My son Ben let me know something I didn’t: that Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” borrows from Paul Clayton’s “Who’s Gonna Buy You Ribbons (When I’m Gone),” which itself borrows from “Who Gon Bring You Chickens,” published in a 1927 compilation, Eight Negro Songs (From Bedford Co. Virginia). Much more about these three songs at Bring You Chickens.
The traditional-to-Clayton-to-Dylan story is widely known. I gave Ben one back, which I’m not sure anyone else knows: Dylan’s “Moonlight” borrows from Eubie Blake and Andy Razaf’s “Memories of You.” The lyrics and melody are Dylan’s. But listen to the chord changes: they’re Blake’s.
Nothing wrong about that: countless tunes have been written over the chord changes of American standards. And Dylan knows standards.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Dylan and others
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One of the most interesting Dylan borrowings (and one of his best songs) is his "Blind Willie McTell," which borrows the melody of "St. James Infirmary." Robert W. Harwood has written a book about the whole tangled history of the latter. https://iwentdowntostjamesinfirmary.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI heard that song when he played the Illinois State Fair in 2001, but I didn’t know it, didn’t recognize it. I just listened on YouTube, and of course now it’s clear.
ReplyDeleteI put in an interlibrary loan request for the book — thanks.