Three short golden strings hanging above a thick slab of cobalt blue and ochre paint.

Original artwork, not a still

Bob Dylan

In writing songs I've learned as much from Cezanne as I have from Woody Guthrie.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The line names two teachers and gives them equal weight. Learning about writing songs from Cezanne suggests that inspiration crosses between media, so a way of looking at paintings might shape a way of writing songs. Putting Cezanne level with Woody Guthrie makes the borrowing feel wide-ranging rather than tidy.

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