For those of you benighted souls who don’t keep track of these things, today (24th May 2026) is Bob Dylan’s 85th birthday. It appears from his website he’s currently taking a break from the Never Ending Tour, and is therefore presumably at home in Malibu, with his slippers on, in the bosom of his family, receiving birthday presents, and, one imagines, a cake with candles, perchance even a glass of sherry (or a glass of his own bourbon: highly recommended).

Not that he’s resting on his laurels for long. His official site shows that he’s due to embark on a 35 date tour of the States on 4th June, taking in New York, California, and places in between. Not bad at an age when, for most, the night time Horlicks is the greatest excitement you look forward to.

Just don’t call it the Never Ending Tour, apparently. Since June 7, 1988, he’s been touring more or less constantly, clocking up some 3,700 gigs on the way. In 1989 some journalist dubbed it ‘the Never Ending Tour,’ but it definitely wasn’t Dylan’s idea. ‘Does anyone call Henry Ford a never-ending car builder?’ he groused in one interview in 2009. ‘Anybody ever say that Duke Ellington was on a never-ending bandstand tour? These days people are lucky to have a job. Any job,’ he concluded darkly, as if, without the concert bookings, he’d be forced down the local Job Centre to sign on with the rest of them.

Anyway, happy birthday, Your Bobness! I’d have sent a card, but wasn’t sure if something addressed ‘R. Zimmerman, Esq., Malibu’ would reach you. Choosing a present was tricky, too, as it tends to be when you’re of a certain age where most of the stuff you’d want you’ve probably had long ago and is now either a) cluttering up a cupboard somewhere or b) in the window of the local Save the Children. Something to remind you of Scotland, perhaps, where you once owned a castle – some shortbread maybe? A t-shirt with a Heilan coo on it, quoting your lyric ‘My heart’s in the Highlands’?

I give up. Anyway, here are 5 songs of yours, amongst the many hundreds you’ve written and I’ve probably bought in one or other format over the years, that have particularly moved some part of me. In no particular order, and subject to the caveat that, on a different day, I might well have chosen 5 different ones:

1. Blind Willie McTell

At some point I’ll get back to my occasional series on your 80s albums, but meantime, here’s an egregious example of a song you left off an album that’s better than the rest of the album put together (begging your pardon for my presumption). Soon enough a demo of you blocking it out on piano while Mark Knopfler no less accompanied on acoustic guitar found its way out into the Bobosphere, and subsequently surfaced on one of the many, many collections I’ve never shelled for.

I do have the track on my phone though, and listen to it often. Sometimes, I even try to perform it in the band I’m in. Nothing I could do would ever recapture the bottled magic of that ‘demo’ version though.

Just one question. Did you really mean cheery ragtime song and dance man Blind Willie McTell, or was it just ‘Blind Willie McTell’ rhymes with a whole lot more than Blind Willie Johnson, the bluesman?

2. Things Have Changed

2000 comedy drama film ‘The Wonder Boys’ bombed, despite having Michael Douglas in it and a largely favourable critical reception. However, it went on to win three Oscars, including Best Original Song for ‘Things Have Changed.’

According to Wikipedia, Dylan had admired director Curtis Hanson’s previous film, ‘LA Confidential,’ which gave Hanson, a long term Dylan fan, a chance to pitch for him to do the soundtrack. Although it did have mix of artists on it, including Leonard Cohen and Neil Young, it had several Dylan songs, including ‘Shooting Star’ and ‘Not Dark Yet,’ and this original, which Dylan took time out from the Never Ending Tour to record with his live band on a whim.

His acceptance speech and subsequent performance at the Oscars is worth a look, where Dylan, surrounded by his touring band looking like a bunch of well-dressed desperadoes, thanks the Academy for awarding the prize to a song that ‘doesn’t pussy foot around.’

It sure doesn’t.

3. Tangled Up In Blue

This is classic stuff, from ‘Blood on the Tracks,’ and any Dylan fan worth his salt will know it. Still, though. The original album arrangement is crisp and tight, Dylan’s delivery is top drawer, and the lyrics! My word.

4. Political World

As I’ve said before on this blog, Dylan’s album ‘Oh Mercy’ might even be my favourite of his. You’ll either love or hate Daniel Lanois’ production of it, but as you can guess, I’m in the former camp. I could, on any day, pick almost any of its tracks amongst my top 5. However, in our current troubled times, this one does it for me.

5. Like A Rolling Stone

OK, so an obvious choice. However, bear with me, as there’s a link between the version I’ve chosen and the last song. In the late 1980s, by his own account, Dylan was down and almost out. In the chapter of ‘Chronicles, Volume 1’ on the making of ‘Oh Mercy,’ Dylan talks about touring with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1987, a tour I saw him on. Apparently, Bob was at a low ebb and not enjoying the process, although he was absolutely magnificent backed by the younger musicians.

In the next two years, he was to injure his hand, consider retiring, write and record ‘Oh Mercy’ instead, and launch the Never Ending Tour.

Any time I want to listen to ‘Rolling Stone,’ I don’t go back to the 60s original recording. This one does it for me.

So, That’s it, really, except to say, thanks for all the great tunes, Mr D. Incidentally, if you want to buy a version of ‘Political World’ the sales of which contribute to a charity that’ll really piss Donald Trump off, go here.