"'I know his songs from karaoke, but I'm really not that familiar with him,' said advertising executive Yin Yang, 24."

"'Still I think this was a historic concert and I'm glad I've seen him.'"

Bob Dylan played the Worker's Gymnasium in Beijing today.

He purportedly submitted his play list to government approval. How absurd for the government officials to imagine that concertgoers would understand the lyrics, which are hard to hear in concert even when English is your first language and you already know the lyrics from the records. What's the big deal about Dylan's "protest" songs in China anyway? They're almost entirely aimed at the United States.

ADDED: A reader emails:

My wife has booked a few acts into China and had to spend a few days translating American standards (let's say the Pinna Colada Song) into Chinese for the lyric permission. It is true that the nominal reason is to reject anti-revolutionary sentiments. But I think the real reason is to grease the palms of the literal 15 different minor officials you have to get to sign off on booking a concert tour.