Bobby Quote by Alan Lomax
“I knew Bobby Dylan back in the days when he lived in the village. He used to come and see me and sing songs for me, saying they ought to go into my next collected book on American folk music.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Alan Lomax oral history, 1960s, folk music archive
Lomax recounts a personal encounter with Bob Dylan, highlighting Dylan’s early folk roots and his willingness to share songs for scholarly work.
In simple terms: Lomax met Dylan and Dylan offered songs for a folk music collection.
Key Takeaway
Preserve and study early folk contributions.
Themes
folk music
history
collaboration
culture
archiving
Mood
nostalgic
reflective
Type
historical
anecdotal
When to use this quote
- musicology research
- song collection
- archival projects
- documenting oral traditions
Key Concepts
Ethnomusicology
artist‑scholar exchange
cultural preservation
Questions to Reflect On
- How do personal memories shape historical narratives?
- What responsibilities do archivists have to artists?
A Different Perspective
Dylan’s later commercial success may color recollections of his early humility.
![“He [Alan Lomax] started right off trying to find people who could introduce folk songs to city people. He found a young actor named Burl Ives and said, "Burl, you know a lot of great country songs learned from your grandmother, don't you know people would love to hear them?" He put on radio…” quote by Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/59e/pete-seeger-1942_actors_he-alan-lomax-started-right-off-trying-t_1712245.jpg)
![“Folk music had long been political but [Bob] Dylan's poetry took it to a new level.” quote by Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5dc/jay-michaelson-15590_bob_folk-music-had-long-been-political-but-b_1333292.jpg)
