Saw the Springsteen thread and couldn't participate in it since I kind of hate Springsteen. But I saw how many people actually had opinions on that stuff and got curious to see how many had a favorite Dylan song. This one isn't a poll because there's no way to even guess at the top ten Dylan songs. In fact, none of my favorites would be likely to make the top 100 of his most popular ones. Lately I'd be deciding between Nobody Cept You, Spanish Harlem Incident and Never Say Goodbye though I love the hell out of 99% of them. Now you go.
Hard question to answer as there are so many! I am gonna go with "I Shall Be Released" - the version that would be on "The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3" which was The Basement Tapes version except it wasn't released on "The Basement Tapes" that came out in the mid '70s (I don't care for the version that was on his Greatest Hits, Vol 2 and Biograph). Others include "Every Grain of Sand", "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll", "She's Your Lover Now", "Blind Willie McTell", "Something There Is About You", and the more common ones like "Blowin' in the Wind", "Like a Rolling Stone", "Idiot Wind", "Maggie's Farm", "My Back Pages", etc.
I think The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol is one of the most powerful songs ever written and is just stunningly beautiful. Coming a close 2nd is Idiot Wind, then about 400 other songs that are also stunning.
Too many to list or just pick one...aside from those already mentioned, the version of You Ain't Going Nowhere from Greatest Hits II is great. "Genghis Khan & his brother Don...." Mighty Quinn's another good one, and Highway 61 (though I might like the Johnny Winter, or is it Edgar?, version better).
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You're Going To Make Me Lonesome When You Go. But yes there are waaayyyy toooo many great songs to just have one. I'm going to fill out my Rob Gordon Top 5 with: Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues Mr. Tambourine Man Lay Lady Lay Dear Landlord
Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvBkbPEoeAI Bob Dylan - Knockin' On Heaven's Door http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2feoIM9baI Hurricane - Bob Dylan <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EotM7FH8uQg&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EotM7FH8uQg&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
Like most people, my favorite changes over time. Idiot Wind and Don't Think Twice will always be favorites. Also, One More Cup of Coffee and Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.
Too many to choose from and the answer changes with how I feel, but here are my perennial favorites: It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) Tangled Up In Blue Idiot Wind Masters of War Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Positively 4th Street. This lyric really speaks to me. I've quoted it here several times. You got a lotta nerve To say you are my friend When I was down You just stood there grinning You got a lotta nerve To say you got a helping hand to lend You just want to be on The side that's winning You say I let you down You know it's not like that If you're so hurt Why then don't you show it You say you lost your faith But that's not where it's at You had no faith to lose And you know it I know the reason That you talk behind my back I used to be among the crowd You're in with Do you take me for such a fool To think I'd make contact With the one who tries to hide What he don't know to begin with You see me on the street You always act surprised You say, "How are you?" "Good luck" But you don't mean it When you know as well as me You'd rather see me paralyzed Why don't you just come out once And scream it No, I do not feel that good When I see the heartbreaks you embrace If I was a master thief Perhaps I'd rob them And now I know you're dissatisfied With your position and your place Don't you understand It's not my problem I wish that for just one time You could stand inside my shoes And just for that one moment I could be you 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
Tangled up in Blue, the version from Blood on the Tracks, but also the one on The basement Tapes. another fav, although i don't care for Dylan's version so much, is You Ain't Going Nowhere. The Sweetheart era Byrds cover is great, but i prefer the version from Will The Circle Be Unbroken V2, with Roger McGuinn leading the Dirt Band and Chris Hillman, which come to think of it, ain't too far from the Parker-led Byrds.
Tangled Up In Blue Mississippi (my favorite of his newer stuff) I Shall Be Released Blowin' in the Wind (does it get more poignant?) And I'll always have a soft spot for Knockin' on Heaven's Door, the first song I ever learned to play on guitar.
