The songs that Bob wrote and has never played in concert

By Tony Attwood

Previously in this series

• The series we should never forget: The album covers
• The series we should never forget: Songs Bob played just once or twice 
• The series of articles we should never forget  – “I contain multitudes”

Untold Dylan has been running for 17 years, and from time to time, people write to me suggesting we take a look at this or that issue in Bob’s work.  And indeed quite often I’m moved to say “What a great idea” although sometimes I find myself replying, “Actually, we’ve done that.”   I don’t mean that last point as a criticism but rather in recognition that it’s pretty hard to remember all that has gone on in a site, when it has been running that long and been publishing an article most days.  Indeed, I must admit, I’ve been the publisher all the way through, and sometimes I forget what we’ve done.

So I went back and just picked out a few series that seemed to me to be a little out of the ordinary, and worth another look, for anyone who has forgotten what we did before, or maybe just wasn’t following the site at the time.

And then it struck me how far we have already gone in our selection of songs in our 11 episodes from the songs Bob selected for the Philosophy of Modern Songs book.

Which then made me think, perhaps as a supplement or maybe as a contrast to the Dylan’s favourite songs series, I’d contrast that series (details below) with the songs we have covered in the “Philosophy of Modern Song series” the most recent of which complete with an index to all the songs we’ve covered so far is here.

But of course, the subjects of the two collections are quite different – Bob selected the modern songs for the philosophy book to reveal to us what the songs were about.   My earlier selection, listed below, was not published by Bob but was based on my own understanding of the songs he liked.   And quite possibly I got it all completely wrong.   Well, most of it anyway.

But there is a point here: what has influenced Bob Dylan in his songwriting?   I’d say obviously the music he has listened to and enjoyed, along with some that he simply enjoys and wants to perform.  But not necessarily every day events.

However, my thoughts then took a turn in a different direction, discovering an article about the songs that Bob put on the list of songs that he drew up before the concert, but then didn’t play.   Not only in that concert but in other concerts.

Now I think it is widely accepted that Bob, prior to the current tours which tend to be more fixed in their list of songs, would on occasion put down a song and then not play it.   And I’ve shown my interest in these with the series I did on the songs Dylan wrote but never performed.   It is around half of his entire catalogue.  It wasn’t a long series of songs but it’s out there, including “On the road again”, “Plain D”, “Motorcycle Nightmare”…

But out of this came the notion that Bob could actually list one or more songs from his list of compositions that he had never played previously, as possible songs for a particular gig, – and then still not play them!  That is, to say, the least a little bit bizarre.

The songs this wonderful piece of research lists (ie their research not mine) include a number of songs where the title is not written out completely, so it includes “Freight Train” presumably meaning “Freight Train Blues,” although it might also be “Freight Train running so fast”!!!

Of course, many of the entries are totally clear.  “Desolation” for example, is hardly likely to be anything other than the song we all know.

The whole approach of having a play list and then alternatives within it is fascinating and of course exactly the opposite of what most bands do, where not only do they have the play listed absolutely sorted before the evening starts, but it tends to be the same play list most nights, unless there is some specific link between the town where the band is playing and a particular song.

But it also emphasises Bob’s extraordinary ability with remembering lyrics, which of course, many have commented on in the past.  I know that in my days performing (at a very modest level, I must point out once again I often had problems even with the songs I had rehearsed for the evening; – Bob’s memory seems utterly extraordinary and quite simply on a different planet.

And I do find a lot of this utterly fascinating – like why he record two versions of Alberta but never play either of them but put them on the album?  I mean, imagine if Bob had done his show and sung what we all thought was going to be the last song, and then just stood there and played Alberta.

Or if he really wanted to get everyone worked up in debates after the show, how about ending with Dirge, before walking off.  What on earth would we make of that?

Of course, the point is that we don’t have to associate any meaning with the songs that Bob chooses to play.   But equally, of course, numerous commentators will want to find a meaning within the selections just as they want to find meanings in the lyrics which perhaps are not always there..

And I sometimes wonder if Bob doesn’t have quite a laugh at some of our wilder suppositions as we try and work out exctly what is going on.  Still at least we do have a bit of an idea about the songs he likes.

• Bob Dylan’s favourite songs: Death of an Unpopular Poet
• Bob Dylan’s favourite songs 2: Shadows
• Dylan’s favourite songs 3: ‘Desperado Under the Eaves’
• Dylan’s favourite songs 4: Randy Newman: Sail Away
• Dylan’s favourite songs 5: Sam Stone
• Dylan’s favourite songs 6:  He Went to Paris’
• Bob Dylan’s favourite songs 7: Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot)
• Bob Dylan’s favourite songs 8: “Burn down the cornfield”
• Bob Dylan’s favourite songs 9: Donald and Lydia
• Bob Dylan’s favourite songs No 10: “If you could read my mind”. Don’t dig too far.
• Bobs favourite songs: Boom Boom Mancini’