One rock icon drops some truth about Taylor Swift and Bob Dylan

Taylor Swift is the new Michael Jackson. Not that Swift is doing the weird things that Jackson allegedly did, but as far as their pop icon-ness, the two are rivals decades apart. In the early 1980s, Jackson was king. In the last ten years, Swift has been queen. She has sold over 200 million records and is a billionaire.

Bob Dylan would appear to be the musical opposite of Swift in the greater rock realm. Dylan started as a folk artist and committed the sin of electrifying his music, but he also had a folky heart. He never quite reached the level of his 1960s greatness again, but even if he had not made a record after 1980, his legendary status was cemented.

Still, according to one iconic rock star, Dylan and Swift have quite a lot in common in one particular part of their art. That rock star is Elvis Costello who was a recent guest on the excellent podcast called Rockonteurs and Costello spoke eloquently of how Swift and Dylan have the talent to create songs out of personal experiences but turn the lyrics into something anyone can relate to. That gift is special.

Elvis Costello says Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift have one key thing in common

Costello told podcast hosts Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt, "revelation and invention (are used in) songs by Bob Dylan, where one minute they seem to be very raw emotion. The next minute they're clearly invention. And that keeps you guessing...it's also what makes Taylor Swift speak to people. She understands the necessity of taking personal experience, but expressing it in a way that's (relatable)."

Costello did not stop in his praise of Swift simply by relating her to Bob Dylan, though. He added, "I think we'll all be working for her eventually. She's smart and she knows what she's doing. She can write and sing, and people love it."

To be fair, Swift currently has a lot of power in the music world, so anyone saying negative things about her probably would not be wise. An aging rocker might also have a jealous opinion about Swift because she has made a lot of money at a young age. She has churned some good songs - consistently producing high-end content - into touring magic and knows how to get her music heard.

Some players who have been around for decades have nowhere near the money Swift has. But with Costello and others, money is not everything. It is the integrity of the music that matters. Dylan and Swift both have that. Sure, they want to earn a living doing what they do, but they also know writing good songs and how those songs relate to a vast audience is the most important thing.

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