"Every Mind-Polluting Word" 3rd ed. p. 351-353: --- 21 April 1966 Press Conference (Roger Cordwell/Bob Francis), Adelaide Airport Source: Circulating tape RC: Do you think you can sing well? BD: I think I sing great. Most people underestimate my voice, but left alone in an empty room I can sing better than anybody else. RC: How do you get on in a hall with a lot of people? BD: Well, it’s a hard question to answer. I’ve had voice training you know. I just sing in front of the microphones in the hall and it rings, you know. That’s all. I depend on microphones. In the full hall that’s a different circumstance, though, you know. RC: Who’s the man that you first got the folk cycle, or the folk kick, from? It was Woody Guthrie, wasn’t it? You were a sort of devotee of Woody Guthrie? BD: It was Hank Williams. RC: It was Hank Williams? But he was more a cowboy sort of singer, was he? BD: No, he was a country and western singer. RC: Well, I understand that you are a devotee of Woody Guthrie nevertheless. Is that right? BD: Well, I know who Woody Guthrie is. I listen to his music. I even got wrapped up in the idea of him for a certain time, but not a long time, not a long time at all. No more time than, you know, I would take to learn one of his songs really. RC: Oh, I see. I understood that you were more wrapped up in him than that, and that... BD: No. RC: Woody never ever became sort of commercial. I just wondered what his attitude would be to your... BD: He never became commercial because he got sick. I’d be wondering what his attitude would be today... if he was around. RC: Would you say that Negroes are better musicians than the white race? BD: Yeah, they used to be, but I don’t think so any more. RC: Now why is this? Do you think that you’re up there with them? BD: No. Most of them go to colleges now. Most of them now live in the suburbs. A lot of them do, not most of them. Negro music used to be great music ‘cause it was all poverty music, you know. There wasn’t any pick and choice. There wasn’t any great ones, they were all great. But now, God, you know, I must know myself, I must know a hundred white people who can sing blues better than two hundred Negroes. Radio plays Bob Dylan’s Dream. BD: ...a lot of people are paranoid and a lot of people are afraid, and they have to prejudge things. They can’t go to sleep at night unless they satisfy themselves, you know, their minds. They have to talk at the table, you know. They have to verify their paranoia. They have to prejudge everything. Most people do prejudge me, but there’s nothing extra special about that. Most people prejudge everything. RC: It’s been said that you can’t sing, actually, that the words are the main thing. Would you agree with this at all? BD: No, I happen to be a very good singer sir. I happen to be an excellent singer. RC: What about the lyrics you write? Do you think that’s more important, or the singing? BD: My voice. RC: You like your voice? BD: Yes sir. I’m a singer. That’s why I’m here – to sing. These songs, I just happened to write ‘em. Radio plays Bob Dylan’s Dream. RC: Do you sit down and think what you’re writing, or do you just go ahead and write? BD: I’ve answered that question to the television camera. RC: We didn’t hear that. Can you repeat it? BD: Watch it on television. RC: This is radio. We wondered if you’d like to answer for this medium. BD: I answered on the television. I can’t... RC: Which medium do you prefer, radio or TV? BD: I prefer, er, movies really. RC: You prefer the movies? Have you any chance of doing a movie? Any chance of doing a movie? BD: You’ll have to ask other people about that. I’m not... BF: Would you be keen to do a movie yourself? BD: Would I be keen? What does that mean? BF: Would you be interested in doing a movie? BD: I’d be interested to do a movie. I think I’d be very keen, yeah. RC: At what stage in your life, Bob, did you find this was the sort of thing you wanted to do? I mean. Has it always been that way, or did it just seem to happen? BD: Always been that way. Course, it’s been. RC: How do you know that certain feelings that you... you don’t want to communicate with people do you really? BD: No. RC: What actually do you want to do? BD: Nothing. RC: You’d rather do nothing, but you’re sort of singing because you have to? BD: I don’t have any job that I have to do. I mean, I have nobody that’s bossing me. I don’t have any assignments, you understand? I don’t have anything which I have to get done because I’m gonna lose something, you know. I just have nothing like that. RC: You feel somewhat restrained? You want something? BD: No, no. You know, if people are nice to me, I’m nice to them, but if people got something else out the back of their minds, I can destroy ‘em. RC: What, with your songs and lyrics, you mean? BD: No, destroy ‘em. Sit here and destroy ‘em. RC: What about your parents? Do you feel anything towards your parents? Some people say... BD: I have no contact with my parents. I’ve never had contact with my parents. RC: Do you miss this at all? BD: Miss this? I’ve never had it. RC: You never had it? BD: Are you trying to make me out to be some kind of rebel – James Dean? RC: No. I just wondered what do you think about other teenagers? Do you think it’s a good idea for them to... BD: I never was a teenager. I never played football, basketball, soccer. I never went to, you know track meets. I never had good grades in school. I never was in the honor society. I never graduated with high degrees. I never took an interest in anything, you know. There just was none there. I didn’t know it, that’s all. RC: Well, what is success Bob, really, do you think? BD: Success? RC: What is it really? BD: I don’t know. What do you think it is? Are you successful? RC: Well, I’m supposed to be, in my field. BD: Well, I’m supposed to be in my field too. RC: What is it? Money or something? I don’t know. I would say it’s satisfaction. BD: I want to hear your words. RC: Alright. My words are success is having real satisfaction in the job you’re doing. Do you agree? BD: Do I agree? Well, I agree, I guess. Sounds fine. You said it, I didn’t. BF: Do you make money a yardstick, or doesn’t it matter to you at all, money? BD: Make money a yardstick? BF: In life, do you think that having a lot of money is a good thing or doesn’t it really worry you at all having... I mean, you must have a lot of money by singing the songs you do. Do you sing songs because you can make some money out of this, or do you sing them just because you like to sing the songs, and money doesn’t mean anything at all? BD: I consider that an insult, sir. Radio plays Masters of War.