In spite of all the recent hullabaloo over Ironworld, I’m going to tell you about the great time I had at the Bob Dylan exhibit—“Tangled Up in Ore.” And I wasn’t the only one there, either. FYI—there were many—yes, many—people checking out the exhibit when I was there.
When city folk ask me where I’m from and I say, “Have you heard of the Iron Range?” They say, “Nope.”
“Have you heard of Hibbing?” I ask.
“Um…I think so…” they reply, still with a look of confusion. (They are trying to be nice.)
“Have you heard of Bob Dylan? He’s from Hibbing.” Bam! The light goes off and finally, we connect.
Just about everyone has heard of Bob Dylan. As a child, I remember the first Dylan song I ever heard was “Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35” and always thought, “What does this title have to do with getting stoned?” As I grew older, I learned to appreciate his writing and lyrics and began to understand his humor. I find him eccentric, mysterious and one of those people who you know is very strange, but really, he’s some kind of genius. I generally prefer Dylan done by other artists. I’ve always been engaged with his poetic lyrics but that voice…well…I’ll be honest; I have a low tolerance. One of my favorite songs EVER is Tangled Up in Blue—performed by the Indigo Girls. They take the story and give it some attitude, some sass and turn the words into a dynamic and energetic, lively piece of music. My best friend would disagree, as her heart belongs to Bob. After visiting “Tangled Up in Ore,” I not only gained insight and appreciation for Bobby D., but his writings and memories of the Iron Range inspired me. Once again, I felt proud to be a “Ranger.” Continue reading ‘I Heart Bob Dylan and Ironworld’
