Remember When Bob Dylan Released a Trilogy of Religious Records?

Bob Dylan is known for his thought-provoking songs. Dylan is also known for tackling deep subjects instead of the simple pop songs that dominated the charts at the peak of his career. But Dylan made a surprising move in 1979 when he released Slow Train Coming. The record is the first of three Dylan albums, part of a trilogy about his religious beliefs. 

After Slow Train Coming, Dylan released Saved in 1980, followed by Shot Of Love in 1981. When Dylan began what became a trilogy with Slow Train Coming, it was his way of sharing his own personal beliefs through his music.

“If someone really wants to know, I can explain it to them,” Dylan tells The Washington Post. “But there are other people who can do it just as well. I don’t feel compelled to do it. I was doing a bit of that last year on the stage.”

Dylan goes on to say performing the songs was important for him then, but not for his entire career.

“I was saying stuff I figured people needed to know,” Dylan adds. “I thought I was giving people an idea of what was behind the songs, [but] I don’t think it’s necessary anymore.”

What Bob Dylan Says About ‘Shot Of Love’

“Shot Of Love“, the title track of the final of the three records, became a Top 40 single, only the second one from the trilogy. But it’s “Shot Of Love” that Dylan says is the most meaningful to him. It also happens to be the most personal.

“The purpose of music is to elevate and inspire the spirit,” Dylan explains. “To those who care where Bob Dylan is at, they should listen to ‘Shot Of Love’. It’s my most perfect song. It defines where I am spiritually, musically, romantically, and whatever else. It shows where my sympathies lie. It’s all there in that one song.”

After “Shot Of Love”, Dylan didn’t even return to the Top 40 until 1985, with “Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)”. The Shot Of Love record also includes “Heart Of Mine”. Although the song was released as a single, “Heart Of Mine” did not chart at radio.

“Heart Of Mine” is still noteworthy, however. The Beatles’ Ringo Starr plays drums on the track. “Heart Of Mine” has since been covered multiple times, including by Norah Jones and Peter Malick for New York City, a record they released in 2003.

The trilogy of religious projects was not a massive commercial success for Dylan. Still, he did win a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, for the title track of “Gotta Serve Somebody”. Both Saved and Shot Of Love also received Grammy nominations.

Photo by Peter Noble/Redferns