Bob Dylan released original music for the first time in eight years Friday, an epic song about the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy entitled “Murder Most Foul.”
The legendary 78-year-old recording artist shared the tune from his Twitter account along with a brief message offering his appreciation to his audience and wishing them well.
“Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years,” tweeted Mr. Dylan.
“This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting,” he added. “Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.”
Uploaded to several popular digital streaming platforms, the unexpected release of “Murder Most Foul” marks the first time Mr. Dylan has shared an original song since 2012 when he issued “Tempest,” his 35th studio album. He has released three other studio records in the years since, but each consisted of cover versions of songs originally written by other artists.
At nearly 17 minutes in length, “Murder Most Foul” also holds the distinction of being the longest song released by Mr. Dylan during his decades-long career.
The ballad begins with piano and strings playing softly together prior to being accompanied by Mr. Dylan’s distinctive voice and later punctuated by light percussion.
“Twas a dark day in Dallas, November ’63, a day that will live on in infamy,” Mr. Dylan sings in the song’s opening line.
“The greatest magic trick ever under the sun, perfectly executed, skillfully done,” he adds later.
Mr. Dylan subsequently makes numerous pop culture references throughout the song, mentioning the likes of fellow icons including The Beatles and Marilyn Monroe, as well as late blues musicians John Lee Hooker and Guitar Slim, actor Buster Keaton, disc jockey Wolfman Jack and jazz legends Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker, among others.
Born as Robert Allen Zimmerman, Mr. Dylan was 22 when Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas. He had released his self-titled debut album the previous year.
Accolades earned by Mr. Dylan throughout his career include 11 Grammy Awards and the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years.
— bobdylan.com (@bobdylan) March 27, 2020
This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting.
Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.
Bob Dylanhttps://t.co/uJnE4X64Bb
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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