Talkin’ Bob Dylan: Dan Deacon on ‘She Belongs to Me’

We're paying tribute this week to the life and work of Bob Dylan, who is celebrating 50 years of revolutionary recordings in 2012. His critically acclaimed 35th studio album, Tempest, came out Tuesday, Sept. 11, and he tours Canada extensively in October and November. We asked a variety of musicians about their all-time favourite Dylan songs and will post their responses every day for the rest of the week.

Baltimore's Dan Deacon is regarded as one of the world's greatest party starters, crafting ingenious, orchestral electro-rock that drives the kids crazy. His latest LP is a wondrous one called America and he's on the road, going hard, right now.

Full of nostalgia, Deacon has chosen "She Belongs to Me" from Dylan's 1965 LP, Bringing it All Back Home.

“When I first heard that song, I was in junior high and I had a crush on a girl and she played the trumpet, so it just made sense. It was like, ‘Oh cool, Dylan wrote this song specifically for this nerd who will never begin to understand how to talk to women and this song seems to be exactly that.’

“I don’t really think in terms of favourites or best and worsts so whenever I get asked questions like that, I go with the first thing that pops into my head. So, when you said ‘favourite Dylan song,’ that’s the one that came in. I mean, obviously there’s thousands of them but that’s the one that’s had the impact on me the longest. I don’t know if it relates to any of my mindsets or ideologies or musical inclinations, but I listened to it when I was in my youth and enjoyed it and still continue to enjoy it so that says something.”

Keep checking CBC Music's Bob Dylan page this week for more thoughts on the man and his songs.

Join the conversation. What's your favourite Bob Dylan song? Please tell us what it is and why.