Dylan songs so rarely played: Dink’s Song

We have in the past looked at – or perhaps I should say listened to – songs Bob has written but then never played, or maybe played just once, in concert.  There has also been a series on this site called “Once or Twice” in which I think the title gives away what was in each article.  Which led me to look at the songs that Bob had played three times

This is interesting because the three performances stretched between 30 September 1961 and 15 May 1976.  Wat, I wonder, brought the song back to Bob’s mind and made him put it into his concert each time.

The performance of the song also makes me wonder about Bob’s memory for lyrics.  Could he really remember the lyrics across a 15 year period, or did he prepare himself by looking the lyrics up.

And come to that did someone close to Bob suggest the song – or maybe did one of the band play the song in a rehearsal and Bob picked up on it.   Of course we are unlikely to know – there could even be a radio station somewhere that specialises in playing folk songs like this.

Of course none of this really matters, for we have a recording of Bob singing the song, and if he never performs it again it is there.   But if you have any idea what can suddenly turn Bob back to a song, I’d love to know.

I’ve put a list of the songs performed just three times below – a list dervied from the official site, but if you know or any others that somehow have slipped off the list, do let me know.   I have no idea if anything links these songs, but I’ll have a flip through them and see if I can find anything.

• Precious Memories  
• Shenandoah
• Walls of Red Wing
• When the Ship Comes in
• Eternal Circle
• Ragged & Dirty
• Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance
• It’s All Good
• Ain’t No Man Righteous, No Not One
• Will The Circle Be Unbroken
• Fever
• See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
• Let It Be Me
• Dink’s Song