Bob Dylan is Dead

Album: Marvin Country! (2012)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is one of several tunes that former Lone Justice bassist Marvin Etzioni wrote about his former music heroes for his 2013 solo double album, Marvin Country! He told us that he "started writing that song in the '80s," inspired by a review of one of Dylan's albums. "And they just really tore it to shreds," he added. "I thought, you know what, God forbid if anything should happen to Dylan. Whoever wrote that article would not want to be remembered writing that. I mean, he just accomplished so much. Who cares if this album's not your favorite, you know? It might be in 20 years. He's that kind of guy, he's that kind of artist."
  • The song was originally cut in a guitar version in D, but Etzioni felt it was a bit low, so he re-recorded it with added mandolin and The Angel City Chorale. He drafted in his friend, Willie Aron to co-produce the tune with him and direct the choir, then, " we just cut that live in the studio."
  • Etzioni got to work with Bob Dylan in the mid 1980s when Lone Justice did one of his songs, "Go Away Little Boy" and the folk legend contributed to the recording. Etzioni told us that he's "I ran into him a couple of times since then. It's always nice running into him and talking about stuff."

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