Dear Landlord
| "Dear Landlord" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Bob Dylan | |
| from the album John Wesley Harding | |
| Released | December 27, 1967 |
| Recorded | November 29, 1967 |
| Studio | Columbia Recording Studios |
| Venue | Nashville |
| Genre | Blues |
| Length | 3:19[1] |
| Label | Columbia Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Dylan |
| Producer(s) | Bob Johnston |
"Dear Landlord" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was recorded on November 29, 1967 at Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville, produced by Bob Johnston. The song was released on Dylan's album John Wesley Harding on 27 December 1967. It is a piano blues that has been interpeted as an address to his then-manager Albert Grossman.
Background and recording
The song is a piano blues[1] and was his first piano song since "Ballad of a Thin Man" (1965).[2] It was the last song recorded for John Wesley Harding.[1]
Composition and lyrical interpretation
The song's lyric "Please don't put a price on my soul" has been interpreted as a plea to his manager Albert Grossman, who was also his landlord at the time, or perhaps to his audience.[2] In 1971, Dylan said that he did not have Grossman in mind when composing the song, but "only later when people ponted out that the song may have been written for Grossman I thought it could have been ... it's an abstact song."[1]
Critical reception
In Crawdaddy (May 1968), Jon Landau praised the song, although its target was unclear, for having "No reliance on exagggerated mannerisms but a simple and direct statement", and noted that the "melodic structure of the song is one of the most sophisticated Dylan has ever devised".[2]: 130
Live performances
As of April 2022, Dylan had performed "Dear Landlord" live six times. He first played the song live on October 25, 1992, and most recently included it for a short time in his live sets in 2003.[2][1][4]
Personnel
The personnel for the November 29, 1967 recordings at Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville, are listed below.[1]
Musicians
- Bob Dylan – vocals, piano
- Charlie McCoy – bass
- Kenneth Buttrey – drums
Technical
- Bob Johnston – production
- Charlie Bragg – engineering
Official releases
- John Wesley Harding (released 1967)[1]
- Biograph (released 1985)
- The Original Mono Recordings (released 2010)
Cover versions
The song was covered by Joan Baez on her album Any Day Now in 1968, and appeared on 1960 albums by Janis Joplin (I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!) and Joe Cocker (Joe Cocker!). [1]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Margotin, Philippe; Guedson, Jean-Michel (2015). Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers. p. 294. ISBN 978-1579129859.
- ^ a b c d Trager, Oliver (2004). Keys to the rain: the definitive Bob Dylan encyclopedia. New York: Billboard Books. pp. 129–130. ISBN 0823079740.
- ^ Heylin, Clinton (1995). Revolution in the Air – the songs of Bob Dylan Vol.1 1957–73. Constable & Robinson. pp. 132–136. ISBN 9781849012966.
- ^ "Setlists that contain Dear Landlord". bobdylan.com. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Paul (2004). Bob Dylan, performing artist: the early years, 1960–1973. London: Omnibus Press. p. 18. ISBN 1844490955.
External links
- Lyrics to "Dear Landlord" at Bob Dylan's official website.
Category:Songs written by Bob Dylan Category:Bob Dylan songs Category:1967 songs