Girl from the North Country

1963 song by Bob Dylan

For the 2017 stage musical based on Bob Dylan's work, see Girl from the North Country (musical).

"Girl from the North Country"

Song by Bob Dylan
from the album  The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan & Nashville Skyline
Released| May 27, 1963
Recorded| April 24, 1963
Studio| Columbia, New York City
Genre| Folk
Length| 3:22
Label| Columbia
Songwriter(s)| Bob Dylan

"Girl from the North Country" (occasionally known as "Girl of the North Country"[1]) is a song written by Bob Dylan. It was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City in April 1963, and released the following month as the second track on Dylan's second studio album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

A large amount of writing and journalistic research has been devoted to trying to ascertain the true identity of who the "Girl" from the North Country might be, and has often been associated with one of Dylan's early girlfriends. It continues to be debated as to whom this song is a tribute. Some claim former girlfriend Echo Helstrom, and some Bonnie Beecher, both of whom Dylan knew before leaving for New York. However, it is suspected that this song could have been inspired by his New York girlfriend, Suze Rotolo.

"Girl from the North Country" has been featured on several different albums by Dylan over the years, in different versions and occasional duets. According to Dylan's own official website, Dylan performed the song 569 times live between 1963 and 2019. The song has had over two dozen covers by significant artists over the decades since its original release. Dylan re-recorded the song as a duet with Johnny Cash in February 1969. This recording became the opening track on Nashville Skyline, Dylan's ninth studio album.

## Background

[edit]

The song was written following Dylan's first trip to England in December 1962, upon what he thought to be the completion of his second album. It is debated as to whom this song is a tribute: some claim former girlfriend Echo Helstrom,[2] and some Bonnie Beecher,[1] both of whom Dylan knew before leaving for New York. However, it is suspected that this song could have been inspired by his then girlfriend, Suze Rotolo.

In an interview with Anthony Scaduto included in his book The Dylan Tapes: Friends, Players and Lovers Talkin Early Bob Dylan, Echo Helstrom is quoted as answering:[3]

Scaduto: You know there's one thing I forget to ask you the last time we talked -- "The Girl from the North Country"?
Helstrom: Yeah.
Scaduto: So you think you're the girl from the north country?
Helstrom: Yeah.
Scaduto: Tell me about it. Tell me your feeling about it. why do you think you're the girl from the north country?
Helstrom: Well, there's nobody else it could be. He didn't go with anyone else when he went with me, you know, for such a long time.[3]

Dylan left England for Italy to search for Rotolo, whose continuation of studies there had caused a serious rift in their relationship. Unbeknownst to Dylan, she had already returned to the United States, leaving about the same time that he arrived in Italy. It was there that he finished the song, ostensibly inspired by the apparent end of his relationship with Rotolo. Upon his return to New York in mid-January, he persuaded her to get back together, and to move back into his apartment on 4th Street. Rotolo is the woman featured on the album cover, walking arm in arm with Dylan down Jones Street, not far from their apartment.[4] In her introduction to the Scaduto book of interviews, Stephanie Trudeau states that Rotolo was the likely inspiration for the related Dylan song "Boots of Spanish Leather."[3]

In his book about Dylan, Howard Sounes offers the opinion that Dylan may have been utilizing the largely autobiographical song as a way to gain favor with different girlfriends whom he dated over the years. Sounes states: "... one wondered which girlfriend Bob was singing about... Bob later gave Echo (Helstrom) the impression (that it) was her song. But, no doubt thinking that women were flattered by having songs written about them, Bob led another north country girlfriend, Bonnie Beecher, to think the same... Later in 1963, when he performed the song on a radio show... Bob indicated that the song was about an idealized woman, saying, 'This is dedicated to all the north country girls.'"[5]

## Composition

[edit]

While in London, Dylan met several figures in the local folk scene, including English folksinger Martin Carthy. "I ran into some people in England who really knew those [traditional English] songs," Dylan recalled in 1984. "Martin Carthy, another guy named [Bob] Davenport. Martin Carthy's incredible. I learned a lot of stuff from Martin." Carthy exposed Dylan to a repertoire of traditional English ballads, including Carthy's own arrangement of "Scarborough Fair," which Dylan drew upon for aspects of the melody and lyrics of "Girl from the North Country," including the line from the refrain "Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine". Musically, this song is nearly identical to his composition "Boots of Spanish Leather",[6] composed and recorded one year later for the album The Times They Are a-Changin'.

Todd Harvey notes that Dylan not only took the tune of "Scarborough Fair", which he learned from Martin Carthy in London but also adapted the theme of that song. "Scarborough Fair" derives from "The Elfin Knight" (Child Ballad Number 2), which was first transcribed in 1670. In the song, a supernatural character poses a series of questions to an innocent, requesting her to perform impossible tasks. Harvey points out that Dylan "retains the idea of the listener being sent upon a task, a northern place setting, and an antique lyric quality".[7]

Carthy actually taught Dylan two English songs that would prove important for the Freewheelin' album. The second was a 19th-century ballad commemorating the death of Sir John Franklin in 1847, "Lady Franklin's Lament", which gave Dylan the melody for his composition "Bob Dylan's Dream". Both songs displayed Dylan's fast-growing ability to take traditional melodies and use them as a basis for highly personal songwriting.[8]

From England, Dylan traveled to Italy, and joined Albert Grossman, who was touring with his client Odetta.[9] Dylan was also hoping to make contact with his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, unaware that she had already left Italy and was on her way back to New York. Dylan worked on his new material, and when he returned to London, Martin Carthy received a surprise: "When he came back from Italy, he'd written 'Girl From the North Country'; he came down to the Troubadour and said, 'Hey, here's "Scarborough Fair"' and he started playing this thing".[10]

## Lyrics

[edit]

Tom Leatham summarizes the lyrics of the song in an article about its duet by Dylan and Johnny Cash stating: "The track tells of a mystery woman and both Cash and Dylan sing of their longing for her. The song had first been written by Dylan when he visited England late in 1962 when he had been completing his second album. Many Dylan fans have deliberated on who the mystery woman in the song really is, with some suggesting it could have been any of his former girlfriends, Echo Helstrom, Bonnie Beecher or Suze Rotolo."[11] The fourth verse was not included in the duet version with Cash from 1969. Instead, the opening verse is repeated twice at the end. The duet version also switches places between verses two and three, compared to the 1963 solo version.[1]

Robert McColl writing for Popular Music History writes of the lyrics as expressing Dylan being divided between his actual memories of having seen his girlfriend and having had an encounter with her, with his later attempt to create a mental reconstruction of her long after the encounter. As McColl states: "The song becomes, in part, about the difference between the mental image and the actual seeing. Among his many attributes, Dylan is an exemplary stopper and cutter-short: what the singer cannot see, here, he desists from imagining. This is a trend best exemplified by the penultimate verse":

I’m a-wond’rin’ if she remembers me at all
Many times I’ve often prayed
In the darkness of my night
In the brightness of my day

McColl continues stating: "If verses two and three project the hanging of remembrance upon a single image—coat, and hair, respectively—we might expect the pattern to continue through the song, reconstructing the girl, so to speak, through parts. But verse four turns the tables, supplying no concrete image and questioning the viability of such a reconstruction, primarily of himself ('if she remembers me at all') but, to some extent, of her as well. We might assume that he prays for her to remember him, but are denied the luxury of that thought."[12] Richard F. Thomas in his book about Dylan commented about the originality of lyrics of the song irrespective of the melody's similarity to British folk songs stating: "The melody and much of the beauty of the song come from... the British folk song Dylan had heard in London... but the lyrics are all Dylan and are what bring this song to life".[13]

In an interview between Dylan, Tony Glover and Paul Nelson (critic), Dylan commented on the meaning of the lyrics of the song to him stating: "You put down (to Glover)... 'Girl From The North Country'. I think 'Girl From The North Country' is beautiful. Not because I wrote it. [Girl: Play it.] I'll play it. I feel very close to that. I wrote that song with somebody else who knew what it was all about [Dylan plays the song]. 'Please see for me if her hair hangs long.' Man, [that]'s a gut-pulling line for me... and I wouldn't write it, if not. I was thinking about the whole thing, I'm not thinking [of] 'yonder sits a little magpie' as a love song. I can't think of a love song as this and that."[14]

## Recording sessions

[edit]

All of the songs for the album recording of Freewheelin' took place from April 1962 to April 1963, and the album was assembled from eight recording sessions at Columbia Records Studio A, located at 799 Seventh Avenue in New York City.[15] According to Nat Hentoff, the date for the recording of "Girl from the North Country" was April 24, 1963.[16]

## Release

[edit]

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album released in May 1963 included "Girl From the North Country." According to Scaduto, unlike his debut LP, it was an immediate success, selling 10,000 copies in a month and bringing Dylan an income of about $2,500 [17] (equivalent to $25,700 in 2024). An article by Nat Hentoff on folk music appeared in the June issue of Playboy magazine and devoted considerable space to Dylan's achievements, calling him "the most vital of the younger citybillies." [17]

## Reception

[edit]

Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song 30th on a list of the "100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs". In an article accompanying the list, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards wrote: "While the British Invasion was going on, Bob Dylan was the man who really pulled the American point of view back into focus. At the same time, he had been drawing on Anglo-Celtic folk songs, and that's certainly true of 'Girl From the North Country'. It's got all the elements of beautiful folk writing without being pretentious. In the lyrics and the melody, there is an absence of Bob's later cutting edge. There's none of that resentment. He recorded it again later with Johnny Cash, but I don't think it's a duo song. Bob got it right the first time".[18]

Clinton Heylin mentions in his book a dispute between Dylan and Paul Nelson (critic) for mentioning personal details about his girlfriend in one of his reviews quoting Dylan as stating: "When you reviewed my record you mentioned Dylan wrote this song when his girlfriend went to Italy. I wish you['d] never done that, because that's... too personal. It's like me telling [about] something in your life, that means something to you [but] I know nothing about... It's not right. It's a sickness, and you don't dwell on people's sickness... That's the only thing in the article I disagree with, [pertaining] to me."[19]

## Live performances

[edit]

According to his official website, Dylan performed the song 569 times live between 1963 and 2019.[20] During a live performance of the song in Oakland in November 1978, Clinton Heylin reports that Dylan "dedicated a live rendition to a north-country girl in the audience... That girl was Bonnie (Beecher)".[21] Live performances by Dylan appear on the albums Real Live (1984), The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1993; recorded 1992),[1] The Bootleg Series Vol. 13: Trouble No More 1979–1981 (Deluxe Edition) (2017; recorded 1981), Live 1962-1966: Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections (2018; recorded 1964), and The Bootleg Series Vol. 15: Travelin' Thru, 1967-1969 (Deluxe Edition) (2019; recorded 1969). A February 1964 performance for Canadian television was included on the DVD release of Martin Scorsese's PBS television documentary on Dylan, No Direction Home in 2005.

In reference to Dylan's 2013 Rome performance on his European tour, Richard F. Thomas in his book on Dylan commented that: "Two of the songs he performed in Rome, "Girl of the North Country" and "Boots of Spanish Leather," bring in a further dimension. These two songs had been written... in Italy in early 1963, both with rich folk music traditions behind them, and if any single woman is behind 'Girl of the North Country', she probably came from where the song put her, up in... Minnesota. But their lyrics were also inextricably linked to Dylan's relationship with Suze Rotolo, whose absence had helped generate those songs fifty years before the Rome Concerts. Suze dies on February 25, 2011, so perhaps Dylan's performance of 'Boots...' in Rome was also a tribute to her. Whether or not that is so, only one person knows, and we're unlikely to hear from him on that score".[22]

## Personnel

[edit]

The personnel for the album release is listed as:

* Bob Dylan – acoustic guitar, harmonica, vocals

Technical

* John H. Hammond – production
* Nat Hentoff  – liner notes
* Don Hunstein – album cover photographer
* Tom Wilson – production

## Charts

[edit]

Charts for response to album for The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan from 1963:

Chart (1963)  | Peak
position

|

US Billboard 200[23] | 22
Chart (1965)  | Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[24] | 1
Chart (2020)  | Peak
position
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[25] | 33

Charts for response to Nashville Skyline in 1969:

Year  | Chart  | Peak
position

|
|

1969  | Billboard 200[26] | 3
1969  | Cash Box Album Charts[27] | 3
1969  | Record World Album Charts[28] | 1
1969  | Spanish Albums Chart[29] | 4
1969  | UK Top 75[30] | 1

## Notable versions

[edit]

* Johnny Cash recorded a duet of the song with Dylan in February 1969 while Dylan was in Nashville working on his ninth studio album Nashville Skyline.[31] The duet was released as the album's first track in April 1969.[32] This version appears in the 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.[31] This version with new orchestral arrangements by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra also appears on Cash's 2020 posthumous album Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.[33]
* Cash and Dylan performed a duet of the song on The Johnny Cash Show, June 6, 1969.[34]
* Joe Cocker and Leon Russell performed the song on the 1970 live album Mad Dogs and Englishmen.[35] Russell also performed the song on his 1970 live album at the Fillmore East.
* Altan performed this song on their album Another Sky.[36]
* Rosanne Cash included the song on her 2009 album The List, which is based on a list of 100 country songs her father Johnny Cash recommended to her as "essential".[37]
* Counting Crows covered the song on their 2013 live album Echoes of the Outlaw Roadshow.
* Eels perform a slowed down, live, acoustic version on Eels with Strings: Live at Town Hall[38] as well as The Myspace Transmissions Session 2009.
* Roy Harper recorded his version of the song on his 1974 album Valentine.
* Tom Northcott's 1968 single charted in Canada.
* Tony Rice covered the song on his 1993 album Tony Rice Plays and Sings Bluegrass.
* Rod Stewart also covered this song on his 1974 album Smiler.[39]
* Stephen Stills performed the song on his 2009 album Live at Shepherd's Bush, and recorded a version with Judy Collins on their 2017 album Everybody Knows.
* Sting covered the song for Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International.[40]
* The Black Crowes often covered the song in concert throughout their career, usually featuring an extended dual guitar solo.
* The Clancy Brothers released their version on their 1972 album Save the Land.
* John Waite covered the song on his 2004 album The Hard Way.[41]
* Link Wray & his Ray Men released a version in 1965.[42]
* Neil Young released a cover of this song on his 2014 album A Letter Home.[43]
* The Lions covered the song for the soundtrack to Sons of Anarchy, released in 2009.
* Leo Kottke covered the song in a recorded performance at No Exit Coffeehouse in 1969.
* Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Jim James performed the song as part of Bright Eyes' concert on Austin City Limits in 2004.
* Sam Bush covered on his 2000 album Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride.
* Passenger covered the song on his compilation album Sunday Night Sessions.[44]
* A Tobin Bell cover was made for the film Spiral but was cut.[45]
* Nitty Gritty Dirt Band covered the song on their 2022 album Dirt Does Dylan.
* Greg Dulli covered the song in a piano version together with Mark Lanegan, released in 2022
* Eddie Vedder covered this song in an acoustic version during his Water on the Road tour in 2008.
* Jonathan Foster covered the song, which features National Fiddler Hall of Famer Scott Joss, on his 2019 album Wildlife.
* Jackson Dean and Josh Ross covered the song and released it as a "Spotify Single" in 2023[46]

## Popular culture

[edit]

In 2017, a stage play was written titled Girl from the North Country and performed in England.[47][48] Irish playwright Conor McPherson wrote and directed it, and used Dylan's songs to tell the stories of various characters during the Depression years, set in Dylan's birthplace, Duluth, Minnesota and features the title song in the second act. The play premiered in London in 2017.[47][48]

## See also

[edit]

* List of Bob Dylan songs based on earlier tunes

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Ruhlmann, William. "Girl from the North Country – Bob Dylan – Review". AllMusic.
2. ^ "The original 'Girl From the North Country,' Bob Dylan's high school sweetheart has died". Star Tribune. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
3. ^ a b c Anthony Scaduto, The Dylan Tapes: Friends, Players and Lovers Talkin Early Bob Dylan, University of Minnesota Press, 2022, unpaginated digital version. [1]
4. ^ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (27 October 2015). Bob Dylan: all the songs: the story behind every track (First ed.). New York. ISBN 978-1-57912-985-9. OCLC 869908038.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
5. ^ Howard Sounes. Down the Highway. Page 128. Grove Press 2001.
6. ^ Sheehy, Colleen Josephine; Thomas Swiss (2009). Highway 61 revisited: Bob Dylan's road from Minnesota to the world. U of Minnesota Press. p. 85\. ISBN 978-0-8166-6100-8.
7. ^ Harvey, Todd (2001). The Formative Dylan: Transmission & Stylistic Influences, 1961–1963. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4115-0. Pages 33–34
8. ^ Heylin, Clinton (1996). Bob Dylan: A Life In Stolen Moments: Day by Day 1941–1995. Schirmer Books. ISBN 0-7119-5669-3. pp=106–107
9. ^ Sounes (2001), p=127
10. ^ Heylin, Clinton (1996). Bob Dylan: A Life In Stolen Moments: Day by Day 1941–1995. Schirmer Books. ISBN 0-7119-5669-3. p=110
11. ^ "The Story Behind The Song: ‘Girl From The North Country’ – the song that united Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash". By Tom Leatham. Far Out Magazine. 17 February 2023. [2]
12. ^ Robert McColl. Popular Music History. "Borders and lines: seeing and imagining in Dylan". PMH 8.2 (2013) p.134. [3]
13. ^ Richard Thomas. Why Bob Dylan Matters. HarperCollins. 2017. Page 250.
14. ^ Clinton Heydin (2021). The Double Life of Bob Dylan. Page 215. Little, Brown, and Company.
15. ^ Gray, Michael (2006). The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Continuum International. ISBN 0-8264-6933-7. pp=243–244
16. ^ Hentoff, Nat (1963). The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (Media notes). Bob Dylan. New York: Columbia Records.
17. ^ a b Scaduto, Anthony (2001). Bob Dylan. Helter Skelter. p. 144\. ISBN 1-900924-23-4.
18. ^ "100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs". Rolling Stone. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
19. ^ Clinton Heydin (2021). The Double Life of Bob Dylan. Page 208. Little, Brown, and Company.
20. ^ "Setlists | The Official Bob Dylan Site". www.bobdylan.com. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
21. ^ Clinton Heydin (2021). The Double Life of Bob Dylan. Page 194. Little, Brown, and Company.
22. ^ Richard Thomas. Why Bob Dylan Matters. HarperCollins. 2017. Page 94.
23. ^ The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan: Awards at AllMusic. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
24. ^ "THE FREE WHEELIN' BOB DYLAN". Official Charts. 23 May 1964. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
25. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
26. ^ "Bob Dylan – Chart history". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
27. ^ "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Archive of all issues from1942 to 1996". www.americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
28. ^ "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". www.americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
29. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
30. ^ "The Official Charts Company – Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
31. ^ a b Bjorner, Olof (21 November 2015). "5th Nashville Skyline session, 18 February 1969". bjorner.com. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
32. ^ Edwards, Gavin (27 May 2004). "The Rolling Stone Hall of Fame: Bob Dylan's 'Nashville Skyline'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025.
33. ^ Girl from the North Country (with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), retrieved 26 January 2022
34. ^ Live at the Grand Ole Opry House, Nashville, Tennessee - 7 October 1970, The ABC Show Series Vol. 6, Ryman Records
35. ^ "Mad Dogs & Englishmen - Joe Cocker - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
36. ^ "Another Sky - Altan - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
37. ^ Prince, David J. (4 July 2009). "Rosanne Cash Readies 'The List'". Billboard.
38. ^ "With Strings: Live at Town Hall - Eels - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
39. ^ "Smiler - Rod Stewart - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
40. ^ "Amnesty International - Chimes of Freedom – Amnesty International - Chimes of Freedom". Music.amnestyusa.org. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
41. ^ Greg Prato (21 September 2004). "The Hard Way - John Waite | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
42. ^ "Mr. Guitar - Link Wray - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
43. ^ Greene, Andy (18 April 2014). "Neil Young's New Covers Album Available Right Now: Surprise!". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
44. ^ Passenger | Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan Cover), retrieved 20 April 2021
45. ^ "Saw Star Tobin Bell Addresses Nearly Having a Cameo in Spiral: From the Book of Saw". comicbook.com. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
46. ^ "Jackson Dean, Josh Ross cover Johnny Cash + Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country"". Country Top 40 with Fitz. 25 May 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
47. ^ a b Billinngton, Michael (26 July 2017). "Girl from the North Country review: Bob Dylan's songs are Depression-era dynamite". The Guardian.
48. ^ a b Brantley, Ben (6 March 2020). "'Girl From the North Country' Review: Bob Dylan's Amazing Grace". The New York Times.

## External links

[edit]

* Lyrics at Bob Dylan's official site

* v
* t
* e

Bob Dylan

* Discography
* Awards
* Bibliography
* Songs written by Dylan
* Bob Dylan songs based on earlier tunes
* Bob Dylan cover songs
* 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature

Studio albums|

* Bob Dylan
* The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
* The Times They Are a-Changin'
* Another Side of Bob Dylan
* Bringing It All Back Home
* Highway 61 Revisited
* Blonde on Blonde
* John Wesley Harding
* Nashville Skyline
* Self Portrait
* New Morning
* Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
* Dylan
* Planet Waves
* Blood on the Tracks
* The Basement Tapes
* Desire
* Street-Legal
* Slow Train Coming
* Saved
* Shot of Love
* Infidels
* Empire Burlesque
* Knocked Out Loaded
* Down in the Groove
* Oh Mercy
* Under the Red Sky
* Good as I Been to You
* World Gone Wrong
* Time Out of Mind
* "Love and Theft"
* Modern Times
* Together Through Life
* Christmas in the Heart
* Tempest
* Shadows in the Night
* Fallen Angels
* Triplicate
* Rough and Rowdy Ways
* Shadow Kingdom

Live albums|

| Contemporary|

* Before the Flood
* Hard Rain
* Bob Dylan at Budokan
* Real Live
* Dylan & the Dead
* The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration
* MTV Unplugged

|

Archival|

* Live 1961–2000: Thirty-Nine Years of Great Concert Performances
* Live at The Gaslight 1962
* Live at Carnegie Hall 1963
* In Concert – Brandeis University 1963
* The 1966 Live Recordings
* Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings
* The Complete Budokan 1978
* The 1974 Live Recordings

Compilations|

| Hits|

* Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
* Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
* Masterpieces
* Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3
* The Best of Bob Dylan (1997)
* The Best of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2
* The Essential Bob Dylan
* The Best of Bob Dylan (2005)
* Dylan
* The Very Best of Bob Dylan

|

Themed|

* Dylan
* The Basement Tapes
* Blues

Box sets|

* Biograph
* Bob Dylan: The Collection
* The Original Mono Recordings
* The 50th Anniversary Collection
* Bob Dylan: The Complete Album Collection Vol. One
* The 50th Anniversary Collection 1963
* The 50th Anniversary Collection 1964
* 1970

The Bootleg Series|

* Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991
* Vol. 4: The Royal Albert Hall Concert
* Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
* Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall
* Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack
* Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989–2006
* Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964
* Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait (1969–1971)
* Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete
* Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966
* Vol. 13: Trouble No More 1979–1981
* Vol. 14: More Blood, More Tracks
* Vol. 15: Travelin' Thru, 1967–1969
* Vol. 16: Springtime in New York 1980–1985
* Vol. 17: Fragments – Time Out of Mind Sessions (1996–1997)

Bootlegs|

* From Newport to the Ancient Empty Street in L.A.
* Great White Wonder
* List of Basement Tapes songs
* 1967
* 1975

Concert tours|

* England Tour (1965)
* World Tour (1966)
* Isle of Wight Festival (1969)
* Tour with the Band (1974)
* Rolling Thunder Revue (1975–1976)
* World Tour (1978)
* Gospel Tour (1979–80)
* European Tour (1984)
* True Confessions Tour (1986)
* Tour with the Grateful Dead (1987)
* Temples in Flames Tour (1987)
* Never Ending Tour
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour (2021–2024)

Films|

* Dont Look Back (1967)
* Concert for Bangladesh (1972)
* Eat the Document (1972)
* The Last Waltz (1976)
* Renaldo and Clara (1978)
* Hard to Handle (1986)
* Hearts of Fire (1987)
* The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration (1992)
* Masked and Anonymous (2003)
* No Direction Home (2005)
* I'm Not There (2007)
* 65 Revisited (2007)
* The Other Side of the Mirror (2007)
* Rolling Thunder Revue (2019)
* Shadow Kingdom (2021)
* A Complete Unknown (2024)

Writings|

* Tarantula
* Writings and Drawings
* Chronicles: Volume One
* The Philosophy of Modern Song

Books about Dylan|

* The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia
* Bob Dylan, Performing Artist
* Invisible Republic
* Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan
* The Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan
* Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine
* Dylan Goes Electric!

Family|

* Sara Dylan (first wife)
* Carolyn Dennis (second wife)
* Jesse Dylan (son)
* Jakob Dylan (son)

Related|

* Recording Sessions
* The Band
* Traveling Wilburys
* Electric Dylan controversy
* Artists who have covered Dylan songs
* Joan Baez
* Suze Rotolo
* Helena Springs
* The Telegraph magazine
* Festival
* The Concert for Bangladesh
* Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
* Hearts of Fire
* Highway 61 Interactive
* Theme Time Radio Hour
* Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan
* Chimes of Freedom (album)
* The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams
* Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes
* Bob Dylan Center

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Bob Dylan songs by album (1960s)

Bob Dylan|

* "You're No Good"
* "Talkin' New York"
* "In My Time of Dyin'"
* "Man of Constant Sorrow"
* "Fixin' to Die"
* "Pretty Peggy-O"
* "Gospel Plow"
* "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down"
* "House of the Risin' Sun"
* "Freight Train Blues"
* "Song to Woody"
* "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"
* "Highway 51"

The Freewheelin'
Bob Dylan|

* "Blowin' in the Wind"
* "Girl from the North Country"
* "Masters of War"
* "Down the Highway"
* "Bob Dylan's Blues"
* "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"
* "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
* "Bob Dylan's Dream"
* "Oxford Town"
* "Talkin' World War III Blues"
* "Corrina, Corrina"
* "Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance"
* "I Shall Be Free"

The Times They
Are a-Changin'|

* "The Times They Are a-Changin'"
* "Ballad of Hollis Brown"
* "With God on Our Side"
* "One Too Many Mornings"
* "North Country Blues"
* "Only a Pawn in Their Game"
* "Boots of Spanish Leather"
* "When the Ship Comes In"
* "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll"
* "Restless Farewell"

Another Side of
Bob Dylan|

* "All I Really Want to Do"
* "Black Crow Blues"
* "Spanish Harlem Incident"
* "Chimes of Freedom"
* "I Shall Be Free No. 10"
* "To Ramona"
* "Motorpsycho Nitemare"
* "My Back Pages"
* "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)"
* "Ballad in Plain D"
* "It Ain't Me Babe"

Bringing It All
Back Home|

* "Subterranean Homesick Blues"
* "She Belongs to Me"
* "Maggie's Farm"
* "Love Minus Zero/No Limit"
* "Outlaw Blues"
* "On the Road Again"
* "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream"
* "Mr. Tambourine Man"
* "Gates of Eden"
* "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"
* "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"

Highway 61
Revisited|

* "Like a Rolling Stone"
* "Tombstone Blues"
* "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
* "From a Buick 6"
* "Ballad of a Thin Man"
* "Queen Jane Approximately"
* "Highway 61 Revisited"
* "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"
* "Desolation Row"

Blonde on
Blonde|

* "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"
* "Pledging My Time"
* "Visions of Johanna"
* "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)"
* "I Want You"
* "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again"
* "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat"
* "Just Like a Woman"
* "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine"
* "Temporary Like Achilles"
* "Absolutely Sweet Marie"
* "4th Time Around"
* "Obviously 5 Believers"
* "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"

John Wesley
Harding|

* "John Wesley Harding"
* "As I Went Out One Morning"
* "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine"
* "All Along the Watchtower"
* "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest"
* "Drifter's Escape"
* "Dear Landlord"
* "I Am a Lonesome Hobo"
* "I Pity the Poor Immigrant"
* "The Wicked Messenger"
* "Down Along the Cove"
* "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"

Nashville
Skyline|

* "Girl from the North Country"
* "To Be Alone with You"
* "I Threw It All Away"
* "Lay Lady Lay"
* "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You"

Other|

* "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues"
* "Mixed-Up Confusion"
* "Positively 4th Street"
* "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?"
* "If You Gotta Go, Go Now"

Lists|

* Songs written by Dylan

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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