Bob Dylan fans point to one cover song as the ‘most meaningful he’s ever done’

Fans of the legendary songwriter Bob Dylan have singled out one cover song as the “most meaningful he’s ever done”.

The Rough and Rowdy Ways mastermind has made cover songs a staple of many tours, with the likes of Grateful Dead, Neil Young, and The Pogues covered by Dylan over the years. The 84-year-old performer, who has toured every year (except for 2020) since 1988, has thrown cover songs into his setlist for some time. He has also produced albums full of cover songs, including Triplicate, Shadows in the Night, and World Gone Wrong. Fans have since taken to the r/BobDylan subreddit to share what they believe is his very best cover rendition.

A post to the forum had fans agree that a cover of Warren Zevon’s Accidentally Like a Martyr from a 2002 show is the most meaningful cover he has done to date. One fan wrote: “Of all Bob’s covers, this is the most meaningful one he’s ever done.”

Another agreed, adding: “It’s funny, this song always reminded me of Bob’s story, but I didn’t quite realise it until now. Thanks for this.” A third wrote: “Ha! I thought you were talking about album covers he’s designed. He’s done a few good ones. But yes, what a fine cover of Zevon’s song. Feels personal.”

Other listeners believe this cover highlights the help Dylan gave to Zevon’s credibility around this time, with the cover tipped by one fan as a reason the Keep Me in Your Heart songwriter received a higher profile in the twenty-first century.

The fan wrote: “This was the moment when Warren was finally getting love as an artist, once everyone heard of his diagnosis. People finally realised the power of his lyrics and the vision within. Bob had a small part in that reassessment.”

Dylan has made his love of Zevon’s work known in the past. He once said: “There might be three separate songs within a Zevon song, but they’re all effortlessly connected. Zevon was a musician’s musician, a tortured one. Desperado Under the Eaves. It’s all in there.”

Though Dylan has covered Zevon and other legends on stage, he shared a lot in common with an artist he has previously covered, Neil Young. Elliot Roberts, speaking to Shakey biographer Jimmy McDonough, shared his thoughts on what made the pair so similar.

Roberts, who has managed both Dylan and Young, said: “They’re both very flighty. They have the exact same road habits, they prep the same way. They’re very, very similar in what satisfies them – good shows, bad shows. There’s some huge dissimilarities. Bob likes to have his families in place and go to them. He’s on the move, doesn’t like to stay in one place long. Neil will stay in one place forever, given the opportunity.”

Richard Fernandez, a tour manager who worked for both men, added: “Neil’s eccentric with a purpose – Bob’s eccentric with a purpose, but I’m not quite sure what that purpose is, and the only person who knows what that purpose is may be Bob. Everybody else is speculating.”