How did The Byrds make ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ famous before Bob Dylan?
It feels like it could be the 1960s all over again with how much people continuously talk about Bob Dylan. The biopic, A Complete Unknown, is currently in cinemas and garnering mixed reviews. Meanwhile, some of his handwritten lyrics have just sold at auction for an eye-watering $508,000.
The lyrics were to Dylan’s 1965 track ‘Mr Tambourine Man’. It’s undoubtedly one of the musician’s most famous, as, despite its stripped-back nature, the narrative contained within has continued to elude listeners ever since it first hit the airwaves. People still debate over the subject of the song, whether it’s a critique of unwavering fandom or a ballad about drug use.
There is certainly a hint of obsession laced throughout the track, as Dylan writes about the “Tambourine Man” and his music, which he has become completely obsessed with. The lyrics border on psychedelic as he talks about a fictional musician he feels somewhat indebted to.
“Take me for a trip upon your magic swirling ship” and “Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind” are some of the lyrics that lead people to question whether the musician is used as a metaphor for drugs. In typical Dylan fashion, the song has never received a specific explanation; however, one fan can now ponder over the lyrics repeatedly as multiple original drafts were recently sold.
The lyrics are typewritten and show some of the early drafts of the song; on the margin of the type-written lyrics is Dylan’s handwriting as he makes amendments and adds notes about how certain words should be sung. They were sold at an auction in California for $508,000, along with other Bob Dylan memorabilia.
The origin of the song ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ is just as much of a mystery as its meaning. It’s unknown where Dylan initially started writing the track, as Judy Collins claims she remembers hearing Dylan write the song at a party at Al Grossman’s home in Woodstock. “It was late night, and I heard him singing,” she said. “So I left my room and sat on the stairs by myself, listening to him write the song. What a magical moment!”
However, it is also believed that Bob Dylan officially wrote the lyrics at the house of journalist Al Aronowitz. Aronowitz was the person who found the first drafts of ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ in his bin and smiled as he gazed upon the plethora of false starts and dismissed lines that made their way throughout the song’s creation.
“I took the crumpled sheets, smoothed them out, read the crazy leaping lines, smiled to myself at the leaps that never landed and then put the sheets into a file folder,” he said when talking about the recently sold lyrics.
What is arguably most interesting about this elusive Dylan number, however, is that a song so intrinsically linked to him wasn’t originally made famous by him. While Dylan initially wrote and recorded the song, it first entered the charts under The Byrds, who had managed to learn the song after being given a copy of the demo by their manager, Jim Dickson.
Both songs were released within weeks of one another. Bob Dylan’s version came out on March 22nd, along with his album Bringing It All Back Home, while The Byrds released their rendition on April 12th. It could be the case that because Dylan’s version was buried within an album, while The Byrds released the song as a single, explains why their version became so much more famous, or it could be because music was becoming much more band-orientated and The Byrds version of the song had a fuller sound. Regardless, Dylan’s stands the test of time, but both songs are exceptional pieces of music.
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