Highway 61 Revisited

The story behind

The song Highway 61 Revisited, which gives its title to Bob Dylan's 1965 album, was originally released as the B-side of the single Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? on December 21 of that same year. What makes it so particular is how it weaves stories in each of its five verses, where characters face a dilemma that, in some way, is resolved upon reaching the mythical Highway 61. This route, which connects Duluth, Minnesota, the place where Dylan grew up, with New Orleans, was a vital path for many African Americans heading north. In the first part, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, citing Genesis, and instructs him to do so on this highway. Then, a man named Georgia Sam, without receiving help, is directed towards Highway 61. Later, Mack the Finger, with his colorful shoelaces and silent phones, is instructed by Louie the King to get rid of everything on the same route. The fourth verse brings together a "second mother" and a "seventh son" on Highway 61, and the last narrates the story of a gambler seeking to start a world war, receiving advice to put bleachers in the sun, also on Highway 61. Throughout the song, a pause is perceived in the verses, as if Dylan were waiting for the events of the story to unfold. Additionally, at the beginning, between verses, and at the end, a police siren sound effect, created by Al Kooper, can be heard. This track, which Dylan composed, marked a turning point in his career by fusing rock music with complex and literary lyrics, influenced by surrealist imagery, moving away from the protest folk that had made him known with songs like Blowin' in the Wind. Rolling Stone magazine recognized it in 2004, including it in its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, at position 364. The track's duration is 3:15.