On Sunday’s NBC Nightly News, anchor Lester Holt informed viewers that Human Rights Watch recently aimed criticism at singer and former anti-war activist Bob Dylan, charging that he "should be ashamed of himself for letting" the Chinese government "tell him what to sing."
After recounting the irony of Dylan performing a concert in Vietnam after opposing the Vietnam War in the 1960s, Holt noted that he was criticized for "submitting his song list to Chinese authorities."
Below is a complete transcript of the item as read by Lester Holt from the Sunday, April 10, NBC Nightly News:
In Vietnam, the times, they are a changing. The man who became a powerful voice against the Vietnam War in the 1960s took the stage in that country tonight. Bob Dylan - seen on the right in an amateur video of the event - played in Ho Chi Minh City to an audience of 8,000 to a mix of Vietnamese and foreigners.
After a concert in China last week, the 69-year-old Dylan was criticized for submitting his song list to Chinese authorities. Two of his most famous songs - "Blown in the Wind" and "The Times, They Are a Changing" - were not performed in China. Unclear if those songs were banned. Human Rights Watch said Dylan should be ashamed of himself for letting a government tell him what to sing.
