Bob Dylan's Blues

"Bob Dylan's Blues" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released in 1963 on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

Recording sessions

"Bob Dylan's Blues" was recorded on July 9, 1962, during the third Freewheelin' session. Dylan recorded several new compositions that day, including "Blowin' in the Wind", a song he had already performed live but had yet to record in the studio. Other tracks recorded during the session included "Down the Highway," and "Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance". Master takes of the four songs were selected and set aside for the final album.

Dylan later recorded the song as a demo for his music publisher, M. Witmark & Sons. This version, taped in April 1963 at Witmark's studio, was officially released in October 2010 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964.

Syd Barrett song

Syd Barrett, the founder of Pink Floyd, also wrote a song called "Bob Dylan Blues" that in a friendly way both gently lampoons Dylan's early style and success while also embracing Dylan. Syd was a fan of Dylan's and his influence can be seen in many of Barrett's songs. The song was supposedly written by Barrett after attending a concert in 1963. (It is worth noting that in the Bob Dylan song "My Back Pages" released 1964, Dylan too somewhat turns his back on his early public persona, how he was perceived and received.). The song was largely forgotten when recorded in 1970. The recording was lost until recently when David Gilmour discovered the tapes. It was released in 2001 on the Barrett compilation The Best of Syd Barrett: Wouldn't You Miss Me? The song's popularity has grown intensely since its release and many fans seem to consider it one of the best tribute songs ever about Bob Dylan.

External links

• Lyrics at Bob Dylan's official website