Leonard Cohen’s favourite Bob Dylan songs
Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan were kindred spirits, each infusing their music and lyrics with a literary quality that was unmatched by any of their peers. Both artists covered almost every element of the human experience in their discographies, from politics and protest to love and loss to religion and philosophy, delivered with poetic prowess and immersed in exquisite folk instrumentation.
Expectedly, there was a level of mutual respect between the two songwriters. When Dylan became the first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, his literary peer provided some fittingly eloquent comments, describing his win as “like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the highest mountain.” There seemed to be no animosity or competition between the two, just sheer admiration.
If there was anyone Cohen was willing to take second place to, it was Dylan. As he once recalled in a piece by the New Yorker: “Dylan says to me, ‘As far as I’m concerned, Leonard, you’re number one, I’m number zero.’ Meaning, as I understood it at the time – and I was not ready to dispute it – that his work was beyond measure and my work was pretty good.”
Dylan’s output certainly was beyond measure, and several of his tracks have made lists of Cohen’s favourite songs of all time. Between compilations, interviews, and his own words, the Canadian songwriter has provided his own music recommendations, often including his legendary folk peer.
In 2010, a compilation album was released titled Leonard Cohen’s Jukebox: The Songs That Inspired The Man. Amidst picks from fellow folk star Joan Baez and Beat poet Jack Kerouac, Dylan’s 1983 track ‘Jokerman’ made an appearance on the record. Between the religious and literary references that permeate the track, it’s no surprise that Cohen favoured ‘Jokerman’, but Dylan was less complimentary. “That’s a song that got away from me,” he once admitted to Song Talk.
Cohen also shared his love for Dylan while divulging some of his favourite songs in the book Leonard Cohen: In His Own Words by Jim Devlin. He mentioned one of Dylan’s most beloved tracks, the exquisite ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ from the iconic Blood on the Tracks and the lengthier, slightly more obscure ‘Brownsville Girl’.
With a duration that pushes into the double figures, the song represents Dylan’s capability for epic sonic storytelling. It follows Dylan and the titular girl from Brownsville as they venture around the world. A prolonged demonstration of the folk legend’s lyrical prowess, it’s fitting that Cohen considers the track to be one of his favourites.
Cohen’s picks seem to demonstrate his own interest in literary lyricism and his admiration for Dylan’s mastery of it. Despite Dylan’s claim, the pair were both beyond measure in that regard.
Find the playlist of Cohen’s favourite Dylan songs below.
Leonard Cohen’s favourite Bob Dylan songs:
- ‘Jokerman’
- ‘Tangled Up In Blue’
- ‘Brownsville Girl’
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