Bob Dylan on Songwriting Magic and His Bargain With Destiny

Ever look at music that you've written- No ... and look back at it and say, "Whoa- Mm-hmm ... that surprised me"?

I used to. Uh, I, I, I don't do that anymore.

Uh, I don't know how I got to, to write those songs.

What do you mean you don't know how? Well, those early songs were, like, almost magically written.

Um, uh, "Darkness at the break of noon. Shadows even the silver spoon.

A handmade blade, a child's balloon." "Eclipses both the sun and moon.

To understand, you knew too soon. There is no sense in trying."

Try to sit down and write something like that.

Uh, th- there's a magic to that, and it's not a Siegfried & Roy kind of magic, you know?

It's a, it's a different kind of a penetrating magic.

Why do you still do it? Why are you still out here?

Well, it goes back to the destiny thing.

You know, I made a d- bargain with it, you know, a long time ago, and I'm holding up my end.

What was your bargain? To get where, um, I am now.

Sh- should I ask who you made the bargain with?

With, with, with, with, with, you know, with the chief g- uh, chief commander.

On this earth? In this earth and in, uh, and in the world we can't see.