Dylan & Robert Service

[Marmora Man]

Bob Dylan is reputed to draw inspiration from anywhere and everywhere.

When I was young my father would recite the poems of Robert Service to me. One in particular - "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" has always stuck in my mind. Listening to some old Dylan tracks recently I felt a resonance between that poem and Dylan's "Lilly, Rosemary and the Jack of Spades"

LILY, ROSEMARY AND THE JACK OF HEARTS

The festival was over, the boys were all plannin? for a fall,

The cabaret was quiet except for the drillin? in the wall.

The curfew had been lifted and the gamblin? wheel shut down,

Anyone with any sense had already left town.

He was standin? in the doorway lookin? like the Jack of Hearts.

"The Shooting of Dan McGrew"

A bunch of the boys were whooping it up

In the Malamute saloon;

The kid that handles the music-box

Was hitting a jag-time tune;

Back of the bar, in a solo game,

Sat Dangerous Dan McGrew,

And watching his luck was his light-o'-love,

The lady that's known as Lou.

For the whole Service Poem see Shooting of Dan McGrew

Does anyone else see a particular resonance between a Dylan track and other poetry, books, films and events?

[KidKruger]

Sometimes I sense there's some similarities or parallels between Dylan's works and Walt Whitman's works.

Not specific poems or songs which I could point to, more the pace and tempre, the essenec if you will.

Just my view though.

Also, I think it's accepted that Rambaud and his boyfriend ('Verlaine' ?) influenced the young Dylan.