Patrick Coman.

By Sanjeev Selvarajah

To quote For the Sake of the Song’s Patrick Coman, “[Bob] Dylan has been such an iconoclast throughout his career. If you, like me, consider a patriot to be someone who questions authority, someone who seeks truth even when it is inconvenient, and someone who confronts the powers that be on behalf of the downtrodden and underprivileged, then I think you have to admire Dylan as someone who, without a doubt, embodies those characteristics.”

These are the sentiments of the man behind For the Sake of the Song, which features Coman along with James Houlahan, Ryan Fitzsimmons and John Colvert. The group performs the songs of their favorite musicians, one by one. Earlier this year, Coman and company covered the works of Bruce Springsteen and they are now preparing a show featuring some of the larger than life tunes by Bob Dylan at the Armory for the Arts on Saturday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m.

Alongside Springsteen, Dylan represents a significant cross-section on the great American musical totem pole. He has influenced so many artists, from the Beatles to present day singer/songwriters who share a love for Dylan’s style and grace.

As these newer balladeers sit and swoon in your favorite bar and download to your child’s iTunes play list, consider taking a loved one who is moved by the styles of these developing musicians to a For the Sake of the Song show and allow them to reflect on the origins of this machinery of hip-ness.

Dylan himself has had conflicting feelings about being pigeonholed into the folk genre. “Clearly, he is an excellent performer and curator for traditional folk music. His early work is full of topical ballads that draw directly from people like Woody Guthrie, Peter Seeger, and Dave Van Ronk,” says Coman. But he has also kept up stylistically with his contemporaries and his songs are so well crafted musically, they strike a delicate balance between cynicism and a love for the common man. There is an aura of a defeated fatalism in Don’t Think Twice It’s Allright. It signifies an individual’s right to question fate, and Coman alludes to its purpose as the retort of a jilted lover. “Yes, I love that song! It is so snide and it has one of the greatest put downs of all time”

Knocking on Heaven’s Door is definitely multilayered, according to Coman. Like many of the earthy themes of early folk, you take of it what you bring with you. It might be about a drug overdose, a general reflection on death, or the relationship between an artist and a muse.

“I was inspired to start this series when I moved to Boston a couple years ago. Being new in town I wanted to have a way to reach out to fellow musicians in the area and get to know people, and one good way to do that is to find songs in common with people,” says Coman. Death, rejection, and gaining blessed love. This Dylan has passed down for all to share. For the Sake of the Song is sharing it with us, too.