Who was "Mr. Tambourine Man"? Written by Bob Dylan in 1965 in his album “Bringing it All Back Home”, this song is one of Dylan’s greatest and most popular songs written. If you have ever had the opportunity to hear the song you know just how great it is. Similar to most of his music, there is a meaning or drop back story behind the song “Mr. Tambourine Man”.
Many of Bob Dylan's listeners assumed the song was about a drug experience, as the Tambourine Man puts the singer in a spell and takes him on a trip through an exotic, poetic landscape. A lot of the music during the 60’s era focused on this experience. One that revolves around drugs, mostly LSD, trying to explain the experience and the magic that results. Many artists during that time created art that tried to explain the “enlightenment” that might occur during a “trip”. But in 1985, Dylan insisted it was inspired by Bruce Langhorne, the folk musician who accompanied him on guitar during the recording of the song. "He had this gigantic tambourine," Dylan remembered. "It was as big as a wagon wheel. He was playing, and this vision of him playing this tambourine just stuck in my mind."
Not surprisingly, "Mr. Tambourine Man" quickly earned a flurry of cover versions by likely interpreters such as Judy Collins and the Brothers Four and unlikely ones such as the Four Seasons and the Lettermen. Over time, the prominence of the Byrds' hit has tended to overshadow other recordings, though the song remains one of Bob Dylan's best-known compositions, with his version being chosen for inclusion on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits in 1967 and the Biograph box set in 1985. Even a listener that isn’t a fully committed Dylan fan can enjoy the beautiful melody that this song brings.
