» Dylan song:
Trapper Schoepp records tune for Milwaukee Day
Trapper Schoepp’s new song “On, Wisconsin” balances his love for his home state with reverence for the work of Bob Dylan.
Local musician Trapper Schoepp’s new song “On, Wisconsin” balances his love for his home state with reverence for the work of Bob Dylan.
Posted online Friday in celebration of Milwaukee Day (4-14), the lyrics come from Dylan and the music from Schoepp, a rocker who has built a regional following with a couple of albums and frequent live performances. The single sheet of notebook paper from 1961 bearing Dylan’s unpublished verses — complete with many crossed-out phrases and revisions — was put up for auction last month with a starting bid of $30,000 but didn’t sell.
In an interview, Schoepp said he created “a mashup” of Dylan’s lyrics, an ode to Wisconsin that mentions milk, cheese and the Dairy State, and the state’s slogan, “On Wisconsin.”
Dylan didn’t include a chorus, so Shoepp built one around the “On Wisconsin” phrase.
The song, however, is a far cry from the Badger State’s rousing anthem. Schoepp plays it as a waltz with a slight country twang and a nice Fender Rhodes keyboard solo by Bradley Kruse.
“To me, folk music is all about moving forward,” Schoepp said, noting the tradition in folk music, including in Dylan’s work, of songwriters incorporating the work of others into their new songs. “So it seemed to be appropriate to be doing this with Dylan’s lyrics — extending the line.”
The song is scheduled to receive a radio premiere Friday on Radio Milwaukee, WYMS-FM (88.9), on the afternoon show hosted by Ken Sumka, who proposed the idea as a Milwaukee Day event.
The lyrics were written by Dylan when he was 20 and living in New York, shortly after moving there from the Midwest, including a brief stint in Madison. Dylan mentions Milwaukee, Madison and Wauwatosa, which is written out as “Wowwowtoaster.” Shoepp plays it straight in his version.
“Folk music is a sort of language and Dylan is a master of that language,” he said. Schoepp and his brother Tanner, who plays bass on the track, expressed admiration for Nobel Prize laureate Dylan’s recent releases, collections of classic American songs that include many recorded by Frank Sinatra.
Schoepp and fellow musicians, including Justin Krol on drums and Quinn Scharber on guitar, recorded “On, Wisconsin” Sunday at the Wire & Vice studio in Wauwatosa. Owner Daniel Holter donated the studio time for the project.
“Trapper is an artist I’ve wanted to connect with in the studio for a while now, so when the opportunity presented itself last week it seemed like the right project at the right time,” Holter said. “And when 88nine is involved at all — and Ken was the impetus for this — then I like to help however I’m able and make it the best it can be.”
The lyrics were offered by Los Angeles-based Nate D Sanders Auctions, which specializes in “fine autographs and memorabilia” and could be re-listed for auction, said spokesman Michael Kirk. The item remains available on the auction house website as a “buy it now” for $30,000.
Kirk said he was unaware of anyone else putting the song to music.
“That’s really something,” he said when told of Schoepp’s creation. “I know there’s a subculture of people out there who re-invent Dylan songs.”