Let Me Die In My Footsteps
Encyclopedia
Let Me Die in My Footsteps is a song
written by American
singer-songwriter
Bob Dylan
in February 1962. The song was selected for the original sequence of Dylan's 1963 album
, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
, but was replaced by "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
". This version was recorded at Columbia
studios on April 25, 1962, during the first Freewheelin session, and was subsequently released in March 1991 on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991
.
A later version, recorded as a demo for M. Witmark & Sons
publishing company in December 1962, was released in October 2010 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964. The song's first release, however, was in September 1963 on The Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1, an album of topical song
s compiled by folk music
ian Pete Seeger
and Sis Cunningham
, publisher of Broadside magazine. This version was recorded on January 24, 1963, with Dylan performing as "Blind Boy Grunt" (for contract
ual reasons), backed by his friend Happy Traum
. Broadside had published the song's lyric
s under its original title, "I Will Not Go Down the Ground", in the magazine's third issue in April 1962.
wrote that "Let Me Die in My Footsteps" has no clear melodic
precedent and suggests that this may be the first song for which Dylan created an original melody. However, Dylan later revealed the song's origins in Chronicles: Volume One
, indicating it was based on an old Roy Acuff
ballad. According to Dylan, the song was inspired by the construction of fallout shelter
s, a widespread practice in the U.S. during the cold war
political
climate of the 1950s when he was growing up.
In 1963, Dylan gave this account of how he came to write "Let Me Die in My Footsteps" to critic
Nat Hentoff
, who wrote the liner notes
for The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan:
The liner notes to Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 included this comment on the song:
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Bob Dylan
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...
in February 1962. The song was selected for the original sequence of Dylan's 1963 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in May 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin initiated the process of writing contemporary words to traditional melodies....
, but was replaced by "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is a song written by Bob Dylan in the summer of 1962. It was first recorded in Columbia Records' Studio A on 6 December 1962 for his second album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. The lyric structure is based on the question and answer form of the traditional ballad "Lord...
". This version was recorded at Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
studios on April 25, 1962, during the first Freewheelin session, and was subsequently released in March 1991 on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991
The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991
The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 is a compilation box set by Bob Dylan, issued on Columbia Records, catalogue C3K 86572. It is the first installment in the Dylan bootleg series, comprising material spanning the first three decades of his career, from 1961 to 1989...
.
A later version, recorded as a demo for M. Witmark & Sons
M. Witmark & Sons
M. Witmark & Sons was a leading publisher of sheet music for the United States "Tin Pan Alley" music industry.The firm of Marcus Witmark & Sons was established in New York City in 1886...
publishing company in December 1962, was released in October 2010 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 – The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964. The song's first release, however, was in September 1963 on The Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1, an album of topical song
Topical song
A topical song is a song that comments on political and/or social events. These types of songs are usually written about current events, but some of these songs remain popular long after the events discussed in them have occurred...
s compiled by folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ian Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
and Sis Cunningham
Sis Cunningham
Agnes Cunningham was an American musician, best known for her involvement as a performer and publicist of folk music and protest songs...
, publisher of Broadside magazine. This version was recorded on January 24, 1963, with Dylan performing as "Blind Boy Grunt" (for contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
ual reasons), backed by his friend Happy Traum
Happy Traum
Happy Traum is an American folk musician who started playing music in the Fifties. Happy is most famously known as one half of Happy and Artie Traum, a duo he began with his brother...
. Broadside had published the song's lyric
Lyric
Lyric may refer to:* Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view* Lyric, from the Greek language, a song sung with a lyre* Lyrics, the composition in verse which is sung to a melody to constitute a song...
s under its original title, "I Will Not Go Down the Ground", in the magazine's third issue in April 1962.
Background
In the booklet that accompanied The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3, Todd HarveyTodd Harvey
Todd Douglas Ross Harvey is a former professional ice hockey forward. He was selected in the first round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, 9th overall, by the Dallas Stars, following a successful junior career, which included being the captain of the Canadian team at the World Junior Hockey...
wrote that "Let Me Die in My Footsteps" has no clear melodic
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
precedent and suggests that this may be the first song for which Dylan created an original melody. However, Dylan later revealed the song's origins in Chronicles: Volume One
Chronicles: Volume One
Chronicles, Volume One is the first part of Bob Dylan's planned 3-volume memoir. Published on October 5, 2004, by Simon & Schuster, the 304-page volume covers selected points from Dylan's long career. The book spent 19 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover nonfiction books...
, indicating it was based on an old Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
ballad. According to Dylan, the song was inspired by the construction of fallout shelter
Fallout shelter
A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designed to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War....
s, a widespread practice in the U.S. during the cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
political
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
climate of the 1950s when he was growing up.
In 1963, Dylan gave this account of how he came to write "Let Me Die in My Footsteps" to critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
Nat Hentoff
Nat Hentoff
Nathan Irving "Nat" Hentoff is an American historian, novelist, jazz and country music critic, and syndicated columnist for United Media and writes regularly on jazz and country music for The Wall Street Journal....
, who wrote the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
for The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan:
The liner notes to Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 included this comment on the song: