an anomaly.

This brilliantly composed protest song isn’t just about a boxer, it’s about racism and injustice. “Hurricane” is my favorite Dylan song for two reasons. Vocally, it’s one of his more palatable recordings. The forward thrust of his vocals from the verses to the chorus keep Dylan’s natural nasal intonations to a minimum. And then there’s the violin. Played by Scarlet Rivera, it’s hardly a secondary instrument. On “Hurricane”, Rivera’s violin is pushed to the spotlight, behaving like a guitar — an electric one at that.

“Here's the story of the Hurricane. The man the authorities came to blame for something that he never done. Put in a prison cell but one time he could-a been the champion of the world.”

"THE MAN IN ME" BOB DYLAN (1970)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: The Big Lebowski

One of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski features a strong, diverse set of songs on its soundtrack — from a Gypsy Kings cover to a CCR staple. But no other song on the soundtrack embodies the film and The Dude more than “The Man in Me”. The song a director picks for an opening scene can sometimes make or break a film. It’s the mood setter. And the Coen brothers nailed it. There was no better song to kick off The Big Lebowski than Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”.

Not your typical Dylan anthem, it felt like it was written and performed specifically for The Dude — a melodious homage to the main character. Beyond the opening scene inside Ralph’s Supermarket, it’s used again in the famed hallucination scene — and apparently Jeff Bridges has sung it and led audience participation at Lebowski Fest. It’s not just widely loved, it’s beloved. “The Man In Me” is The Dude put to music – with its “la la las” and stoner organ hook, endearing us to the main character from the very opening scene.

“Storm clouds are raging all around my door. I think to myself I might not take it anymore. Take a woman like your kind to find the man in me.”

"VISIONS OF JOHANNA" BOB DYLAN (1966)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

One of these days I need to sit down with a proper Dylan fan and ask them, “What makes him the legend you think he is?” I just think I don’t completely get Dylan. But that doesn’t stop me from liking a small crop of his songs. I think “All Along the Watchtower” and “Hurricane” are some of the greatest songs ever written. And “Mr. Tambourine Man” I’ll forever associate with the birth of my oldest child who I would try to rock to sleep with that song. Right behind these classics is the Blonde on Blonde track “Visions of Johanna”.

The song has this dual life as prose and poetry. Prose, because it’s an ongoing story that continues to unfold on the writer’s stroll through the city. Poetry, because it’s written like a poem that doesn’t need music to accompany it. Whether you hate Dylan, or don’t completely understand him (like me), “Visions of Johanna” is all the evidence you need to know that the man was indisputably a tremendously gifted songwriter. I don’t love his entire body of work – and sometimes I just can’t stand his nasal delivery. But I do respect his abilities, his contributions to music and well-crafted songs like “Visions of Johanna”.

“We sit here stranded, though we're all doing our best to deny it. And Louise holds a handful of rain, tempting you to defy it.”

"THE MAN IN ME" BOB DYLAN (1970)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

The song a director picks for an opening scene can sometimes make or break a film. It’s the mood setter. And there was no better song to kick off The Big Lebowski than Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”. Not your typical Dylan anthem, it felt like it was written and performed specifically for The Dude — a melodious homage to the main character.

One of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski features a strong, diverse set of songs on its soundtrack — from a Gypsy Kings cover to a CCR staple. But no other song on the soundtrack embodies the film and The Dude more than “The Man in Me”. Beyond the opening scene, it’s used again in the famed hallucination scene — and apparently Jeff Bridges has sung it and led audience participation at Lebowski Fest. It’s not just widely loved, it’s beloved.

“Storm clouds are raging all around my door. I think to myself I might not take it anymore. Take a woman like your kind to find the man in me.”

"DEAR LANDLORD" BOB DYLAN (1967)

If I weren’t writing my “Dear…” series this week on Mental Jukebox, I would’ve picked “All Along the Watchtower” over “Dear Landlord” without hesitation. Full disclosure: this isn’t my favorite Dylan song. But it’s intense and ambitious. Dylan’s John Wesley Harding album is full of religious themes—and “Dear Landlord” is no exception. You can’t help but notice that Dylan has some serious hang-ups about the man upstairs. We read it in his lyrics. We hear it in his voice.

“Dear landlord, please don't put a price on my soul. My burden is heavy. My dreams are beyond control.”

"BLOWIN' IN THE WIND" BOB DYLAN (1963)

The most powerful thing about this classic song is this: “Blowin’ in the Wind” is written and sung with the wisdom and reflection of a much older man. But Dylan was only 21 when he wrote and recorded it. It’s the lead track from one of the most celebrated folk albums of all time. “Blowin’ in the Wind” wasn’t just played in concert halls either. It has gone on to take on greater meaning—sung everywhere from church gatherings to civil rights movements.

“How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky? And how many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry? Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows that too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.”

"MR. TAMBOURINE MAN" BOB DYLAN (1965)

From now on, this song will always remind me of when my daughter Sophia was just a few weeks old. To help her fall asleep I’d carry her in the bathroom with the fan on and I’d sing her this song. She would just stare at me with her wide eyes, barely blinking. Like the songwriter, she was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. And it seemed all she was interested in was listening to a song. When I listen to “Mr. Tambourine Man” again today, I’m right back there on that bathroom floor, helping my baby girl get some shuteye while growing her deep, deep love for music.

“Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me. I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to. Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me. In the jingle jangle morning I'll come following you.”