When you listen to Bob Dylan’s music, do you separate the voice from the words, or do you take it all as one? Personally, we take it in as one, as we believe Dylan’s unique voice supplements the poetic gymnastics and philosophical dives taking place within his lyrics. However, we also understand if you have certain gripes with his voice. Well, if you are one of those people, here are three times artists covered Bob Dylan—any may have done it better.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Susan Tedeschi
The staple of Dylan’s voice is the gravely and nasal tone, which is not the staple of Susan Tedeschi, as she sings with a pristine bluesy quality, and that is what she brings to the cover of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”.
Released in 2002, Tedeschi strongly juxtaposes Dylan’s musical style on this track. Without the lyrics and the loose resemblance of the melody, it might be difficult to identify Tedeschi’s version as the same song. Day and night, and I don’t mean that lightly.
“Tomorrow Is A Long Time” by Elvis Presley
Bob Dylan’s “Tomorrow Is A Long Time” isn’t one of his more popular tracks, so it is rather surprising that Elvis Presley decided to cover it. Regarding the cover, Dylan once said, “Elvis Presley recorded a song of mine. That’s the one recording I treasure the most,” via Rolling Stone.
Like Tedeschi’s version, Elvis Presley makes this song entirely his own. However, doesn’t every song that Elvis covered belong to him? Given that it doesn’t sound like a traditional Elvis single, it shows us a new side to Elvis, a new side that only Dylan lyrics could seemingly reveal.
“Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind” by George Harrison
To devout disciples of 1960s music, it is fairly common knowledge that George Harrison was a huge fan of Dylan’s. Well, apart from quotes, another way in which this affinity materialized is when Harrison covered “Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind”. Officially released in 2012, Harrison recorded this track during the iconic Get Back sessions, which, in a way, foreshadowed his fruitful solo career.
In the song, Harrison preserves the same melancholy that Dylan cultivated, but in a softer way. Dylan’s rendition is harsh, and that is certainly a product of his voice, but Harrison’s is rounded, which in turn lines the song in a romantic, sympathetic contemplation.
Photo by Luciano Viti/Getty Images
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