Fans of the album New Morning, Bob Dylan‘s eleventh studio album, are split on one song which some believe is a “joke” from the songwriter.
Releasing just four months after Self Portrait, New Morning marked a return to concise songwriting and a familiar singing style. Even then, some fans were left wondering if one track on the album had been written to throw fans and critics off, after such a split reception for Self Portrait. A post to the r/BobDylan subreddit saw fans discuss whether the song was intended as an earnest effort. One user wrote: “Any thoughts on If Dogs Run Free? Is it supposed to be a joke? The combination of the lyrics and the background scat singer just gets me laughing every time I hear it.”
Some suggested the song was not only not a joke, but up there with the excellent work heard from Dylan and The Band on The Basement Tapes. One user defending the song wrote: “I find it interesting how people can love The Basement Tapes but then disparage Self Portrait or If Dogs Run Free. It’s all the same search. I also think the concept behind the song is as profound as anything else he has written, the expression is just not as universal.
“I just think Dylan creates some songs out of a simple phrase, like ‘get your rocks off’ or maybe an interesting chorus like Lo and Behold or maybe simple cobbled together lyrics like You Ain’t Going Nowhere and they’re created unselfconsciously.
“Sometimes a line takes on a lot of meaning. When I hear… ‘lost time is not found again’ in Odds and Ends it’s kind of deep. Then, when I hear ‘If dogs run free, then why not me’, I hear the same thing, the reality of the human condition.”
Others agreed with this assessment of If Dogs Run Free, though one user suggested the scat singing was the main issue with the song. One Dylan fan who found little to like about the New Morning track wrote: “I think it’s fair to love something like Tears of Rage and also think If Dogs Run Free is a steaming wet turd. They’re not the same thing at all. I wouldn’t mind it without the damn scat singing over it.”
Another added: “I’ve always hated the song and I never viewed it as ironic, because it’s pretty consistent with Dylan’s general world view, ie being opposed to rules, institutions and most societal structures aside from maybe loose familial kinship.”
A third user wrote: “I learned that song before I ever heard it. And something about the sentiment and progressions really gets me. It’s one of my favorite songs, and I can’t help but love all versions of it. The piano work on the album is gorgeous. And I’m also very fond of Dylan’s voice on the bootleg.”
Other users tipped the bootleg version of the track as a much superior listening experience. One wrote: “I like the version from Another Self Portrait a lot more than the album version.” Though the song remains contentious, some fans say it makes New Morning a worthwhile listen. Another user added: “Part of what makes New Morning a great album.”
