Bob Dylan Joke About GPS Using His Voice Fools Media Again

Widespread media coverage recently reported that Bob Dylan was in negotiations to record his voice for use by GPS navigation systems. Some articles joked about the enigmatic singer's voice, referencing lyrics such as "no direction home," "how many roads must a man walk down," or "Positively 4th Street" or his gravelly, sometimes unintelligible, singing style. However, the joke ends up being not so much on Dylan for his enigmatic voice being used on a GPS but on the media who did not initially realize this was based on a humorous story Dylan told on his "Theme Time Radio Hour" originally broadcast last year.

For example, on August 24, Britain's Telegraph reported that "on Sunday night... Dylan told his late-night radio audience: 'I am talking to a couple of car companies about being the voice of their GPS system. I think it would be good if you are looking for directions and hear my voice saying something like: left at the next street, no a right - you know what? Just go straight.'" On August 27, the Washington Post elaborated that Dylan continued on his radio broadcast to say "I probably shouldn't do it because whichever way I go, I always end up at one place -- on Lonely Avenue. Luckily, I'm not totally alone. Ray Charles beat me there."

However, the initial media reports failed to note that Dylan had actually recorded the radio broadcast, part of his "Theme Time Radio Hour" show entitled "Street Map," for broadcast in December 2008. BBC rebroadcast the episode in August 2009, leading to the media reports. Further, the journalists evidently had not previously listened to the "Theme Time Radio Hour" broadcast where Dylan often joked and told humorous stories in between playing eclectic music. Subsequently, the Washington Post added a clarification (still misstating the name of the radio program) that "The story was based on wire reports about a BBC broadcast this week of Dylan's weekly satellite radio program, "Theme Time Radio Show." [sic] The Post story did not report that the show originally aired Dec. 3; The Post failed to confirm the timing of the broadcast."

While his dry humor and enigmatic statements often make it hard to know exactly when Dylan is joking or making profound insights, it is disappointing that the reporters did not confirm their story with Dylan's agent or any GPS manufacturers let alone recognize that the radio program had been previously broadcast eight months earlier. As Karl Eric Anderson wrote on his web page, expectingrain.com, which features a daily compilation of Dylan-related media reports, "It's revealing how many media have propagated Bob's joke in all seriousness, not even knowing that he cracked this joke on an XM/Sirius show eight months ago." The ultimate irony would be if a GPS manufacturer responded to the widespread media coverage of Dylan's joke by trying to actually contract with him as a celebrity voice for their system.

Perhaps this 2009 episode can be added to the famous enigmatic interviews Bob Dylan had with the media in the 1960's as captured in the documentary "Don't Look Back." For example, one journalist asks Dylan what his message is, and Dylan responds "My real message? Keep a good head and always carry a lightbulb." Some music critics even believe that the famous Dylan lyric "Because something is happening here/ But you don't know what it is/ Do you, Mister Jones" from the song "Ballad of a Thin Man" was inspired by a journalist who did not understand Dylan.

For better or worse, other recent media stories about Bob Dylan recording a new album of Christmas music and being picked up by police while going for a pre-concert stroll in New Jersey appear to be true.

Sources:

Telegraph.co.uk, "Bob Dylan could soon voice sat nav systems," August 24, 2009.

Paul Farhi, "On GPS, Bob Dylan Might Guide Lost Drivers Home," The Washington Post, August 27, 2009.

Karl Eric Anderson, note after item 12 on http://www.expectingrain.com/, August 27, 2009.

NME News, "Bob Dylan's Mr. Jones Dies," Nov. 28, 2007.

Chris Francescani, ABCNews.go.com, "Was Dylan Searching for the Home Where Springsteen Penned 'Born to Run," August 15, 2009.

BobDylan.com, "'Christmas in the Heart' to be Released October 13."