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Is Bob Dylan’s “visions of Joanne” a rap song?

Aside from the content not being about the usual Rap music topics; the form, rhyming, rhythm, and singing are fundamentally the same. Listen to it again fresh with that thought in the back of your mind. Discuss this politely with me if you like, this an open question, not a statement of fact. I’d like to hear different opinions.
128x128deadhead1000
cd318
2,636 posts
 
Not Visions of Johanna but Dylan’s 1965 Subterranean Homesick Blues is often cited as the first rap song.

Here, you can judge for yourself.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MGxjIBEZvx0
larryi
4,057 posts
 
I think "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a good example too of rap-like quality.  It is also noted for its quite early use of a video to accompany the music. 

Speaking of which, I really like Weird Al's version that uses rhyming palindromes.  It makes sense to have the flashcards for the lyrics as visual reminders of how each line is the same read backwards or forwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUQDzj6R3p4
acefactory
66 posts
 
Give "It's Alright Ma' I'm Only Bleeding" a listen - I think that's about as close to rap as Bob ever achieved... 
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