Image via Dailymail
Bob Dylan’s handwritten lyrics to “Desolation Row,” a fan favorite track from his 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited, are being offered for sale by memorabilia reseller Moments In Time. Given the manuscript’s rarity, the price tag of $425,000 that has been listed for it is hardly surprising.
Moments In Time claims that, in contrast to other Dylan songs like “Hard Rain,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “The Times They Are A-Changing,” there is just one example of handwritten lyrics for the song “Desolation Row.” The latter hit’s handwritten lyrics were sold in 2020 for an astounding $2.2 million, while “Blowin’ in the Wind” lyrics were bought for just under half a million dollars.
Two pieces of paper with Dylan’s revisions and lyrical words for “Desolation Row,” a song that lasts more than 11 minutes, were used for the lyrics. According to sources, the unnamed merchant and the famed folk singer have been pals since they were young and exchanged lyrics sheets over twenty years ago.
When Dylan switched from traditional folk music to electronic music, “Desolation Row” appeared. The song, which closes Highway 61 Revisited, features a sizable ensemble of characters living in an unhappy and chaotic environment. Dylan was questioned about the location of Desolation Row at a news conference in 1965.
“Where? Oh, that’s some place in Mexico,” he told a TV station. “It’s across the border. It’s noted for its coke factory. Coca-Cola machines … sell a lot of Coca-Cola down there.”