The Answer My Friend

“The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind” has been described as “impenetrably ambiguous; either the answer is so obvious it is right in your face, or the answer is as intangible as the wind.” What a sentiment as our students search for knowledge!

In 1963, rumors spread that the famous Bob Dylan's new hit "Blowin' in the Wind" was written by an MHS senior. The story spread nationwide in a November 4, 1963 Newsweek article: "There is even a rumor circulating that Dylan did not write "Blowin' in the Wind," that it was written by a Millburn (N.J.) High student named Lorre Wyatt, who sold it to the singer. Dylan says he did write the song and Wyatt denies authorship, but several Millburn students claim they heard the song from Wyatt before Dylan ever sang it."

https://www.newsweek.com/bob-dylans-75th-birthday-revisit-our-infamous-1963-profile-462801

The myth has persisted for years despite all denials. All indications are it is false:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/blowin-in-the-wind/.

In part, because Bob Dylan in 2016 became the first musician to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, this myth has endured and thrived on the internet:

https://medium.com/@fredbals/all-the-lies-that-are-my-life-bob-dylan-lorre-wyatt-and-blowin-in-the-wind-dd612a1fd4e4

https://raciones.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/the-answer-my-friend-is-lorre-wyatt/

http://www.searchingforagem.com/Misc/who.htm

https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1909/did-bob-dylan-lift-blowin-in-the-wind-from-a-high-school-yearbook/

MHS classmates of Lorre still debate whether Dylan or Wyatt authored Blowin in the Wind. Lorre Wyatt has denied his authorship of the song. Despite disbelief, the Class of 1967, feels this tale is an important part of Millburn folklore and commissioned a classmate to memorialize the myth with a bench. The unveiling is set for May 18, 2019 where it will be gifted to Millburn High School.

Myth or fact? The Answer My Friend is Blowin' in the Wind!