The Rare Interview Between Bob Dylan and Sam Shepard—”A Short Life of Trouble”

Sam Shepard’s interview turned one-act play with Bob Dylan is arguably one the best pieces of music journalism of all time. Though, it lurks in the shadows and the content hardly even pertains to Dylan’s music. Short Life of Trouble teeters on the line between fiction and non-fiction and covers expansive metaphysical themes through the vehicles of James Dean, Woody Guthrie, and Dylan’s early New York Years.

Originally published in 1987 by Esquire, Shepard went to Dylan’s home in California with a six-pack of beer, a tape recorder, and multiple notebooks. Seemingly with no specific intention in mind, the two had a casual conversation about ideas often deemed as the opposite. There really is no interviewer or subject. It is truly one of the most fascinating pieces of material in the Dylan canon.

Bob Dylan Wanted to Talk About Anything but His Music

For this not to become a book report, this article will spare you the details and segways between conversation points. If you want to know that badly—read the piece, it will be more than worth your while. Regardless and despite the lack of Shepard’s objective, when the interview begins Dylan takes hold of the conversation immediately.

Consequently, the two get off on a tangent about James Dean and his death on Paso Robles highway. The conversation spirals and ultimately concludes that “If he hadn’t’ve died there he wouldn’t’ve been James Dean,” said Dylan. Random, yes, but a very logical and philosophical point shedding light on the nuances of Bob Dylan’s psyche.

Once again, when Shepard tried to bring up his music, Dylan would quickly redirect the conversation. After another attempt to get to the “main” subject, the two settled in on talking about Dylan’s relationship with Woody Guthrie. With no end in mind, Shepard asked Dylan about Guthrie’s influence and if Dylan was near him upon his death. Dylan’s two responses—”Yeah. I heard his songs” and “Close.” Cryptic and ambiguous, just what everyone would expect from Dylan.

Closing Remarks of ‘Short Life of Trouble’

The interview/one-act play ends more like a play than it does an interview. As Shepard hardly does any talking and Dylan goes into a monologue about his death-defying motorcycle accident in Woodstock, New York.

Encompassing themes of fear, loathing, joy, and jubilance, Bob Dylan paints a detailed picture of what almost dying meant to him and what it did to him. The answer is something you could never guess, so you just have to take a read and deduce what the wordsmith has to say. There is truly nothing like this interview and hasn’t been ever since. It’s an invaluable piece of Dylan material as it gives you a lot of insight into who this man was, is, and is going to be.

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