Fans of the legendary songwriter are spoilt for choice when deciding on Bob Dylan‘s best song of this century.
Despite the vast selections on offer, from his first releases of the 21st century with Love and Theft to his modern offerings on Rough and Rowdy Ways, fans echoed one song more than most. Though there were plenty of suggestions, and Dylan’s discography this century is filled with quality, Mississipi stood out for fans. Some were reminded of Like a Rolling Stone when listening to the song, while others have dubbed it a modern-day “classic” from the legendary songwriter. A post to the r/BobDylan subreddit saw fans suggest more than a few songs which could be crowned as his best.
The post reads: “Favourite post-2000s Bob song? Judas has arguably had a post-2000 career to rival that of most other musicians’ entire lives, without even considering his output in the 60s and 70s. My personal favourite 21st century Dylan track is I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You from 2020’s Rough and Rowdy Ways. The line that really sold the song for me is: I’m giving myself to you, I am / from Salt Lake City to Birmingham / From East L.A to San Anton / I just can’t bear to live my life alone.
“The thought of an ageing Bob giving himself to his audience for the rest of life as a means of simply warding off loneliness is one that makes me inexplicably emotional. I’m not one for taking his songs too literally, but I thought it was a nice, if not slightly melodramatic idea.”
Other fans were taken with earlier releases from Dylan, with some pointing to the often overlooked Love and Theft as a goldmine for his best works. One user wrote: “For the longest time I thought this was a standard or something because of how amazing the songwriting is. Turns out it’s just another Dylan classic.”
Another added: “Things Have Changed. Mississippi might be a better written song (not sure), but Things Have Changed is more fun.” A third wrote: “Mississippi, for some reason it reminds me of Like A Rolling Stone.”
Some users considered Dylan’s work on Mississippi to be an “impeccable” piece from him, both in writing and in performance. One user wrote: “For me, I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You, Mississippi, and When the Deal Goes Down are tied.
“I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You is such a beautiful song. The lyrics are amazing of course, but the arrangement is too. The backing vocals kill me.
“I like different interpretations as well. I think the lyrics can be read as dedication to a lover, to his fans, or even to God. And all of those are unique and wonderful ways to read into it. Mississippi, especially the Tell Tale Signs version is just impeccable writing and performance. Same with When the Deal Goes Down.”
Another user suggested Mississippi is “equal to much of his best work” while a third called it a “stone cold classic.”
