Bob Dylan - Percy's song

[Nunatag1]

Very nice song!

[moonshineIX]

If only we had met in another life

[bth2458]

One of the great Dylan folk performances; pretty nimble fingerpicking and the harmonica breaks are memorable and locomotive-great traveling music.

[juanchinda]

Bob Dylan!!!! Años en compañia de Tú Espritualidad, de la dulsaina, de cuerdas en tu guitarra, letras de armonia, de paz sin limites, pero como Yo, luchaste con tu peor enemigo, que hoy por hoy hace de mi vida un emblema en algo que nos hace hermanos adictos, y que nuestra adiccion nos dio una fortaleza, de siempre perdonarnos y siempre en tus canciones vere la esperanza de vivir. Te recordare siempre Bob.

[mdumas43073]

Aside from the brilliance of the song itself, I think sequencing it immediately after "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" on the Biograph set was a masterstroke in its own right.

Two manslaughter cases, one of which was punished with unconscionable leniency and the other with unfathomable hardness. A perfect commentary on the capriciousness of what we all too politely term our "justice" system.

[Tur0o]

right on

[BaceBlack]

i love this song!

[kingelmo]

Yea She Does Go Look It Up Joan Baez - Percys Song It Was On The Movie "Dont Look Back" In This One I Cant Understand What Dylan Is Sayin And I Usually Understand Dylan Is Sayin But Joan Sings This Song Better

[kingelmo]

Haha Joan Baez Sing It Better

[GerryBolger]

i agree with u, usually her voice wrecks my head but she sings this better in 'Dont Look Back'.

[SATANBOT3000]

What's with all the thumbs downs on this comment? It's just an opinion.

[smokinbill]

didn't he copy this song from that other song 'wind and rain'. they sound the same, and the lyrics are pretty much exact.

[Kurfix]

3 simple accords for a great melody..it's great!

[FreddieMercuryfan]

Dont want to make you mad.. But it is 4 accords^^

D G A and Em^^

[mynillywita9milli]

@FreddieMercuryfan

c f g dm actually that is if you consider it without the capo

[werobanks]

but...he had it switched, to 'the wind and the rain'

[werobanks]

I first heard this sung by arlo guthrie.....sad song

[spanker43]

How can anyone caring for him say he doesn't communicate? Is there an artist who communicates more?

[seeitflyquickly]

bob dylan can't sell out he's beyond it

[elaikar5]

I learned this beautiful song on the piano many years ago. It is such a great song. That hamonica! Joan's version while Bob was on tour in England is on here. She's just supporting him while he's writing another gem! Haven't looked up Arlo's yet. It's probably here. His version is so different but beautiful, too. This is a tragic, haunting, beautiful song.

[ejnorton225]

Song's about fate

[VTguitar88]

Thanks so much for this. The sound quality is great, and this is such a heart-rending, under-appreciated song.

[Taggerung89]

I think it's only under-appreciated because it's not on his popular CD's. Good to see some other people who go to VT like Dylan as well. I saw someone near Newman wearing a Dylan shirt and I tried to say hey but I was walking in the other direction with some people. I made a Dylan shirt I'll be wearing around campus with the CD covers of Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 front and back respectively.

[justAnotherJapanese]

As long as you live in the States, you cannot say BD is not good to his fans.

Just look at him. He never gives up Never Ending Tour. In my opinon, it means a lot to his fans. However old he might be, he keeps releasing new songs.

I wish he would come to Japan.

[gatsby7000]

I tell you what, Dylan will never get too old for me. As long as someone will wheel him out onto a stage, I'll be there.

[lorielenamarie]

Can i fan, perhaps not rabid, tell me why Bob is so uncommunicative with his audience these days? In past footage, he Actually Does Interact, but today, nothing, nada. it feels terribly unfriendly and I wonder if someone can shed some light so I can be less judgemental of him! thanks!

[smokinbill]

he's old and doesn't give a fuck. He's given enough, leave him be.

[lorielenamarie]

don't get me wrong, I adore him. i know he always says things like "what is there to say to Cleveland," but at the same time reviews of his show so often comment that he seems so entirely detached from his audience. he needs the audience to do his show, i just don't get it.

[XRaylroad]

Well, Bob was never really close to his fans. I remember him saying: "Just because you like my music doesn't mean I owe you anything"

And somehow I can understand this attitude. Why should he care?

Anyways: Lovely song

[lorielenamarie]

Beautiful song! One of my favorites! Thinking of it in terms of "being close to one's fans" is interesting; i'd not thought of in that way before. I think he does care but he's just not particularly chatty perhaps. i suppose his stubborn refusal to address the audience is entirely in character; i still think it lacks a certain "grace" but whatever, his choice! He's got a long and varied "relationship" with his fans, and certainly i've not walked in his shoes (although I'd like to just once! : )

[fguy64s]

I agree with what XRayload says about Bob's relationship with his fans. I have gotten so much from his music over the years, If I had the chance to meet him I'm not sure I'd want to, I might be disappointed. I'm happy just to know him by his music.

[lorielenamarie]

i think his silence has kept him sane!

[intrepid110]

gd question. Maybe he needs to protect that fabulous gift of his from his own tendency to sell out, to be a whore for love.

[lorielenamarie]

what do you mean sell out??? ie how do you think he's sold out?

[seeitflyquickly]

i like how this song is about a falsely accused criminal, or at least one who..was accused of something that "could happen to anyone" and you're the judge, really, and it's not a big deal but why are you trying to rip bob dylan?

[PyroSky00]

I love the opening picture. I wanna blow it up 10X and put it on my wall.

[mashhawkeyehomer]

I agree. I was quite hesitant to use he superlative but I didn't want to be taken as a casual listener. "I'm a fan of Dylan." Just doesn't quite carry the same weight, to me. Sorry.

[pfgnyc85]

bob dylan is the best

[mashhawkeyehomer]

I'm the biggest Bob Dylan fan. But manta, while being American I would love to say that Bob Dylan is better than Mozart and the rest, I sadly must decline. Music is a cumulative effort. While the classical stuff isn't a direct influence on Broodin' Bobby-o here... well you get what I mean.

[XxBeatlesforeverxX]

Saying that anybody is the biggest fan of anything (and makes it sound like there aren't other number one fans all around. Because it is a shared spot) automatically leads me to believe that a person is not.

[88manta88]

I'm german and maybe in europe we had Mozart, Bach, Haydn etc...But there is nothing which can compete against Dylans lyrics.

What a great song

[pfgnyc85]

true

[pianofogel1]

love the fairport convention version!

[Sonnbrille]

ja die ist wirklich sehr schön...

[MARKGPL]

To this day, I still can't fathom how Dylan has this bottomless reservoir of brillant words / songs. Percy's Song may not be included in his most memorable works, but it's a beautiful song. He never sounded better.!

[jimmypagek26]

turn turn turn again

[clumsystrummer]

I swear this song haunted me for 20 plus years; I heard it once on the radio in the sixties then not again till I got his biograph box set. In the back of my mind I always wondered what was that Dylan tune with the repeated phrase, something like "turn turn turn" (or was it "time time time"?) -pretty happy when I rediscovered this gem. Thanks for posting

[DaveyBain82]

nice wee story there mate

[BiologyHouse]

The same thing happened to me. I was already a Dylan fan in 1967 (?) when I first heard this on an "outlaw" FM (KPPC?) station in LA area. It literally haunted me too until the biograph set came out.

[maida1982a]

Covered by Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny.

[shoebobs]

Great cover!

[variatingmule]

It's not a cover, Dylan wrote it.

[shoebobs]

I was replying to maida1982a's comment "Covered by Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny". I countered with "great cover!"...get it?

[geoinkazoo]

Man, nobody weaves a songspell like Bobby. Pick up your guitar, capo up 2 and begin in C. How about a D harp for more spirit? Playing along with Bob is one cool trip. Check out One To Many Mornings, same key. Peace.

[DaveyBain82]

is that the chords for this song?

[patrick14crf]

Salut man,

I am french and want to learn this fabulous song. I don't understand exactly what you wrote. Can you explain ?

[mseannicholas1977]

This was covered by Arlo Guthrie on the Washington County album .... I hate to say it but I like Arlo's version better.

[Sculledit]

But for the grace of God go (insert name here)

[Ermengarde11]

Why have I never heard this one? Maybe the many Dylan albums I once had just weren't enough! Shoulda had them all. so gentle, I like it.

[andystevens21]

this song holds such a special meaning to me....i love that about some songs....the lyrics don't matter....maybe it's the time and place...but, i come back to this song after years, and it always has that affect on me.....i'm contemplating "effect"....affect, right? either/or.....great song....cheers to you, dylan and elliott

[acrossthefloor1]

Dylan released this song over twenty years after he wrote this. Imagine being able discard such a masterpiece for twenty years!!

[gatsby7000]

in the film, Don't Look Back, Baez seems to mention that she would record it on her next album. she mentions this right after she sings the song, and she says it's beautiful. - i am wondering if Dylan considered it her song in some sense. i mean, maybe he felt he had given it to her....just a thought.

[anagn0risis]

No, Baez's comment concerns a different song, "Love is just a four letter word", which she starts singing at the very end of the clip. This is evident because she says that Bob has to finish it first - which he never did. Yet I'm pretty sure that she did record it.

[trvsimpson]

Yes, she certainly did. In fact, it got a good amount of radio play. When Dylan first heard it on the radio he supposedly said, "Hey, this is a pretty good song."

He didn't even remember writing it!

[st0k3c1ty4lyfe]

this is my grandad's song lol

[Zylze]

I love this song, I can listen to it all day long!

[RoxanneTime18]

A gentle song, they're my favourite of Dylan's songs.

[ilmlditl]

oh god I love this song. Bob is such a delicate Being- a poet!

[CKYZZIE]

GOOD GOD!!! Sometimes, I wonder...who is this man, and where did he come from?

[groovemonzter]

I love this song. It always amazed me that Dylan didn't put it out on any of his early albums. This is an excellent version. Thanks for posting this.

[josiemax]

What if the judge was right all along?

[jimmypagek26]

percy

[WaterlooNY13165]

love it!

[winfin1903]

37 sec Joliet Prison haha thats (fox river) prison break

[StygianWinter]

Dear god, I love this song. One of my favorites by Dylan.

[iTzALegAcY]

his voice sounds so much like lenord cohen

[titostacos]

Did he borrow this melody from another folk song?

[AFC1948]

Partially - the rain and wind, and the instrument that can only play 1 song are from The Two Sisters.

Wikipedia - "The Twa Sisters"

YouTube - "Dreadful Wind and Rain - Garcia/Grisman"

[abeachhobo]

great song.

[Fede2810]

BOB is GOD

[dm76dm]

why r folk musicians so big on the concept of turning?

[cosette2193]

Redemption, and for that matter, the quest for redemption, is a great theme of art, isn't it?

[snorhoofd]

Excuse me, but what is meant by "concept of turning"? Sorry for my bliss

[lustre5]

I think he wants a do-over of the tragic events.

[lustre5]

Orrrr, he may be saying that one can only look to Nature or the Fates for answers.

[snorhoofd]

*ignorance

[yerachm]

I just bought a harmonica and harmonica holder, to use with my guitar. Knock out some Dylan songs, maybe Eric Anderson too. Sweet nostalgia.

I didn't much like the music of my parents' generation (feel different now on some of that), but my kids love Dylan too.

[wortlover]

he is just the master of songwriters. Every single word is so true and beautifullay performed. Just Great.

[kirkwell]

Thanks for the correction PersonTV, you're right., the tour was 1965 and the release date of the documentary was 1967. It was a D.A. Pennebaker film. Two of Pennebaker's other films (among many) are 'Monterey Pop' and 'Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'. (I just add this extra information to get out of the comment section here with some correct information. :)

[kirkwell]

Thanks a lot for putting this song up thcarmine, it's one of my favorites! Joan Baez does a nice partial version of this song that's also up on Youtube for anyone who hasn't heard that version and is interested in listening to it. It's from the documentary 'Don't Look Back,' a great video for any new Dylan fans who may not have seen it. It follows a young Dylan around England during a tour in 1967.

Many of Dylan's songs are timeless to so many people, and Percy's Song is that way for me.

[PersonTV]

Actually, Don't Look Back was filmed in 1965. I think it was released, though in '67.

[cosette2193]

Fairport Convention did a great job on this song as well, and it's on YouTube.

[alexthomas1234567890]

agreed, the fairport version is amazing. love those vocal harmonies

[aaronfledge]

As with so many Dylan songs, it's not as well known as it deserves to be...the man was incredibly prolific, after all!

I love the sad and poignant lyrics to this, and the voice, guitar and harmonica are wistful enough to match them.

[cosette2193]

Great song! Thanks for posting the

Fairport Convention version. Unlike many YouTube viewers, I won't state my preferences and claim the rest of the world is wrong. I like the song, and someone would have to work very hard to ruin it.

[EricFlatpick]

Ditto on FP's recording on Unhalfbricking. But this is great, too. Thanks!

[cosette2193]

I heard Fairport Convention singing this song on XM Radio and looked it up. The best Fairport Convention version is not on YouTube. What a great song!

[ezycell]

Magnificent!  Brilliant! Dylan is an amazing songwriter, and a prolific storyteller. BTW Fairport Convention has an unbelievably great version of this number on the album Unhalfbricking.