SOURCE: Wells, John. “Bent Out of Shape from Society's Pliers: A Sociological Study of the Grotesque in the Songs of Bob Dylan.” Popular Music in Society 6, no. 1 (1978): 39-44.

In the following essay, Wells examines Dylan's song lyrics from a sociological perspective, viewing the recurring imagery of the grotesque in many of Dylan's songs as expressive of the individual alienated from society.

I accept chaos. I am not sure whether it accepts me.

Bob Dylan

Although Bob Dylan is widely known for his musical and lyrical contributions to the rock culture, few attempts have been made to examine the symbolic expressions and experiential dimensions of his lyrics from a sociological point of view. No doubt this lack of attention is due to the belief that Dylan is not a “serious” artist, or merely a folk singer or pop star and thus, he has no bearing upon legitimate inquiry. It...