From the highest to lowest courts in the land, Bob Dylan’s lyrics appear more frequently in legal opinions than any other singer or musical group, according to a University of Texas professor.

 

After searching legal databases to identify lyrics in court filings and scholarly publications for 2006-2007, Alex Long of the University of Texas found Dylan had been cited 186 times, including in 26 judicial opinions. The next highest total belonged to the Beatles, with 74. Other popularly cited musicians were Bruce Springsteen (69), Paul Simon (59), Woody Guthrie (43), the Rolling Stones (39), the Grateful Dead (32), Simon & Garfunkel (30), Joni Mitchell (28) and R.E.M. (27).

 

Long noted that only one woman made the top ten and that there were no artists of color despite the popularity of African-American singers and groups, including lyricists Bob Marley and Tupac Shakur. Motown lyrics do not make it into legal writings and neither does disco. Among country singers, only Johnny Cash came close to the top ten (tied for twelfth with 21 mentions).

 

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik recited lines from Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom” in a case questioning the legality of the indefinite detention of illegal immigrants, and “The Times They Are A-Changin’” in a landmark ruling that forbade the exclusion of contraceptives from an employer’s prescription drug plan, saying to do so amounted to sex discrimination.

 

Despite Dylan’s presumed association with the left, two right-wing Supreme Court justices have referred to him. In 2008, Chief Justice John Roberts paraphrased a line from Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” in a case in which billing firms had a claim on money they collected for others by saying, “When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.”

 

Justice Antonin Scalia, in a case involving the privacy of employees using company email, said, “‘The times they are a-changin’’ is a feeble excuse for disregard of duty.”

-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Judges Hand Down the Law with Help from Bob Dylan (by Carol Williams, Los Angeles Times)

[Insert Song Lyrics Here]: (by Alex Long, University of Texas) (pdf)