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Like a Rolling Stone
Bob Dylan
Dylan was already a controversial figure by the time this classic was released. The previous year he had shocked folk purists with his conversion to the electric guitar and he recorded this song with a full |  Song facts | | Composer | Bob Dylan | | | Genre | Rock | | | Album | Highway 61 Revisited | | | Released | 1965 | | | UK Chart Position | 4 |
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rock band. However it was session musician Al Kooper who made the most telling contribution to the track. Kooper was there merely to watch but when Dylan decided a second organist was needed he bluffed his way into the job and improvised a swirling, circular melody on the Hammond. Dylan loved it and boosted it up in the mix.
Dylan’s vocals are also pushed up high in the production, emphasizing the importance of the biting lyrics, which were taken from a 24-page short story he’d written about a society girl who has fallen on hard times.
The finished result revolutionised music in a way that few other songs have ever done. At over six minutes it broke down barriers on the notoriously time-conscious commercial radio and it proved that complex, intricate lyrics were no barrier to success. Folkies may have been outraged but it remains Dylan’s biggest hit.
Other versions | |
 Michael Bolton puts his own spin on the song on his album Timeless, which also featured the musical mulleteer attacking an entire raft of pop classics, including 'Whiter Shade of Pale' and 'Try and Little Tenderness'.
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Songwriting tips Dylan's lyrics have been the subject of endless debate. How do you get inspiration for words? Find out more at our lyrics guide.
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