by Cohan Chew | Photos by WENN / Press

Happy Birthday, Bob Dylan - his 23 greatest quotes and lyrics

Celebrating Bob Dylan's 75th birthday

"You that build all the bombs/You that hide behind walls/You that hide behind desks/I just want you to know/I can see through your masks" - 'Masters Of War'

"When you ain't got nothin', you got nothing to lose" - 'Like a Rolling Stone'

"If I wasn't Bob Dylan, I'd probably think that Bob Dylan has a lot of answers myself."

"She knows there's no success like failure and that failure's no success at all" - 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit'

"All I can do is be me, whoever that is."

"Don't criticise what you ca't understand" - 'The Times They Are A-Changin'

"Is Cinderella sweeping up on Desolation Row?" - 'Desolation Row'

"And she aches just like a woman/But she breaks just like a little girl" - 'Just Like a Woman'

"With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, Let me forget about today until tomorrow." - 'Mr Tambourine Man'

"I'm going out of my mind/With a pain that stops and starts/Like a corkscrew to my heart/Ever since we've been apart" - 'You're A Big Girl Now'

"People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent."

"Your breath is sweet/Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky/Your back is straight your hair is smooth/On the pillow where you lie" - 'One More Cup Of Coffee'

"Don't matter how much money you got, there's only two kinds of people: there's saved people and there's lost people."

"Yesterday's just a memory/tomorrow is never what it's supposed to be" - 'Don't Fall Apart On Me Tonight'

"Idiot wind blowing every time you move your teeth/You're an idiot, babe/It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe" - 'Idiot Wind'

"The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind" - 'Blowin In The Wind'

"When the jelly-faced women all sneeze Hear the one with the mustache say, "Jeeze I can't find my knees." - 'Visions Of Johanna'

"No one is free, even the birds are chained to the sky."

"Not a word was spoke between us there was little risk involved/Everything up to that point had been left unresolved" - 'Shelter From The Storm'

"Money doesn't talk, it swears" - 'It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding'

"You can't be in wise and in love at the same time."

"I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes, you'd know what a drag it is to see you" - 'Positively 4th Street'

"Johnny's in the basement/Mixing up the medicine/I'm on the pavement/Thinking about the government" - 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'

Tags: Bob Dylan Photo: ARTWORK

24 May 2016: Today marks Bob Dylan’s 75th birthday. To mark this momentous occasion, we’ve collated 23 of Dylan’s finest lyrics and quotes.

Recognised as one of the world’s greatest songwriters, Dylan unwillingly formed the bedrock for generations of songwriters to come with his endless catalogue of classics. His simple melodies and chord structures coupled with beautiful and powerful lyrics defined his masterpieces, inspiring his musical peers, poets and artists.

Whilst his melodies and chord structures were indeed simple, often, his lyrics were profound. At times, his lyrics were ambiguous and mysterious but at other times, they were unapologetically provocative or unashamedly heart breaking.

Dylan wrote compellingly about love and politics, earning him bans in China and even the UK for being too controversial. However, breaking the boundaries of mainstream acceptance was precisely why Dylan developed a legion of fans that admired not only admired his work but also drew inspiration from it.

Happy birthday Bob!

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