Bob Dylan Called Out The Byrds for Flubbing a Line When They Covered His Song

The Byrds covered multiple Bob Dylan songs as a band. In some instances, their covers of his songs became more popular than Dylan’s versions. For the most part, Dylan didn’t mind. The Byrds’ take on his songs expanded his sense of how his music should sound. There was one cover that he reportedly didn’t take as kindly to, though. When Dylan performed it himself, he called out The Byrds.

The Byrds covered the Bob Dylan song ‘You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere’

Dylan wrote the song “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” in 1967. He didn’t release a recording of it until his 1971 album Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II. In the interim, The Byrds recorded their version of the song and released it as the lead single on their 1968 album Sweetheart of the Rodeo.

The cover was a success, becoming a frequently played number at Byrds concerts. Still, Dylan reportedly wasn’t as happy with it as he was with other covers. Byrds singer Roger McGuinn mixed up a line in the recording. Instead of singing, “Pick up your money/ And pack up your tent,” as Dylan wrote it, McGuinn sang, “Pack up your money, pick up your tent.”

According to the liner notes for Sweetheart of the Rodeo, Dylan referenced the mistake in a later performance. He sang, “Pack up our money, pull up your tent, McGuinn!”

“A bit of a stab,” McGuinn said. 

The Byrds have covered far more than this one Bob Dylan song

The Byrds found Dylan to be an incredible artist, so they covered many of his songs.

“Appropriately enough, my favorite [Dylan song] is ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’” David Crosby told Stereogum. “Our manager knew Bob’s manager [when I was in the Byrds], and got an early tape of Bob singing this thing with another folk singer. It was really terrible, it was a really bad demo. They were out of tune and they were all screwed up. It was absolutely nonsense. But we heard these words. ‘To dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free.’ We were entranced.”

In 1979, The Byrds released the album The Byrds Play Dylan. On it, they covered 13 Dylan songs, including “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “The Times They Are A-Changing,” and “Positively 4th Street.” They released an updated, lengthier version of the album in 2002.

The Byrds positively impacted the ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ singer’s career 

While The Byrds had much to gain by covering Dylan’s songs, they also positively influenced him. When Dylan started off as an artist, he played the acoustic guitar and sang folk songs. After hearing The Byrds’ electrified cover of “Mr. Tambourine Man,” though, he realized what he could accomplish with his music.

“When we played ‘Tambourine Man’ for him, you could hear the gears going in his head, man,” Crosby said. “He was watching intensely. He went straight out and got himself an electric band. Right away. Like, the next day. He knew what that was. He knew what we did.”