Bob Dylan makes subtle swipe at Donald Trump in 'old king' birthday essay

Bob Dylan has seemingly criticised Donald Trump on his 80th birthday by calling him "an old king from some vanished country."

The 85-year-old music legend contributed to an opinion piece linked to Donald Trump’s 80th birthday on Sunday and shared his thoughts on aging and time.

Although Dylan did not mention the US President directly, he reflected on what it feels like to turn 80, saying one of the “worst parts” is realizing things too late to change the past.

He wrote in the New York Times, "The old fire in your heart still tells you to do this and that, but your body says we already did it. Also, nothing surprises you.

"It sounds like a luxury but it’s not, and also you’ve run out of illusions."

Dylan also explained what he sees as the hardest part of aging, noting, "The really worst part about being 80 is that you find, at last, you’ve got an understanding of something that might have altered everything in the past, had it come at a time when something could still be altered."

He continued, "When you’re young you think that time moves forward. At 80 you know that it doesn’t, it stands still. We’re the ones that move.”

However, Dylan also pointed at a positive side to getting older.

“The best thing about being 80 is that you outlive the clocks that have been chasing you."

He added, "It’s freedom from that lie that anything was ever under control. You don’t chase the parade anymore.

"You’re an old king from some vanished country. You’re harder to programme.”