Domenico Modugno's 1958 classic song
"Volare" is among 66 songs Bob Dylan comments on in his new book
coming out in November, "The Philosophy of Modern Song".
The evergreen standard, whose actual title is "Nel blu dipinto
di blu" and which song of year at the 1959 Grammies, appears in
the list of songs including classics by Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles,
Willie Nelson, Little Richard, and Townes Van Zandt, as well as
Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves", the Eagles' "Witchy
Woman", The Fugs' "CIA Man" and Rosemary Clooney's "Come On-a
My House", Variety reported at the weekend.
It is not yet clear whether Dylan will analyze the original
written by Modugno and Franco Migliacci, which won the 1958
Sanremo Song Festival in a duet with Johnny Dorelli, or one of
the countless covers including one by Dean Martin or the
rumba-flamenco version by the Gypsy Kings in 1989.
It is the first book by the music legend, Pulitzer poetry prize
winner and Nobel literature prize winner since his "Chronicles,
Volume One", which came out in 2004.
Dylan, 81, started writing it in 2010.
"It's a class for perfecting the art and technique of song
writing," Simon and Schuster announced in March.
"Dyland examines what he himself calls the 'trap of easy
rhymes', analyzes how the addition of a single syllable can
lessen a song, and explains how bluegrass is a relative of heavy
metal.
"The reflections are a meditation on the human condition," said
the publishing house.
The oldest piece on the list is "Rudy Was a Lady" by Stephen
Foster (1849), followed by "The Whiffenpoof Song" which came
out in the early 20th century.
Blues, R&B and hillbilly songs of the first half of the century
have heir place, but the lion's share is reserved for songs
between the 1950s and 70s, the golden era of rock, pop, soul and
country.
Excursions into punk/New Wave are not lacking, such as "Pump it
Up" by Elvis Costello e "London Calling" by the Clash.
The most recent pieces are "It Doesn't Hurt Anymore" recorded in
1989 by Regina Belle, and "Dirty Life and Times" by Warren Zevon
from 2003.
In his very long career starting in the early 60s Dylan has sold
over 125 million records worldwide, the last being 2020's "Rough
and Rowdy Ways".
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