What are Bob Dylan's politics? And, does he own the rights to his songs?

[dflprincess]

And, is this ad (running in Minnesota) by the Club for Growth a violation of his copyright if he does own the rights and hasn't given permission for his songs to be used like this?

The ad is called "The answer is blowing in the wind". I took this off the Club for Growth's website:

Visual:
Shot of John Kerry weather vane with cloudy sky in background. Weather vane begins to spin back and forth.
The shot zooms out revealing weather vane on top of a barn. Weather vane continues to spin, swinging back and forth to follow
the text.
Weather vane spinning wildly.
Weather vane falls off barn; Billboard and disclaimer

Audio:
John Kerry has a little problem making up his mind. Okay, a big problem.
In 1996 he opposed the death penalty for terrorists. Now he claims to support it. Sometimes he’s for welfare reform, sometimes he’s against it.
For a 50-cent gas tax hike, then maybe not.
Kerry voted for higher taxes 350 times, but now says he’d cut taxes.
John Kerry – blowing in the wind (sounds of wind blowing).

I'll have to pay more attention the next time the ad runs because I swear they end it by saying "the answer is blowin' in the wind", not what is written on their website.

So, just how much of someone's song can you use without violating copyright? Not only are they ripping of "Blowin' in the Wind", but I think there's the more subtle reference to "Subterranean Homesick Blues" ("you don't need a weather vane to know which way the wind blows".) I'd like to think that Dylan would not be amused by this ad.

[Eric J in MN]

1. It's legal to make a reference (nt)

nt

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

8. Lyrics correction:

"You don't need a Weatherman to know which way the wind blows."

[skooooo]

2. As far as Dylan's politics..

...he defies definition. He's too complex and cagey to be pinned down.

You might look at his Rolling Stone interview which was printed right after 9/11. It reveals some of his thoughts.

[Wickerman]

3. I don't know for certain if he has a political affiliation, but I will be

seeing him this at this time tomorrow night! Right after Willie!!!

wooo-whooooo!

[graywarrior]

4. Make sure you report

Every detail.

[Wickerman]

5. That I will

I will report on every syllable I can understand!

My 3rd decade of Dylan shows!

[graywarrior]

6. PM me

I gotta know.

[dflprincess]

7. My brother and sister-in-law are seeing Willie and Bob

in Rochester, MN on Sunday. My brother would follow Dylan around the country if he could.

[Wickerman]

22. lol

I almost live in Rochester.But, being very excited to see this bill we bought tickets the day the Dylan show was announced in Des Moines. The day after our tickets arrived in the mail the Rochester show was annonced..

Oh well, Road Trip!

Hope your bro has fun, I'd have rather down the home town thing!

[kentuck]

9. He's a world citizen, a Jew, sympathetic to the Palestinian people....

and belongs to the Party of the Proletariat...Guards his money and his songs religiously...

[Merlin]

10. Dylan is a smarmy traitorous bastard, hiding behind spoiled, insolence.

He pretends to be above it all. He claims his early songs were simply catering to the market, not a part of his core beliefs.

He can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. When the world really needs his voice, he is AWOL and MIA.

Fuck You, Bob Dylan. Go soak your messed-up head!

[skooooo]

12. Oh STFU

you're a big noise

[DemBones DemBones]

13. I'll always love Dylan's music, but he should be out here NOW

with music to overthrow neocons by!

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Zomby Woof]

11. he doesn't own the very early rights

Much of his pre-Highway 61 stuff is legally available through Widmark Publishing, which he has little or no say so.

Anything from Special Rider music, his own publisher, is his alone.

As for his politics, they are as elusive as he is... but he did play Clinton's pre-inaugural bash in '92, and is much more conservative about his music tastes than he is on social issues.

[starroute]

15. He sang "Masters of War" at the Grammies during Gulf War I

But he mumbled the lyrics to the point where almost no one could tell what it was.

That's pretty typical.

[Zomby Woof]

18. I still have that on tape

He had the flu... which is why he was so out of it for the acceptance speech. His band kicked ass, and they meant it. So did he.

[AP]

16. He dedicated a song to Wellstone in his first concert after Paul died.

[JohnnyRingo]

17. If he sold or gave permission to use a song....

It would be the FIRST time ever, that I know of.

Regardless of political affiliation, he's not Pete Townsend

[Zomby Woof]

19. seen the new Victoria's Secret ads?

It uses "Love Sick" from his 1997 'Time Out Of Mind' album... and he even appears rather murkily in them.

This is just Bob fucking with minds, as he has always done. His one consistency in his career. Some of the responses on this thread remind me of the hostility he faced by the sanctimonious purists of the folk scene when he went electric. They always want Bob to be their leader. This was the man who said 'don't follow leaders'.

In the introduction to Anthony Scaduto's biography of Dylan from 1971, Dylan is scathing in his dismissal of the New Left, while defending the Old Left (the Left of Guthrie and that generation). He already knew then what we should know now... the self-centered, smug hippies (future yuppies) had no agenda beyond themselves, and they still don't.

Nice to know he can still incite that level of anger, and puzzle the best of 'em.

[JohnnyRingo]

21. Didn't know about the "underware ads" ...

I wish he hadn't done that.
I'm not shattered though, I liked him, but I'm not a huge fan.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Friggin' Sean Hannity uses a clip of Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is"

to open up his stupid-ass radio show. Which is further proof that, (like the usage of "Born in the USA" by Republicans from Reagan to Cheney) Republicans 1) Don't listen to, much less understand, the lyrics to songs.. and/or 2) they just don't give a shit. I emailed Hornsby's website, they said they were, quote, aware of it. I'm certain they didn't approve it (Hannity's message is 180 degrees from the message contained in the song, and I know Hornsby is a thoughtful, decent guy) but I do believe that legally you can use snippets of songs that don't contain lyrics, like 10 or 15 seconds.. In terms of referencing the lyrics in an oblique fashion, there's probably no copyright violation involved.

[Zen Democrat]

23. Just like Rush uses The Pretenders as his theme -- Chrissy despises Bush

n/t