Set You Free This Time
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"Set You Free This Time" is the third track on The Byrds' 1965 album Turn! Turn! Turn! The song is penned by Gene Clark, who also sings the lead vocal and plays the harmonica. Clark's vocal inflections and densely packed lyrics suggest the influence of Bob Dylan, though Clark's singing is far more melodic than Dylan's and his lyrics far less obscure. The song, like many pop songs, concerns the breakup of a relationship, and the tone of the song is bittersweet. The song is also, arguably, one of the first country-rock songs: the subject matter of the song, the inflections in Gene Clark's voice, the harmonica solo, and the slight twang in Roger McGuinn's guitar recall country music. The chord progression and rhythm of the song, however, are atypical of country music. The song was released as a single, but was commercially unsuccessful. Echoes of "Set You Free This Time" can be heard throughout the careers of both The Byrds and Gene Clark. According to Clark, the song was written in just a few hours during the Byrds' 1965 British tour, after a night spent with Paul McCartney.
[edit] Sources
Turn! Turn! Turn! CD booklet song notes, Johnny Rogan, c.1996
