Bob Dylan undoubtedly knows a thing or two about writing songs, having composed hundreds during his 60-plus-year career. Now the folk-rock legend will publish a new book later this year in which he examines what he’s learned about the craft.
The Philosophy of Modern Song, which will be released on November 8, will feature Dylan’s musings about various aspects of writing tunes, reflections on various musical genres, and more than 60 essays about songs written by other artists, spanning from Stephen Foster to Elvis Costello.
Topics Dylan touches on in the book include the use of easy rhymes, how adding a syllable can affect an entire tune and much more. The Philosophy of Modern Song also will include more than 150 photos.
The book, which Dylan began writing in 2010, is a follow-up to his best-selling 2004 memoir, Chronicles, Volume One, and is his first book since he became the first songwriter to be honored with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.
“The publication of Bob Dylan’s kaleidoscopically brilliant work will be an international celebration of songs by one of the greatest artists of our time,” says Simon & Schuster president and CEO Jonathan Karp. “The Philosophy of Modern Song could only have been written by Bob Dylan. His voice is unique, and his work conveys his deep appreciation and understanding of songs, the people who bring those songs to life, and what songs mean to all of us.”
An audiobook version of the publication will be partly narrated by Dylan, along with a mix of other readers.
The Philosophy of Modern Song can be pre-ordered now. For more information, visit SimonandSchuster.com.
Meanwhile, Dylan recently launched a spring U.S. tour that runs through an April 14 show in Oklahoma City.
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