Two songwriters fascinated with the American psyche, onlookers have long compared and contrasted the work of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. The Boss himself is effusive in his praise of Dylan’s work, frequently praising the lyricist for his impact on modern music. (Clash)
Famously enigmatic, Bob Dylan once said there was a Bruce Springsteen album that he truly loved – and it’s perhaps not one you’d expect.
High praise from Dylan, but he’s also got a point – Bruce Springsteen acknowledged that Dylan’s own ‘John Wesley Harding’ was an influence on the approach he took with ‘Nebraska’.
Indeed, The Boss has referred to ‘John Wesley Harding’ was a key touchstone in his creative life. Speaking to Stephen Colbert, the songwriter said, “I like all of ‘John Wesley Harding’, so it’s hard to pick just one,” when asked for his favourite Dylan moment.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert back in 2020, Springsteen spoke adoringly about the folk hero, citing tracks like ‘Visions Of Johanna’ and ‘Ring Them Bells’ as major influences on his own songwriting.
However, he also noted the ire of those comparisons between Dylan and himself back in the early days. “I became self-conscious about the Dylan comparison, so I moved away from [that style of songwriting] quickly,” Springsteen shared.
(Wesley Stace began his musical career using the stage name John Wesley Harding, which he took from the 1967 Bob Dylan album John Wesley Harding, for which Dylan misspelled the outlaw John Wesley Hardin's name, adding a final 'g'.
“Looking back, I kind of had my own Dylan-Esque style,” he continued, “And I kind of wish I had never moved away from it so quickly.” Of course, Springsteen would revisit his folk-adjacent roots at multiple points during his career, with a particularly notable instance being 1982’s Nebraska, which featured a stripped-back acoustic-led sound and a wealth of socially conscious and introspective lyricism.
During the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, Springsteen was given the ultimate honour and inducted his icon in Cleveland. During his speech, he delved deep into his love of Dylan and revealed the moment that the love affair started. “The first time that I heard Bob Dylan I was in the car with my mother, and we were listening to, I think, maybe WMCA, and on came that snare shot that sounded like somebody kicked open the door to your mind, from ‘Like a Rolling Stone,'” Springsteen revealed.
