I’m not sure I understand the point about cliches in ‘Blowing in the Wind’, but do agree it has some flaws, and is only considered a great song because it had a great impact, appearing at a pivotal moment in music and politics. Verse One poses three questions of which two are bland and seemingly innocent, but the third is suddenly much darker. However, the next two verses don’t quite follow that pattern, and mix up the inoffensive questions and the ones packing a punch. Check out ‘Don’t Think Twice’ where each verse has a closing rhyming triplet, descending from an inoffensive comment to a great put down on the third line - I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul, you just kind of wasted my precious time, etc.

But overall, his output puts most modern songwriters to shame, bearing in mind he has discarded many songs that are better than many others could produce - Waggon Wheel, Abandoned Love, Up to Me, Series of Dreams, Wanted Man, Blind Willie McTell, Love is Just a Four Letter Word, etc, etc. You could probably produce an alternative list of fifty great songs he himself didn’t think were good enough to keep.