Highlands (song)
Encyclopedia
"Highlands" is a song by Bob Dylan
, released on his 30th studio album
Time Out of Mind
in 1997.
It is Dylan's longest known studio recording at sixteen minutes and thirty one seconds. The song's title is borrowed from the poem "My Heart's in the Highlands" by Scottish poet Robert Burns
. In the song's lyrics, Dylan makes a humorous reference to fellow musician and songwriter Neil Young
, as well as author Erica Jong
.
"Highlands" is the longest song of Dylan's 50-year career; it is one of five Dylan songs longer than 10 minutes, the other four being "Desolation Row
" (1965), "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
" (1966), "Joey
" (1976), and "Brownsville Girl
" (1986).
) riff, inspired, according to Dylan, by an unnamed Charley Patton
record that has yet to be identified. The riff is played the whole way through the song, creating a hypnotic effect, and as such was compared with "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
" which featured on Dylan's 1966 album Blonde On Blonde
. The song has no traditional chorus or bridge.
. The recording came from the performance in Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, California, on March 16, 2000.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, released on his 30th studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Time Out of Mind
Time out of Mind
Time Out of Mind is the 30th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 30, 1997 on Columbia Records. It is his first double studio album since 1970's Self Portrait...
in 1997.
It is Dylan's longest known studio recording at sixteen minutes and thirty one seconds. The song's title is borrowed from the poem "My Heart's in the Highlands" by Scottish poet Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
. In the song's lyrics, Dylan makes a humorous reference to fellow musician and songwriter Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, as well as author Erica Jong
Erica Jong
Erica Jong is an American author and teacher best known for her fiction and poetry.-Career:A 1963 graduate of Barnard College, and with an M.A...
.
"Highlands" is the longest song of Dylan's 50-year career; it is one of five Dylan songs longer than 10 minutes, the other four being "Desolation Row
Desolation Row
"Desolation Row" is a 1965 song written and sung by Bob Dylan. It was recorded on August 4, 1965, and was released as the closing track of Dylan's sixth studio album, Highway 61 Revisited...
" (1965), "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
"Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" is the closing song on the Bob Dylan album Blonde on Blonde, which was released in 1966.-History of the song:...
" (1966), "Joey
Joey (Bob Dylan song)
"Joey" is a song from Bob Dylan's 1976 album Desire. It was written by Dylan and Jacques Levy, who collaborated with Dylan on most of the songs on the album. In a 2009 interview with Bill Flanagan, Dylan claimed that Levy wrote all the words to this song. Like another long song on the album,...
" (1976), and "Brownsville Girl
Brownsville Girl
"Brownsville Girl" is a song from Bob Dylan's 1986 album, Knocked Out Loaded. It is notable for its eleven-minute and 5 second length and for being co-written by playwright Sam Shepard...
" (1986).
Structure
The song is based on a simple (E bluesBlues scale
The term blues scale is used to describe a few scales with differing numbers of pitches and related characteristics. See: blues.The hexatonic, or six note, blues scale consists of the minor pentatonic scale plus the 4th or 5th degree...
) riff, inspired, according to Dylan, by an unnamed Charley Patton
Charlie Patton
Charlie Patton , better known as Charley Patton, was an American Delta blues musician. He is considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", and is credited with creating an enduring body of American music and personally inspiring just about every Delta blues man...
record that has yet to be identified. The riff is played the whole way through the song, creating a hypnotic effect, and as such was compared with "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
"Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" is the closing song on the Bob Dylan album Blonde on Blonde, which was released in 1966.-History of the song:...
" which featured on Dylan's 1966 album Blonde On Blonde
Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde is American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's seventh studio album, released in May or June 1966 on Columbia Records and produced by Bob Johnston. Recording sessions commenced in New York in October 1965, with a plethora of backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing...
. The song has no traditional chorus or bridge.
Other versions
A live version of the song was included on the limited edition version of The Best of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2The Best of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2
The Best of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2 is a compilation album by Bob Dylan, released in 2000. It is the sequel to The Best of Bob Dylan, Vol. 1, released 3 years earlier...
. The recording came from the performance in Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, California, on March 16, 2000.