It was announced earlier this year that Bob Dylan has written a separate tribute to more than 60 different songs for his upcoming book, The Philosophy of Modern Song. Now, the names of all 66 songs he wrote have been revealed, thanks to the publication of the table of contents page for the much-anticipated book, due out in early November via Simon & Schuster. (Read the full list below.)
It’s no surprise that classic songs written and/or recorded by American greats like Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Little Richard, and Towns van Zandt will be put up for consideration. Less expected, Dylan will turn to analyze songs like “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” by Cher, “Witchy Woman” for the Eagles, “CIA Man” by The Fugs, and “Come On-a My House” by Rosemary Clooney.
An announcement in March said the book would form a “master class in the art and craft of songwriting,” with Dylan “analyzing what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, showing how adding a single syllable can reduce song, and even explaining how bluegrass relates to heavy metal.” The ad further declared that while the articles “ostensibly relate to music, they are in fact reflections and reflections on the human condition.”
Some favorites play among the recording artists, if not necessarily the songwriters themselves. There are four songs associated with Elvis Presley (“Money Honey”, “Blue Moon” and “Viva Las Vegas”), and three songs made famous by Ray Charles (“Come Rain or Come Shine”, “I Got a Woman” and “You Don’t Know Me”). ”) and two Frank Sinatra catalogs (“Strangers in the Night,” “Without a Song”).
The oldest song on the list is Stephen Foster’s “Rudy Was a Lady,” written in 1849, followed by “The Whiffenpoof Song” from the early 20th century. Blues, R&B and hillbilly songs are from the first half of the 20th century in a big way. But the majority of the songs are from the 1950s through the 1970s, a golden age of rock, pop, soul and country music. He immerses himself in the punk era/new wave with Elvis Costello’s “Pump It Up” and Clash’s “London Calling.” The two most recent songs on the list are “It Doesn’t Hurt Anymore,” recorded by Regina Belle in 1989, and Warren Zevon’s “Dirty Life and Times,” from his 2003 farewell album “The Wind.”
One of the most surprising songs on the list might be the Eagles’ song “Witchy Woman” – a surprise if for no other reason. In a 2021 interview, Dylan cited three else Eagles songs as the group’s top hits: “New Kid in Town”, “Life in the Fast Lane” and “Pretty Maids in a Row” (the last of which “could be one of the best songs ever”). Dylan was asked about it in the interview because his song “Murder Most Foul” included the lines “Play Don Henley, Play Glenn Fry / Take it to the limit and let it pass.”
The chapter on “Pump It Up” might be interesting, as Costello freely admits that it was inspired in part by Dylan’s “underground homesick blues,” so it will be interesting to see if the religion is recognized as part of the tribute.
Below is a list of song titles that represent chapter titles in Dylan’s upcoming book. The artists most closely associated with each song are listed in parentheses. It remains to be decided whether Dylan will only consider Nina Simone’s original version of Don’t Let Me Get It Misunderstood, Animal Submission, or even Costello, for that matter. It’s probably Ernie K-Doe’s original record for “A Certain Girl” that he loves, but due to his affection for Warren Zevon, the artist’s latest cover version can be mentioned, as far as we know. There is still a lot to be revealed when Dylan’s articles are released to the public in November.
“Detroit City”
(Bobby Barry)
“pump it”
(Elvis Costello and attractions)
“without a song”
(Frank Sinatra)
“Take me out of this garden of evil”
(Jimmy and Oger)
“There stands the glass”
(Web Pierce)
“Wandering Gypsy Willie and I”
(Billy Joe Schaeffer)
“Kind of sweets called Tutti Frutti”
(Little Richard)
“honey money”
(Elvis Presley)
“jelly”
(World Health Organization)
“Jesse James”
(Harry McClintock)
“Poor little idiot”
(Ricky Nelson)
“Pancho and Lefty”
(Towns Van Zandt)
“claimant”
(Jackson Brown)
“Mac Knife”
(Bobby Darren)
“Whiffenpoof Song”
(Rudy Valley)
“you do not know me”
(Ray Charles)
“Confusion Ball”
(temptations)
“Toxic love”
(Johnny and Jack)
“Beyond the Sea”
(Bobby Darren)
“On the road again”
(Willie Nelson)
“If you don’t know me now”
(Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes)
“The Little White Cloud That Wept”
(Johnny Ray)
“El Paso”
(Marty Robbins)
Nelly was a lady.
(Stephen Foster)
‘Cheaper to keep’
(Johnny Taylor)
“I have a woman”
(Ray Charles)
“CIA Man”
(Void)
On the street where you live
(from “My Fair Lady”)
“Truckin”
(grateful dead)
“Ruby, are you crazy?”
(The Osborne Brothers)
“old violin”
(Johnny Bayshek)
“Volari”
(Domenico Modogno)
‘London calls’
(engagement)
“Your cheating heart”
(Hank Williams)
“Blue Bayou”
(Roy Orbison)
“Midnight Rider”
(The German Brothers Band)
Blue suede shoes
(Karl Perkins)
“my prayer”
(the dishes)
“Dirty Life and Times”
(Warren Zevon)
“Don’t hurt anymore”
(Regina Bell)
“Highway Key”
(Little Walter)
‘Everyone’s screaming’
(Moss Allison)
“war”
(Edwin Starr)
“big river”
(Johnny Cash)
“good feeling”
(Shirley and Lee)
“blue moon”
(Elvis Presley)
“Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves”
(cher)
“Keep my frying pans good and greasy”
(Uncle Dave McConne)
“Everything in the game”
(Tommy Edwards)
“a certain girl”
(Ernie K Doe)
“I’ve always been crazy”
(Waylon Jennings)
“Witchy Woman”
(the Eagles)
“Big Boss Man”
(Jimmy Reed)
“Longfoot Sally”
(Little Richard)
“Old and just in the way”
(Charlie Paul)
“black magic woman”
(Santana)
By the time I get to Phoenix
(Glen Campbell)
“come to my house”
(Rosemary Clooney)
“Don’t take your weapons into town.”
(Johnny Cash)
“Come rain or come shine”
(Ray Charles)
“Don’t let me be misunderstood”
(Nina Simone)
“Strangers in the Night”
(Frank Sinatra)
Viva Las Vegas
(Elvis Presley)
Saturday night at the cinema
Follow Favorite
“Waist Deep in Big Moody”
Follow Favorite
“when and where”
(Dion and Belmont)
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