“We always did feel the same, we just saw it from a different point of view.”
Videos by American Songwriter
“We always did feel the same, we just saw if it from a different point of view.”
Thank you for reading American Songwriter’s inaugural list, the 30 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs of All Time. We hope you can respect us going the maverick route, and we’ve sure enjoyed hearing your feedback along the way.
Ultimately, these aren’t really the top 30 Bob Dylan songs; they’re the top 30 Bob Dylan songs at any given moment. The truth is, nearly every Bob Dylan song is worthy of being regarded as the greatest Bob Dylan song ever. Except for maybe “All The Tired Horses.” That one comes in second.
Some of you may approve of our attempts at combining Dylan- and Numer-ology (Compare and contrast our list with Mojo’s for a dissenting point of view.) Others would say we’re blinder than Willie McTell, picking “Dear Landlord” over “I Shall Be Released” and “to Ramona” over “Brownsville Girl.”
Well, you know….
“Half of the people can be part right all of the time,
Some of the people can be all right part of the time.
But all the people can’t be all right all the time.”
I think Mark Knopfler said that.
“I’ll let you be in my list if I can be in yours.”
We said that.
* * * *
What would your list of the greatest Bob Dylan songs look like? What songs deserved to be on our list but weren’t, and why? What are some of your all-time favorite Dylan lyrics? Chime in below.
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form.
In a world of steel-eyed death, and men who are fighting to be warm
was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail,
Poisoned in the bushes an blown out on the trail,
Hunted like a crocodile, ravaged in the corn.
Come in, she said,
Ill give you shelter from the storm.
Absolutely beautiful, really miss this one in the list.
But apart from that, thank you very much for the blog, it ‘s been a lot of fun and really interesting to read
While beauty does walk a razor’s edge, here are some songs that I might have put on the list:
It Ain’t Me, Babe
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Tombstone Blues
Highway 61 Revisited
Positively 4th Street
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
All You Have To Do Is Dream
Open The Door Homer
I Shall Be Released
I’m Not There
This Wheel’s On Fire
Rock Salt N’ Nails
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
All Along The Watchtower
I Pity The Poor Immigrant
Wicked Messenger
Time Passes Slowly
Sing On The Window
Nobody ‘Cept You
Abandoned Love
One More Cup Of Coffee
Romance In Durango
Shelter From The Storm
Buckets Of Rain
Senor
Blind Willie McTell
Groom’s Still Waiting At The Altar
Someone’s Got A Hold Of My Heart or Tight Connection
Brownsville Girl
Delia
Jack-A-Roe
High Water
Sugar Baby
All in all a good list. The only glaring omission imho is “All Along The Watchtower”.
Thanks for the good series!
Thanks again (I posted some possible alternatives to this list in comments to, I think, #4). As I have said to a number of people over the years as one small way of explaining my Bob fascination, who else could write a song whose lyrics contain the word “previous”? (Changing of the Guards) Have you ever heard that word in another song by anyone? Maybe you have, but I have not. This might mean nothing to you, it says a lot to me.
As Bob said on his new CD “it’s all good”
Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,
Blind Willie McTell,
I’m Not There,
Positively Fourth Street,
I Shall Be Released,
Forever Young,
Stuck Inside of Mobile,
Song to Woody,
I’ll Keep It With Mine,
Maggie’s Farm,
Girl From the North Country,
Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues,
When the Ship Comes In,
Boots of Spanish Leather,
Goin’ to Acapulco
I don’t think it was fully “completed”, and I’ve only found one version of it (the clip from Eat The Document), and it may just be because it is exactly where I’m at right now, BUT it would defiantly make my list..
I Can’t Leave Her Behind
Spoon Feeding Casanova the boiled guts of birds….
Dink’s Song
I was Young When I Left Home
Corrina, Corrina
Masters of War
Boots of Spanish Leather
It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding
Like a Rolling Stone
Desolation Row (No Direction Home)
Visions of Johanna
4th Time Around
Positively 4th Street
All Along the Watchtower
Drifters Escape
Lay, Lady Lay
Shelter From the Storm
Idiot Wind
Up to Me
Hurricane
Mozambique
Jokerman
Everything is Broken
Not Dark Yet
Cold Irons Bound
Till I Fell in Love With You
Highlands
Highwater
Summerdays
Tweedle dum & Tweedle dee
Thunder on the Mountain
Someday Baby
All along the watchtower
Hurricane
One more cup of Coffee
I shall be released
This Wheels on fire
Tell Ol Bill
Ain’t Talkin
Lovesick
Blind Willie McTell
Desolation Row(No direction home)
Visions of johanna
Like a rolling stone(No direction home)
Cold irons bound
Cry a while
The man in the long black coat
Senor
Highlands
Dignity(Tell tale signs)
Most of the time(Tell tale signs)
I’m not there
Seven days
Wicked Messenger
Tangled up in blue
I want you
Masters of war
Forever young
Back pages
Jokerman
The mighty Quinn
Shelter from the storm(Hard rain)
It’s a great list, as good as it could be. The only glaring ommission is Blind Willie McTell.
I did’nt seem to see his Oscar Winner “Thing Have Changed”. I am a huge Dylan fan,
I can’t imagine that song isn’t listed. You can bet it’s on his list. It was from the movie “The Wonder Boys”.
tombstone blues
sad eyed lady of the lowlands
stuck inside of mobile with the mephis blues again
girl from the north country
it aint me babe
love minus/zero no limit
4th time around
absolutely sweet marie
queen jane approximatley
bob dylans 115th dream
maggies farm
blind willie mctell
one more cup of coffee
shelter from the storm
lay lady lay
im not there
you’re gonna make me lonesome when you go
I threw it all away
gates of eden
baby let me follow you down
outlaw blues
she belongs to me
leopard skin pill box hat
black diamond bay
only a pawn in their game
with god on our side
when the ship comes in
all along the watchtower
wicked messenger
from a buick 6
it takes a a lot to laugh it takes a train to cry
highway 61 revisted
just like tom thumbs blues
i don’t believe you
one too many mornings
jokerman
lily rosemary and jack of hearts
man of constant sorrow
the lonesome death of hattie carroll
my back pages
obviously five believers
positively 4th street
pledging my time
simple twist of fate
the ballad of frakie lee and judus priest
tell me, momma
talkin world war 3 blues
all of these songs are either better than or just as good as many of the songs on your offensive pointless list!
desolation row
angelina
like a rolling stone
visions of johanna
blind willie mctell
frankie lee and judas priest
tryin to get to heaven
mississippi
precious angel
just like a woman
mr tambourine man
sign on the window
things have changed
covenant woman
all along the watchtower
dignity
hard rais a gonna fall
jokerman
tangled up in blue
under the red sky
just like tom thumbs blues
its alright ma
man in the long black coat
ring them bells
standing in the doorway
boots of spanish leather
man of peace
lonesome death of hattie caroll
something there is about you
carribean wind
I forgot about the great ‘Things have changed’ and ‘Series of Dreams’!, Revised now:
1.All along the watchtower
2.Hurricane
3.One more cup of Coffee
4.I shall be released
5.This Wheels on fire
6.Tell Ol Bill(Tell tale signs)
7.Ain’t Talkin(Tell tale signs)
8.Lovesick(Grammy performance)
9.Blind Willie McTell
10.Desolation Row(No direction home)
11.Visions of johanna(No direction home)
12.Like a rolling stone(No direction home)
13.Cold irons bound(Masked and Anonymous soundtrack)
14. Cry a while
15. The man in the long black coat
16. Senor
17. Highlands
18. Dignity(Tell tale signs)
19.Most of the time(Tell tale signs version 1)
20. I’m not there
21. Seven days
22. Wicked Messenger
23. Tangled up in blue
24. I want you
25. Masters of war
26. Forever young
27. Back pages
28. Jokerman
29. Things have changed
30. Series of Dreams(Tell tale signs)
There is one song I haven’t seen mentioned.
It’s ”Joey”.
I’ll go to the grave defending ‘’Joey’’ from ‘’Desire’’ as one of the finest songs Dylan ever did. True, it might not be historically accurate and YES it DOES glorify a convicted criminal but godddamn…..Lay back on your (big brass) bed, pop in the album and skip to the sixth track. Hit play and get ready to be transported back to ‘’Red Hook Brooklyn in the year of Who-Knows-When’’ and ‘’open up your eyes to the tune of an accordion’’.
The whole song is dripping with atmosphere and the lyrics are absolutely exquisite.
It’s even got jokes:
“What time is it” said the judge to Joey when they met
“Five to ten” said Joey. The judge says, “That’s exactly what you get”.
It’s deliciously endless eleven minutes are filled with nuggets like this. Also, the singing is top notch. The backing vocals by Emmylou Harris are never better suited. Her slightly whiney voice with Dylan’s nasal tones make the chorus sound like it is supposed to sound; like an eulogy for a lamentable outlaw. And we all know Dylan loved outlaws. (I’ll also go to the grave defending Dylan’s work on Patt Garrett and Billy The Kid)
Oh man, I hate this kind of thing. I’ll add 30 now but 8 seconds from now there will be another 30 I wish I’d have said. I’m also going to try and avoid anything on any Greatest Hits albums if possible. So as of this very moment, in no specific order…
“Bob Dylan’s Dream”
“Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You”
“Mississippi”
“Sugar Baby”
“Standing In The Doorway”
“Love Is Just A Four Letter Word”
“Never Say Goodbye”
“Talking New York”
“Isis”
“Trouble In Mind”
“Where Are You Tonight (Journey Through Dark Heat)”
“What Can I Do For You”
“Dignity”
“Spanish Harlem Incident”
“She Belongs To Me”
“Tell Me That It Isn’t True”
“Buckets Of Rain”
“Went To See The Gypsy”
“When The Deal Goes Down”
“I And I”
“I’ll Remember You”
“Under Your Spell”
“Shooting Star”
“It’s All Good”
“Cats In The Well”
“Temporary Like Achilles”
“Song To Woody”
“Restless Farewell”
“Dear Landlord”
“It Takes Alot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry””
Nice list, but it’s easy to add at least 20 songs that are just as good:
One Of Us Must Know
Black Diamond Bay
Absolutely Sweet Marie
Jokerman
Never Say Goodbye
Sad-Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
Blind Willie McTell
Workingman’s Blues #2
Positively 4th Street
Tears Of Rage
Red River Shore
Queen Jane Approximately
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
Sign On The Window
Love Minus Zero/No Limit
Cross The Green Mountains
Every Grain Of Sand
It Ain’t Me Babe
Shelter From The Storm
Series Of Dreams
I love everyones list and ALL of Bob Dylans’ songs
Sara Knockin on Heavens Door
This Dream of You Love Sick
One More Cup of Coffee Love Minus Zero
Masters of War Positively 4th Street
John Brown I and I Dignity
Like a Rolling Stone It’s All Over Now
Not Dark Yet Mississippi Ain’t Talkin
Sign in the Window Most of the Time
My Back Pages Rainy day Women
Ballad of a Thin Man Shooting Star
Jack of Hearts Someday Baby
One More Weekend To Ramona
I Don’t Believe You God on Our Side
Idiot Wind Most of the Time
I love everyones list and ALL of Bob Dylans’ songs
Sara , Knockin on Heavens Door,
This Dream of You, Love Sick,
One More Cup of Coffee , Love Minus Zero,
Masters of War , Positively 4th Street,
John Brown , I and I . Dignity,
Like a Rolling Stone, It’s All Over Now,
Not Dark Yet , Mississippi , Ain’t Talkin,
Sign in the Window , Most of the Time,
My Back Pages, Rainy Day Women,
Ballad of a Thin Man, Shooting Star,
Jack of Hearts, Someday Baby,
One More Weekend , To Ramona,
I Don’t Believe You , God on Our Side,
Idiot Wind , Most of the Time…
I feel a need to stand up for “All the Tired Horses,” as I love that song. With its lush melody and swelling orchestration I always thought it’d provide a great soundtrack for some unmade Western movie.
“Neighborhood Bully” for all those people that think they really know B.D.’S political views.
I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine
Never Say Goodbye
Goin’ to Acapulco
Tears of Rage
Just Like a Woman
All You Have to Do Is Dream
Pressing On
Billy 4
Chimes of Freedom
God Knows
This Wheel’s On Fire
Don’t Think Twice
Changing of the Guards
Lonesome Day Blues
Shooting Star
One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
You’re a Big Girl Now
Tell Me, Momma
In the Summertime
Meet Me in the Morning
Going, Going, Gone
She’s Your Lover Now
Slow Train Comin’
Foot of Pride
It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
Where Are You Tonight?
Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?
I Believe in You
Pledging My Time
Absolutely Sweet Marie
Boots of Spanish Leather (x25)
Black Diamond Bay
Its tough to argue with “Joey”, but my personal is “Black Diamond Bay.” The begining and end to the song are pure Dylan.
Up on the white veranda
She wears a necktie and a Panama hat.
Her passport shows a face
From another time and place
She looks nothin’ like that.
After learning how people react when death is near, Dylan turns the song upside down with the last line:
And I never did plan to go anyway
To Black Diamond Bay.
The only reason to discount the Desire album is Dylan co-wrote all the songs with Jacques Levy, but I consider this by far the best album he ever made.
I just want to give props to Evan, his articles are not only amazing but also absolutely hilarious! Great use of quotes.
Also, “Buckets of Rain” and “I threw it all away” are amazing songs that need to be mentioned.
I think you all missed the boat when you didn’t include:
If You See Her Say Hello and Lay Down Your Weary Tune.
Whenever I see lists like this I always think it is better to make my own list rather than complain about someone else’s. So here’s mine (at this particular moment in time).
1 Desolation Row
2 Blind Willie McTell
3 All Along The Watchtower
4 Like A Rolling Stone
5 Mr. Tambourine Man
6 Jokerman
7 Every Grain Of Sand
8 Lay Down Your Weary Tune
9 Visions Of Johanna
10 Love Minus Zero/No Limit
11 Highway 61 Revisited
12 Things Have Changed
13 Blowin’ In The Wind
14 Tangled Up In Blue
15 Senor (Tales Of Yankee Power)
16 Idiot Wind
17 Masters Of War
18 Bob Dylan’s Dream
19 Ain’t Talkin’
20 Lily, Rosemary, And The Jack Of Hearts
21 Wedding Song
22 Not Dark Yet
23 It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
24 Mississippi
25 Girl From The North Country
26 Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
27 The Times They Are A-Changin’
28 Boots Of Spanish Leather
29 Shelter From The Storm
30 When The Ship Comes In
1. Like a Rolling Stone
2. It’s Alright Ma{ I’m Only Bleeding}
3. All Along the Watchtower
4. Desolation Row
5. From a Buick 6
6. Tombstone Blues
7. Posively 4th Street
8. Knockin on Heavens Door
9. Just Like Tom Thumbs Blues
10. Make You Feel My Love
11. Things Have Changed
12. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
13. Love Sick
14. Hurricane
15. Ballad of A Thin Man
16. Just Like A Woman
17. Tangled Up In Blue
18. Abandon Love
19. Everything is Broken
20. Not Dark Yet
21. Gotta Serve Somebody
22. You Ain’t Goin Nowhere
23. Simple Twist of Fate
24. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
25. Forever Young
26. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
27. Love Minus Zero/No Limit
28. Gonna Change My Way A-Thinking
29. To Ramona
30. Silveo
@ John Wesley Harding:
Black Diamond Bay can only be described as a ”gem”. Those first lines alone blow my mind. When you hear something like ”And all of the remnants of her recent past are scattered in the wild wind” you realize you’re listening to Bob-fucking-Dylan and that nobody ever comes close to his lyrics (even though this was co-written) and delivery.
Desire is my favourite album aswell, so many awesome stories and his best vocals ever. (I mean, man listen to ”Isis” who else sings like Dylan? I have never heard anybody sing like that, except Dylan. And I think everybody else would make those intonations sound ridiculous)
Also, check out ”Catfish” and ”Golden Loom” from the Bootleg series. Awesome Desire outtakes, anything that is played with the Desire set is awesome, really. I wish ít had been even longer, even though it’s almost an hour long.
I think you should make this an official web-site, people choosing their favourite Dylan songs, don’t think any 2 people would submit the same list, so many released and unreleased and alternative versions of songs to choose from, its extraordinary stuff.
Like A Rolling Stone
Blowin’ In The Wind
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Sugar Baby
Mr. Tambourine Man
Tangled Up In Blue
Desolation Row
Nettie Moore
A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
It Ain’t Me Babe
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
Maggie’s Farm
Goin’ To Acapulco
All Along The Watchtower
I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
Lonesome Day Blues
Forever Young
Chimes Of Freedom
Blind Willie McTell
High Water (For Charley Patton)
Summer Days
Not Dark Yet
Positively 4th Street
This Dream Of You
Spirit On The Water
Workingman’s Blues #2
Lay Lady Lay
If Not For You
I’d like to see them do a Top 30 Lou Reed list.
As I’ve mentioned a few times, I prefer Reed to Dylan in most respects – and especially as a writer.
Brad, think you are at the wrong web-site, we’re dealing with the greatest here, I’m sure there’s some Lou Reed web-site elsewhere doing something similar, not at all interested in fact.
Dylan is so far ahead beyond of Reed it’s not funny!
The best Dylan song is the one being played at the time, or sung, or hummed, or being arranged.
“Like a Rolling Stone” is still my favorite. “Winterlude” is another as is “I’ll be your Baby Tonight”.
I could go on and on. Maybe it should be the Top 40…
Flo, considering that you’re unable to properly punctuate a short paragraph, you might want to take it easy. Since you are so interested in fact, maybe you could give me some “fact” showing Dylan to be greater than Reed.
I can’t tell you how great it is to go through everyone’s list and discover and rediscover some great Dylan songs. I agree with @Proman, Nashville Skyline is a great album and features Norman Blake on guitar. I wanted to throw another song out that I have not seen anyone mention:
Sante Fe
I first heard this song on the Bob Dylan Sirius Radio Hour with Michael Tearson. Unfortunately the show was replaced with an hour from Dylan himself, which is great except he does play his own songs.
Sante Fe can be found on the Bootlegs Series Volume 1-3. the version is a little grainy, but still a classic.
“Sante Fe” is a great tune that I liken to “I’m Not There” in that some of this phrasing is mumbled, but the sheer beauty of the performance provides all the meaning the song needs anyway. I think “I’m Not There” is better, just for the record.
THE GENUINE BASEMENT TAPES, to me, show Dylan at his best. Some of his most profound and least pretentious lyrics come from that collection, and his singing is at its most pure. One of Dylan’s greatest faults is that his talent is superior to his understanding of his talent. That he is unable to understand what makes THE GENUINE BASEMENT TAPES greater than some of his more heralded works serves as the best example – even better than him not including works like “Blind Willie McTell” on albums.
Just found found out MPT is playing Dylan from the Newport Folk Festival 1963-65 this Saturday 5/16.
http://www.mpt.org/schedule/series.cfm?series_id=16468#175750
Brad, i sure don’t need no “facts” showing Dylan to be greater than Reed.
Dylan will go down in history as the greatest songwriter ever, Reed would go down on anything!!.
Lets get back to the real conversation here i.e your 30 greatest Bob Dylan songs.
“Brad, i sure don’t need no “facts” showing Dylan to be greater than Reed.
Dylan will go down in history as the greatest songwriter ever, Reed would go down on anything!!.
Lets get back to the real conversation here i.e your 30 greatest Bob Dylan songs.”
In other words you can’t possibly back anything.
Watchtower
Desolation Row
Johanna
Groom’s Still Waiting At The Altar
Changing of The Guard
Not Dark Yet
Call Letter Blues
Silvio
Shelter From The Storm
The Mighty Quinn
Oxford Town
Like A Rolling Stone
As I went Out One Morning
Dirt Road Blues
Isis
Got To Travel On
To Be Alone With You
Lonesome Day Blues
Something There Is About You
Tangled Up In Blue
Highway 61 Revisited
Let Me Die In My Footsteps
The Levee’s Gonna Break
All I Really Want to Do
Cat’s In The Well
Buckets of Rain
Maggies Farm
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Knockin on Heaven’s Door
Things Have Changed
Thsi is a fun string of comments.
Like someone said, the particularl songs can change, depending on what I have heard recently and what connects with what is going on in my personal ife at the time. (His songs can really get stuck in your head sometimes can’t they?)
A couple I dond’t think I saw but cherish:
North Country blues
I Am a Lonesome Hobo
I love strumming out Dylan tunes on my guitar and singing along with myself.
My heartfelt thanks to Bob for all the richness he has added to my life.
“The ghost of electricity howls in the bones of her face” – The greatest love song ever written
“He did it in Las Vegas, and he can do it here” – Whoever “he” is, says more about you than whatever Bob was thinking at the time……
Black Diamond Bay– #1 for me would be almost any song from desire but Black Diamond Bay goes at the top today
Joey I know people think writing a song about a gangster is endorsing a criminal life but W/ the advent of Rap we now see how mild it is . He heard about Joey Gallo through Det. Lennie Briscoe A.K.A. Jerry Orbach and I know most baby boomers love the show Law & Order .
Girl from the North Country w/ Johnny Cash on Nashville Skyline I would like to think the song is about the Adirondack in NYS which is called the North Country I travel 4 hours at least 4 times in the winter and stay for the 3 day weekend or as long as I can then 6 weeks in the summer and go to “Friends Lake” near Chestertown, NY w/ all my family and 4 other families my family and the other have gone for 30 yrs and when I hear the song it warms my heart and brings the best memory like the first smell of pine sap needles and the hot air. Ok that was three I guess I’ll stop with that if anyone has stories of what a song means to them i’d love to hear them I think that what makes Dylan so amazing everyone interprets the songs different and has their own memories attached to them.
my thirty top dylan songs.
1.Girl from the north country
2.Corina Corina
3.Chimes of Freedom
4.Desolation Row
5It’s Alright Ma I’m Only Bleeding
6.One Too Many Mornings
7.Boots of Spanish Leather
8.Ballad of a Thin Man
9.A Hard Rains Gonna Fall
10.Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright
11.My Back Pages
12.Masters of War
13.Mr. Tambourine Man
14.Visions of Johanna
15.Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
16.I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
17.Forever Young
18.Idiot Wind take 2
19.Positively 4th Street
20.Just Like a Woman
21 You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.
22 Love Minus Zero/No Limit
23 When I Paint My Masterpiece
24. Tombstone Blues
25. Highway 61 Revisited
26. Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream
27. Gates of Eden.
28. Song to Woody
29. Queen Jane Approximately
30. Trying to Get to Heaven
To the greatest songwriter ever!!!!!!
Not gonna do a list, but here’s a song that would have to be in my top whatever:
Can’t Wait (Alternate version from Time Out of Mind on Tell Tale Signs)
Just an amazing song. Why he didn’t keep the song this way boggles my mind, but it makes for the mother of all outtakes.
My 30 favorite Dylan songs…
My Back Pages
Chimes of Freedom
Visions of Johanna
Stuck Inside of Mobile
Positively 4th Street
Idiot Wind
Corina Corina
Girl From The North Country
Don’t think Twice
Ballard of a Thin Man
Hard Rain
It’s Alright Ma
One Two Many Mornings
Boots of Spanish Leather
Tom Thumbs Blues
Mr. Tambourine Man
Shelter From the Storm
Just Like A Woman
Paint My Masterpiece
I Shall Be Released
It’s All Over Now Baby Blue
Masters of War
Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowland
It’s Not Dark Yet
Things Have Changed
Queen Jane Approximately
hello!,I love your writing very much! percentage we communicate extra approximately your article on AOL? I require a specialist on this area to unravel my problem. May be that’s you! Having a look ahead to see you.