There’s Some Hard Cash Gonna Fall

Do you hear that? That my friend is the sound of Bob Dylan’s bank account expanding…a lot. The musical legend just sold his entire song catalog for between 300 and 400 million. Damn, you talk about tangled up in green! But hey, I say more power to him. In a world where streaming songs have, for the most part, replaced vinyl, CD’s, and downloads and in a year where live concerts have been all but non-existent because of the “C” word, you might as well cash in.

Now the only catch here is that Bob will no longer have creative or legal control over how his songs are used. Universal Publishing Group who bought the catalog, can do what they want. And just how will UPG make their money back and more? Well, there will certainly be streaming revenue but my guess would be that you are going to hear plenty of Dylan tunes on radio, tv, and social media ads.

Hey, you gotta pay to play baby!

So I started thinking (a very dangerous thing), what Bob Dylan songs would work well with what products and have them flying off the shelves?

Lay Lady Lay– Oh please, this one is easy, custom made for one of those mattress- in- a- box brands. One small change needed. The first line of the song is “Lay lady lay, lay across my big brass bed“. The big brass bed gotta go because I need you to “Lay lady lay, lay across my Casper King”. 

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall– Can you say every gutter company that ever opened its doors?

Jammin’ Me– Whoa Norton, that’s a Tom Petty song. Memory starting to fade Norton? No way! This classic was co-written by Petty, Mike Campbell, and Mr. Dylan. Smuckers is securing the rights as we speak!

Mr. Bojangles– Just take the “Mr.” off the title. I’ll let you take it from there.

Make You Feel My Love– I think even Bob would tell you that the Adele version of this Dylan penned song is by far the better performance, but how long before you hear this beauty in the background of a Trojan Ultra Thins ad?

THERE I SAID IT!