Music legend Bob Dylan reveals in a new interview that he reads the Bible and prays “a lot,” enjoys listening to church music and considers himself a person of faith.
Dylan, 81, is a 10-time Grammy winner who transformed music in the 1960s with a blend of folk and rock. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Dylan recently released a book, The Philosophy of Modern Song.
Asked by The Wall Street Journal what he does to relax, Dylan mentioned old television shows before turning the conversation to religion.
“I’ve binge-watched Coronation Street, Father Brown, and some early Twilight Zones. I know they’re old-fashioned shows, but they make me feel at home. I’m not a fan of packaged programs, or news shows, so I don’t watch them. I never watch anything foul-smelling or evil,” Dylan said. “... I’m a religious person. I read the Scriptures a lot, meditate and pray, light candles in church. I believe in damnation and salvation, as well as predestination. The Five Books of Moses, Pauline Epistles, Invocation of the Saints, all of it.”
Asked what “style of music” he considers to be his “first love,” Dylan answered, “Sacred music, church music, ensemble singing.”
Dylan said he is “too relaxed, too laidback.”
“Most of the time, I feel like a flat tire; totally unmotivated, positively lifeless,” he said. “I can fall asleep at any time during the day. It takes a lot to get me stimulated, and I’m an excessively sensitive person, which complicates things. I can be totally at ease one minute, and then, for no reason whatsoever, I get restless and fidgety; doesn’t seem to be any middle ground.”
Meanwhile, Dylan said he boxes and spars for physical activity.
“It’s part of my life,” he said. “It’s functional and detached from trends. It’s a limitless playground, and you don’t need an app.”
It’s not the first time Dylan has discussed his faith publicly. He became a Christian during the 1970s and recorded Christian albums. One of his songs, Gotta Serve Somebody, pointed the listener to God: “You’re going to have to serve somebody; well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord; but you’re going to have to serve somebody.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Frazer Harrison/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.