The Bob Dylan song that changed so much it was never released: “Frustration sets in”
Songs found, not written. Four words, but a pretty accurate way to describe a lot of the beautiful music that Bob Dylan rolled out over the years.
When Bob Dylan first picked up a guitar, he wasn’t exactly in with the in-crowd. Music was his refuge, and he clung to it, churning out covers of the songs that had given him some sort of comfort. One name loomed large for him: Woody Guthrie. Dylan was obsessed (properly obsessed), and when he finally rocked up in New York, he made sure his very first gig was a full-on tribute to his musical hero.
“[I’ve] been travelin’ the country, followin’ in Woody Guthrie’s footsteps,” said Dylan, about to perform his music in a city he would call home, in front of an unsuspecting crowd completely unaware of what they were about to be subject to.
He wasn’t writing a lot of his own music during this period, and instead made a name for himself playing the work of others. People liked him, but his true potential wasn’t properly realised until he put pen to paper and started releasing his own music. His approach to songwriting was something that well and truly took the world by storm, as they connected with his deeply personal lyricism, so much so that he knocked the Beatles from the top of the charts during the hype of Beatlemania.
“The floodgates opened until the summer of ‘65,” said Steve Van Zandt when discussing the British Invasion and how the Beatles paved the way for multiple overseas acts to make a name for themselves in the US. It wasn’t until the musical recluse and creative genius Bob Dylan stepped into frame that Americans started to top the charts once again. “When the Americans took the charts back with the folk rock of The Byrds and Bob Dylan,” said Van Zandt.
What was it that made people flock to the work of Bob Dylan so much? There are plenty of factors, be it his unique vocal tone, mastery over rhythm or general mystery; however, one of the universal aspects of music that people adored (and still do) is his lyricism. Bob Dylan’s lyrics were more than a catchy chorus and empty themes. With every single track, he gave the public a piece of himself, as songs represented his emotions, his thoughts, opinions, and acted as a reflection of not only himself but the country he called home.
Bob Dylan was always his own harshest critic, which is probably why his output stayed at such a ridiculously high level. But the flip side of that was loads of tunes that fans would’ve absolutely lapped up never even saw the light of day. If he wasn’t proud of it, or didn’t feel a proper connection to it, he’d bin it – no second thoughts. Case in point: ‘Caribbean Wind’ got shelved before it ever left the studio.
The issue lay in Dylan’s constant revisions of the song. It wasn’t unusual for Dylan to revisit and revise his music; however, usually when he did this, he would come back with more clarity over what a song is about. That never happened with ‘Caribbean Wind’, instead, the song changed shape, the meaning became convoluted, and it meant the song that Dylan recorded didn’t really represent any specific aspect of him.
“I couldn’t quite grasp what [‘Caribbean Wind’] was about, after I finished it,” said Dylan. “Sometimes you write something to be very inspired, and you won’t quite finish it for one reason or another. Then you’ll go back and try and pick it up, and the inspiration is just gone. Either you get it all, and you can leave a few little pieces to fill in, or you’re trying always to finish it off. Then it’s a struggle”.
Concluding, “The inspiration’s gone and you can’t remember why you started it in the first place. Frustration sets in.”
Never Miss A Tale
The Far Out Bob Dylan Newsletter
All the latest stories about Bob Dylan from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.