Bob Dylan’s songs have been interpreted by artists across several genres including country, folk, and heavy metal. With 40 studio albums under his belt, he released enough songs to inspire generations of artists from across the genre spectrum and around the world.
Videos by American Songwriter
The list of artists that covered Dylan’s songs is almost as varied discography is deep. Today, we’re going to take a look at four country artists who interpreted his work over the years.
[RELATED: Top 10 Covers of Bob Dylan Songs]
1. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Waylon Jennings
Few songs from Bob Dylan’s catalog have spawned more country covers than “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right.” Many artists have put their spin on the song including Waylon Jennings.
Dylan first recorded the song for his 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and released it as the B-side to “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Jennings recorded it for his 1970 album Don’t Think Twice along with another Dylan cover, “I Don’t Believe You.” The album pre-dated the Outlaw Country era by a few years but you can hear the beginnings of the iconic sound in this recording.
2. “Make You Feel My Love” by Garth Brooks
Several country artists have released covers of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.” However, none saw as much success with the song as Garth Brooks.
Dylan wrote “Make You Feel My Love” and released it on his 1997 album Time Out of Mind. The song has gone on to become a standard, inspiring hundreds of covers. Brooks recorded his cover of the songs for the 1998 film Hope Floats. His rendition of the song went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and earned a pair of Grammy nominations for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song.
3. “The Times They Are A-Changin’” by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band enlisted an army of country and Americana artists for their cover of Bob Dylan’s classic “The Times They Are A-Changin’” for their 2022 album Dirt Does Dylan. The track features Rosanne Cash, Jason Isbell, The War and Treaty, and Steve Earle.
Dylan wrote the song and used it as the title track from his 1964 album. Inspired by Scottish and Irish ballads, it was his attempt to create an anthem of societal change for the turbulent times experienced by all in the ’60s.
4. “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bobby Bare
Country legend released two covers of this Bob Dylan classic in the ‘60s. First, he included it on his 1965 album Constant Sorrow. Then, three years later, he recorded it a second time for his 1968 album Folsom Prison Blues.
Dylan released the classic protest song as a single from The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Hailed as one of the greatest songs of all time, it poses several questions about war and peace that are unfortunately as relevant today as they were when he wrote the song in the early ‘60s.
Featured Image by Cynthia Johnson/Liaison via Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.