A folk and blues singer from Minnesota, Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature. The Nobel Peace Prize is a significant honor, awarded to great minds and people who make a difference in the world for the good of others. Having Dylan be awarded this honor was a good fit, he deserves it. Dylan got his start when he moved to New York and played in bars and clubs in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, a revolutionary time for the United States. Who better to sing and write about the times. His song, “Blowing in the Wind” is a great example and familiar to many people, questioning actions happening during that time, such as the war, protests, people dying, and if there can be a change.
In his acceptance speech which was read by the ambassador to Sweden, Azita Raji, because he was unable to attend the event due to already existing commitments. His speech is full of gratitude and is very humble, stating he was on the road when he first heard of the announcement of the award to be given to him.
From his acceptance speech he says, “when I started writing songs as a teenager, and even as I started to achieve some renown for my abilities, my aspirations for these songs only went so far. I thought they could be heard in coffee houses or bars, maybe later in places like Carnegie Hall, the London Palladium. If I was really dreaming big, maybe I could imagine getting to make a record and then hearing my songs on the radio. That was really the big prize in my mind. Making records and hearing your songs on the radio meant that you were reaching a big audience and that you might get to keep doing what you had set out to do.” It shows that this great honor was never on his mind, as a kid starting small he had small goals and dreaming big for him would someday be on the radio, not a well known prize. Writing music that would reach out to people through the radio waves and the hope that he gets to keep doing what he does best is something that should be awarded for,writing inspirational songs and pieces of literature that would touch people everywhere.
That is why this individual deserved to receive this award and it is a shame he was not there in person to say his speech and enjoy his moment.
Music with Kaylee 