Songs You Need To Hear: Lucy Kaplansky, “Every Grain Of Sand”

Videos by American Songwriter

This weekend I was in a “head shop” in Woodstock, New York, where I heard a striking cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me, Babe” come over the stereo, making me stop and take notice. The guitar arrangement was original, and the singer’s voice suited the song’s weary tone perfectly. The store owner jotted down the singer’s name on a piece of paper. As it turns out, the track comes from the Bob Dylan tribute album A Nod To Bob, and was performed by veteran folk artist Lucy Kaplansky.

For A Nod To Bob 2, out now on Red House Records, Kaplansky chooses another Dylan cover — “Every Grain of Sand,” the poignant Shot Of Love track which in 1981 showed fans that Dylan still had it going on in the lyric department. It was recently named one of Rolling Stone’s Top 10 Dylan songs.

The new tribute album, celebrating Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday, features John Gorka, Hot Tuna, Pieta Brown, and Cliff Eberhardt, to name a few. Listen to Kaplansky work her magic on “Every Grain Of Sand” below.


Every Grain Of Sand

4 Comments

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  1. Shot of Love is a great record. With all the hoopla about Dylan, too many of his records have been overlooked, misunderstood or trashed. I take Dylan song by song; he’s not summed up in one album. The other day some guy just totally dismissed Empire Burlesgue. Clean Cut Kid was already coverd by U2 I think. Dark Eyes is one of Dylan’s best songs. I’ll Remember You, and Trust Yourself are amazing songs. As is When the Night Comes Falling. I’ve seen him do it live. And the way ignorant people still trash SelfPortrait is amazing. It is in many ways where he was headed. His radio show is self portrait. Good as I’ve been to You is self portrait. Much of the last few records are self portrait. And I wish/hope journalists would stop using the word “icon.” Everybody is an icon today. No, the Ikon is the Black Madonna. If you even know what I’m talking about. sounds like a good record.

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