Why Bob Dylan Believed This Beatles Song Ripped Him Off
The Beatles were heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, especially John Lennon. Lennon gravitated toward Dylan’s more introspective songwriting style and brought that into his music. While many of Lennon’s songs for The Beatles were inspired by Bob Dylan, the “Blowin’ in the Wind” singer thought he went too far with one song.
“Norwegian Wood” is from The Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul. The song was written by John Lennon and was a veiled admission to an affair he was involved in. It was also the first song that featured George Harrison playing the sitar. The song is influenced by Dylan’s songwriting, with Lennon delivering more reflective and personal lyrics.
While Lennon channeled Bob Dylan for many Beatles tracks, Dylan was particularly enraged by “Norwegian Wood”. According to author David Dalton’s book Who Is That Man? In Search of the Real Bob Dylan, Dylan grew frustrated with other artists copying him. Sonny & Cher admitted their hit “I Got You Babe” was influenced by him, and “Norwegian Wood” pushed him over the edge.
Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com
