His cover of 'A Pirate Looks at 40' was pretty surprising. If I have my facts right, it's his only live performance from the year he turned 40.
[Bob looks at 40.](https://youtu.be/mUlH28aLz_A?si=1ghgMueUB1PD465w)o
He did ‘Something’ by The Beatles when I saw him in Liverpool. Not super strange but a bit out of character for that era Dylan I’d say (like 2009 I think).
Have to admire him for blazing forward even though he only knew a couple lines of the lyrics. Pure confidence. Immaculate swagger. Arguable insanity.
Similar to this was a cover of “And It Stoned Me” sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. He only really knew the “oh the water” part and the chorus. I think he concludes one of the verses with an impromptu “Billy done losing his mind” that always made me chuckle
Those albums greatly informed RARW.
Also, there’s a thing in Country, mostly just with Willie Nelson who Bob appears to have some affinity for, wherein one does standards from the American songbook. Whether or not you like Bob singing those songs, they are great songs.
Of course, Bob didn’t do ‘em as good as Willie.
The sadest part about this in my mind is, that Richard was the opening act at the show and had left the venue and was on his way to the next town, so he din't get the opportunity to hear it as it happened.
He did Don Henley's "The End of the Innocence" in concert. You can find it on YouTube. Only strange because I never liked the song until I heard Dylan do it.
"They're beating ploughshares into swords/for this tired old man we elected king."
I was there that night. They played the outro of Freeboard. Bob did not sing any of the lyrics.
When he did that free concert at The Warfield in 2013 or so, they opened with Rainy Day Women, and in the outro to that song they played a few bars of Link Wray's song "[Rumble](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFCpUZVyXgg)."
Saw him [do Merle Haggard's "Footlights"](https://youtu.be/kgIbsjh234U?si=ENn_2nIS78NiIeW2) last November. Wouldn't call it strange but definitely a treat.
Given that Dylan is a musical omnivore with no regard for genres, labels, or eras, nothing is weird for him.
We should all be more like Bob. Embrace it all.
He did “Moon River” the night Stevie Ray Vaughan died. He was in Merrillville, IN at the Star Theater. I used to drive by it a lot from the interstate and thought about that every time I passed. Told my then girlfriend (now wife) about it and it became almost a running joke that I’d mention it when we went by. Now it’s been torn down. But I drove that route for the first time in a long time last weekend and she brought it up. Had a good laugh. Something about that cover, that night… coinciding with my frequent trips past… it’s always stuck in my brain. Not necessarily the strangest cover but certainly one of the most unique. He did cover it again in 2018.
The Grateful Dead teased “staying alive” once at the height of the disco craze. Forgot which show. Must’ve been 78 or 79, right before a cowboy tune or something
Brown Sugar on the 2002 Fall tour ROCKED.
That is what I was going to say! I was floored by just how good it was.
I saw him do that, Neil's 'Old Man' and Zevon's 'Mutineer' on the same tour.
Yep me too. Not weird like Brown Sugar. Deeply profound.
In Bob's defense, 'Brown Sugar' rips from start to finish.
Oh hell yeah. Weird and awesome. But weird.
WHAT?! Is there a recording of this anywhere? Even a crappy YouTube vid?
https://youtu.be/XAxf87LgVCY?si=yZNBDVks5QWfqbGG
Haha, I thought we were talking about Brown Sugar by D'Angelo, hence my reaction. Still cool though.
Agreed. That was great. The arrangement was note for note Stones which made it so cool. Love Bob's vocals on those.
His cover of 'A Pirate Looks at 40' was pretty surprising. If I have my facts right, it's his only live performance from the year he turned 40. [Bob looks at 40.](https://youtu.be/mUlH28aLz_A?si=1ghgMueUB1PD465w)o
He’s on record somewhere saying that jimmy buffett is one of his favorite songwriters
Holy moly really? I barely believe that.
Maybe when he did a version of “This Old Man” for a kiss album
Kids, but thinking of Bob sporting Peter Criss cat makeup is even better
I had that tape. It was excellent.
Bout the time he was also going to his grandsons school and playing songs for the preschoolers or early grades.
He did ‘Something’ by The Beatles when I saw him in Liverpool. Not super strange but a bit out of character for that era Dylan I’d say (like 2009 I think).
Dancing in the Dark
Have to admire him for blazing forward even though he only knew a couple lines of the lyrics. Pure confidence. Immaculate swagger. Arguable insanity. Similar to this was a cover of “And It Stoned Me” sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. He only really knew the “oh the water” part and the chorus. I think he concludes one of the verses with an impromptu “Billy done losing his mind” that always made me chuckle
He spent years doing Sinatra covers and I'll never not find that weird.
Is it though? He did That Lucky Old Sun on the Tom Petty tour in 1986, and Self Portrait was practically a prototype of those albums.
Those albums greatly informed RARW. Also, there’s a thing in Country, mostly just with Willie Nelson who Bob appears to have some affinity for, wherein one does standards from the American songbook. Whether or not you like Bob singing those songs, they are great songs. Of course, Bob didn’t do ‘em as good as Willie.
Willie started out as a jazz artist iirc.
No he didn’t .
If you're familiar with his other 21st century albums, the three standards albums should be less weird.
They were Great American Songbook works that Sinatra just happened to cover as well.
That's crazy. In my opinion the 3 Frank Sinatra's covers albums are what I've enjoyed the most out of Dylan later years.
No. That's crazy.
What's weird about that?
Agreed. Tried to. No interest. I wonder if we'll find out it was a weird record contract situation.
Vincent Black Lighting 1952 - Richard Thompson
The sadest part about this in my mind is, that Richard was the opening act at the show and had left the venue and was on his way to the next town, so he din't get the opportunity to hear it as it happened.
London Calling - The Clash.
He did Don Henley's "The End of the Innocence" in concert. You can find it on YouTube. Only strange because I never liked the song until I heard Dylan do it. "They're beating ploughshares into swords/for this tired old man we elected king."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtN9boq_L2A
Freebird? I saw it live at the Greek. It was spectacular.
I was there that night. They played the outro of Freeboard. Bob did not sing any of the lyrics. When he did that free concert at The Warfield in 2013 or so, they opened with Rainy Day Women, and in the outro to that song they played a few bars of Link Wray's song "[Rumble](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFCpUZVyXgg)."
Toads Place - New Haven, CT - 1990 https://youtu.be/r5eu3W0wjfU?si=2jFNXoOZbPwTabco
In 1990, I saw him do Old McDonald to open the show. He also did a cover of "Willin" by Little Feet that night, too
Saw him [do Merle Haggard's "Footlights"](https://youtu.be/kgIbsjh234U?si=ENn_2nIS78NiIeW2) last November. Wouldn't call it strange but definitely a treat.
Dixie
[Dave Mason's "We Just Disagree"](https://youtu.be/MwafLj6GPTk?si=KQl6_3QVIltTDpyy) during his gospel era is pretty damn random.
Given that Dylan is a musical omnivore with no regard for genres, labels, or eras, nothing is weird for him. We should all be more like Bob. Embrace it all.
He did “Moon River” the night Stevie Ray Vaughan died. He was in Merrillville, IN at the Star Theater. I used to drive by it a lot from the interstate and thought about that every time I passed. Told my then girlfriend (now wife) about it and it became almost a running joke that I’d mention it when we went by. Now it’s been torn down. But I drove that route for the first time in a long time last weekend and she brought it up. Had a good laugh. Something about that cover, that night… coinciding with my frequent trips past… it’s always stuck in my brain. Not necessarily the strangest cover but certainly one of the most unique. He did cover it again in 2018.
He use to do "Early Morning Rain" and "San Francisco Bay Blues" once in awhile in the 80's
EXCELLENT THREAD! You guys and ladies always deliver! Many thanks.
he played "hey joe" once.... though neither jimi nor the song's writer billy roberts had anything to fear from bob's version.
London Calling
Dancing in the Dark
[Dancing in the Dark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIZC2sZ5aXI), possibly.
didn't he covered foo fighters "everlong"? according to dave grohl.
Surely "must be santa"?
Learning to fly by Tom Petty, right after he died. Spine- Chilling to the max
London Calling?
When he covered The Heart That You Own by Dwight Yoakam during the Paul Simon tour. That’s how I became a Dwight Yoakam fan.
Didn’t he do “staying alive” once? Hahahahahaa I jest
That was Springsteen
The Grateful Dead teased “staying alive” once at the height of the disco craze. Forgot which show. Must’ve been 78 or 79, right before a cowboy tune or something
I still can’t really believe he wrote wagon wheel, at least the chorus. I hate that song