Bob Dylan doesn’t collaborate with other musicians often. That being said, Dylan’s few collaborations through the years have always been stellar partnerships. And Bob Dylan once collaborated with none other than famed actor Harry Dean Stanton.
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The collaboration took place back in 1989 during a live performance in Los Angeles with the assistance of singer/songwriter (and Dylan’s son-in-law) Peter Himmelman. The pair joined forces with Himmelman for a gorgeous rendition of the Jewish traditional “Hava Nagila”. You can watch the performance below:
Bob Dylan and Harry Dean Stanton Were a Match Made in Heaven for This Religious Tune
The performance in question comes from a telethon that the musicians and actor were part of during the Chabad 25th Anniversary. Stanton and Himmelman provided some classy vocals to the song, complete with acoustic guitars. Dylan whipped out his iconic mouth organ to add some sunshine to the tune.
For those who don’t know, “Hava Nagila” is an Israeli folk tune traditionally sung in Hebrew. It’s a standard song for Jewish gatherings, such as weddings. It was originally composed in the early 20th century following the Balfour Declaration. The song has since become a popular song among Jewish families.
“Hava Nagila” translates (roughly) to “let us rejoice”, and that’s precisely what the trio did in this unique rendition of the song. Their cover is particularly joyful, and the audience couldn’t help but clap along.
Bob Dylan’s Relationship With Religious Music
It’s not exactly surprising that Bob Dylan and Harry Dean Stanton performed this traditional Jewish tune back in 1989. Dylan was born to a Jewish family in Duluth, Minnesota. Though he quite publically explored religion a few times through the years, Judaism (or Abrahamic religions as an ethos) appears to still be a part of his life.
“I read the scriptures a lot, meditate and pray, light candles in church,” Dylan once said back in 2022. “I believe in damnation and salvation as well as predestination. The Five Books of Moses, Pauline Epistles, Invocation of the Saints, all of it.”
Dylan hasn’t performed much in the way of Jewish music through the years, but he still performs songs from his Christian era. Namely, he released a few gospel albums through the years including Slow Train Coming from 1979, Saved from 1980, and Shot Of Love from 1981.
Photo by The Denver Post via Getty Images
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