My Own Version of You
From his acclaimed Rough and Rowdy Ways album, Dylan builds a narrative about constructing a companion using spare parts from history. The blues connection isn't just in the lyrical references to Bo Diddley; it's baked into the song's musical DNA. The track is built on a slow-burn, minor-key blues groove, anchored by Tony Garnier's standup bass and Charlie Sexton's atmospheric, Chicago-style guitar fills. It proves that the 12-bar structure is infinitely elastic, capable of holding dense, literary poetry without losing its foundational pulse.
The floating-verse lineage for this recording (who else recorded it, where the melody or lyric traveled, and how it was adapted) is still being mapped. This section will trace the song's DNA across the archive.
Contributions welcome at OlMrRead@ccblues.com.