Only English-language lyricists need apply.
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Books
Jep_Gambardella — 9 years ago(October 13, 2016 10:19 PM)
Only English-language lyricists need apply.
No matter how brilliant your lyrics may be, if they are sung in a language other than English, they will not achieve any kind of recognition internationally.
Don't give me songs
Give me something to sing about -
Darkness_Fish — 9 years ago(October 14, 2016 06:02 AM)
I'm not sure that really applies to the Nobel panel, given they regularly give the award to little-known writers from far-flung places.
However, I kind of agree with your point. When I haven't recognised a name in the past, I had some kind of faith that the judges were aware of a much wider field of literature than I. When it comes to picking Dylan, it feels like baby boomers validating their musical tastes, it seems massively unlikely that they've delved through a wealth of lyricists, famous or obscure, English or not.
Rusty chains and armoured pillows stuffed with silver pins -
tobias_681 — 9 years ago(October 17, 2016 06:45 AM)
I don't think so. As someone else stated they often picked writers who were not well known to english readers. So if a lyricist has some basis in a foreign language he should have a chance. Even in America only, Dylan has a gigantic clout and I'm unsure if there are many lyricists who have a similar standing in their home country. In Germany (where I live and am from) there are none at least.
Likewise many non-english singers/bands actually write their lyrics in English. In Germany it's especially bad. The singer of Eloy (one of the most revered German bands) had a terrible German accent and still all lyrics were in English. Kraftwerk's singer had a similarly noticeable accent but at least they made a large ammount of German songs aswell (still they also worked in English). With Can, Amon Düül II and Faust it's all the same (lyrcis all in english). Otherwise lots of the most remembered stuff today is instrumental. That's not to say there are no German lyricists but it seems that many musicians in non-english countries still write English lyrics (even when they are more skilled in their native language).
"You see things; and you say Why? But I dream things that never were and I say Why not?"