Bob Dylan will be performing across the country this spring and summer as part of his “Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour.” Dylan–the only singer to ever win the Nobel Prize in Literature–is an American cultural icon and one of the most transformative singer-songwriters of all time. As I will be seeing him later in Pittsburgh this July, these are some of the songs I hope to see performed.
10. “Queen Jane Approximately”
Off my favorite Dylan album, “Highway 61 Revisited,” this tune addresses a high-society woman facing a collapsing social world. Dylan encourages her to step down and abandon her elite circle. Much more polished than many of Dylan’s other songs, this track sounds bright and melodic. It features a “jangly” electric guitar adding a sense of distortion to the tune. The lyrics are cynical, but tender and carry a comforting feeling with them. Yet, this compassion and comfort is laced with irony and cynicism. Overall, it’s a catchy, interesting song I know would be performed beautifully live.
Favorite Lyric: “Now, when all of the flower ladies what back what they have lent you / And the smell of their roses does not remain / And all of your children start to resent you / Won’t you come see me, Queen Jane”
9. “Visions of Johanna”
A surrealist-folk record, this song explores ideas of artistic longing, isolation and romantic tension. Recorded on Valentine’s Day in 1966 in Nashville, Tenn., the slow and hypnotic tempo paired with full sensory details evokes feelings of fascination and subtle anxiety. It seems like Dylan is in complete chaos–trapped in between reality and his idealized, artistic visions. It evokes an intimate atmosphere. The lyrics are unbelievably poetic and clever, evoking moody, late-night feelings of disconnection with the surrounding world.
Favorite Lyric: “The harmonicas play the skeleton keys and the rain / And these visions of Johanna are now all that remain”
8. “Boots of Spanish Leather”
A conversation in ballad form, Dylan describes a gradual, emotional breakup of two lovers. Dylan’s lover has traveled to Spain promising to bring back “something fine” such as gold or silver. Accepting the painful reality, Dylan only asks for “Spanish boots of Spanish leather.” The gentle, acoustic performance makes the heartbreak sound all the more wary. The song has similarities and roots in traditional English folk songs, particularly in “Scarborough Fair.” While dark and drab, you can tell Dylan put so much love and care into the creation of this track. It is somberly beautiful.
Favorite Lyric: “So take heed, take heed of the western wind / Take heed of the stormy weather / And yes, there’s something you can send back to me / Spanish boots of Spanish leather”
7. “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”
As Dylan’s sentimental, acoustic, symbolic departure from the 1960s folk scene, the song features a somber melody, acoustic guitar, and a whiny, melodious harmonica. The lyrics here, like in a majority of Dylan’s songs, are a poetic masterpiece. Heavily inspired by Arthur Rimbaud–a French poet–and other Symbolist poet’s hallucinatory symbolism and themes of artistic transformation, the song features haunting imagery such as an “empty-handed painter” and an “orphan with his gun.” Lyrically, nothing else in Dylan’s repertoire compares to this jewel.
Favorite Lyric: “The vagabond who’s rapping at your door / Is standing in the clothes that you once wore / Strike another match, go start anew / And it’s all over now, Baby Blue”
6. “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”
With an exceedingly raucous and chaotic sound, this track is fun and humorous. Dylan almost sounds drunk while singing the chorus of “everybody must get stoned.” Sounds of people manically laughing and cheering in the background add to the song’s boisterous energy. Through the circus-style tune, Dylan sings about persecution, social judgement and standing alone. Dylan references biblical stories, such as St. Stephen’s stoning in the Book of Acts. I love this song because, while it does discuss some heavy topics, it’s just so fun. The beginning sounds like an improv jazz set. It’s catchy and groovy.
Favorite Lyric: “But I would not feel so all alone / Everybody must get stoned”
5. “If Not For You”
While I highly prefer George Harrison’s rendition of this song, Dylan’s rustic sounds are beautiful and add a sweet sense of simplicity. The two actually performed this song in rehearsal together at the rehearsals for the Concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden on July 31, 1971, with the show occurring on Aug. 1, 1971. Written for his first wife, Sara Dylan, this song expresses admiration and intense gratitude for a loved one. The lyrics are fairly straightforward and effortless, making the message all the more beautiful.
Favorite Lyric: “If not for you / Winter would have no spring / I couldn’t even hear the robin sing / I just wouldn’t have a clue”
4. “Tangled up in Blue”
Dylan’s voice on this record is particularly lovely to me. The song is fairly simple, but so much fun to sing and dance to while it’s playing. The instrumental is particularly upbeat, paired with melancholy lyrics of blurry, non-linear memories of love. The song’s title and lyrics suggest Dylan is being hopelessly entwined in emotional, “blue,” chaotic memories of a past relationship that has come to an end, or, you could say, unwound. During the song, Dylan takes you on a geographical adventure: he heads “out for the East Coast,” drives a car and “abandoned it out West,” gets a “job in the great Northwoods,” drifts “down to New Orleans” and on and on. These erratic details greatly add to the feelings of chaos and fracturing you get from listening to the song. Overall, it’s a wonderful listen.
Favorite Lyric: “There was music in the cafés at night / And revolution in the air”
3. “The Man In Me”
Featured in the 1998 movie “The Big Lebowski,” my father’s favorite film, this tender song explores the vulnerability of love. The country-folk-rock instrumental paired with a chorus of “la la las” makes me want to get up dance. The euphoria I feel is like no other. This song is from Dylan’s “pastoral period” when he was living at Woodstock. There’s something so down-to-earth and simplistic about the record, adding to its charm and my enjoyment of it. It’s fun and a real crowd-pleaser. I think virtually anyone can enjoy this song.
Favorite Lyric: “But, oh, what a wonderful feeling / Just to know that you are near”
2. “Positively 4th Street”
Undoubtedly one of Dylan’s best songs of all time. One of the first ever diss tracks, Dylan pokes fun at and satirizes the folk music community in New York City’s Greenwich Village. When Dylan pivoted to electric in 1965, some people, especially those in this community, were livid at him for his step away from traditional folk. Though this song is about a very specific situation, almost anyone can relate to the song’s themes of the toxicity of shallow social circles and artistic freedom. The lyrics are catchy and hilarious. The instrumental is absolutely phenomenal, and I always love some good satire, so of course this is at the top of my list.
Favorite Lyric: “Yes, I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes / You’d know what a drag it is to see you”
1. “Song to Woody”
Written about Woody Guthrie–Dylan’s primary idol and musical influence–this song honors his memory. In the song, Dylan positions himself as next in line as a folk singer taking on the legacy of Guthrie. This track was off his 1962 debut album “Bob Dylan.” With his raw, nasally voice Dylan reflects on the folk tradition, borrowing its melody from Guthrie’s own “1913 Massacre.” This song is raw and touching. Guthrie–another pioneering American folk musician–and his work have contributed so much to the genre, especially the schoolhouse ballad “This Land Is Your Land.” Hearing this live would be magical. Dylan’s early lyrics are so special and important to me. There is no other song I would want to hear more.
Favorite Lyric: “I’m a-singin’ you this song, but I can’t sing enough / ‘Cause there’s not many men that done the things that you’ve done”
