All Along the Watchtower
Song by Bob Dylan, famously covered by Jimi Hendrix.
"All Along the Watchtower" was written and recorded by Bob Dylan for his 1967 album *John Wesley Harding*. The song, produced by Bob Johnston, consists of twelve lines depicting a dialogue between a joker and a thief. Its lyrics have drawn comparisons to passages from the Book of Isaiah, and the track has been covered by many artists, most famously by Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix's version, released six months after Dylan's original on the 1968 album *Electric Ladyland*, became a Top 20 hit and later earned a Grammy Hall of Fame award. Dylan has performed the song live more than any other in his catalog, with his later renditions often influenced by Hendrix's arrangement. The original recording took place in November 1967 at Columbia Studio A in Nashville, with Dylan on acoustic guitar and harmonica, backed by musicians Charlie McCoy and Kenneth Buttrey. The final album track was spliced together from two different takes, though the exact take numbers are disputed. Musicologists have noted the song's sparse, dark sound, its blues influences, and its use of a repeating three-chord cycle. The lyrics, which open with a conversation between a joker and a thief, have been interpreted as echoing the biblical Book of Isaiah.
- Artist
- Bob Dylan
- Album
- John Wesley Harding (1967)
- Writer
- Bob Dylan
- Producer
- Bob Johnston
- Recording date
- November 6, 1967
- Recording location
- Columbia Studio A, Nashville, Tennessee
- Length (original)
- Twelve lines
Lore & Background
Following a motorcycle accident in July 1966, Dylan spent 18 months recuperating at his home in Woodstock and writing songs. All songs for John Wesley Harding were written and recorded during a six-week period at the end of 1967. Dylan claimed he thought of the song during a thunderstorm. He recorded it on November 6, 1967, at Columbia Studio A in Nashville, with Charlie McCoy on bass and Kenneth Buttrey on drums. The final version resulted from splicing two different takes, though the exact take numbers are disputed. The song is a dark, sparse work contrasting with Dylan's mid-1960s recordings.
The lyrics feature a conversation between a joker and a thief riding toward a watchtower. Scholars have noted biblical references, particularly to the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 21, verses 5–9, and some have pointed to the Book of Revelation. Interpretations vary: some see it as an allegory of the entertainment business, with the joker as Dylan and the thief as his manager Albert Grossman; others view it as a response to pressures of being a generational conscience. Dylan described the song's narrative as working in a reverse order, with the cycle of events unfolding strangely.
Reader's Guide
The significance of "All Along the Watchtower" lies in its enduring influence and the transformative cover by Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix's version, released six months after Dylan's original, became a Top 20 single in 1968, received a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001, and was ranked 48th (later 40th) on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Dylan's own live performances have been influenced by Hendrix's cover, to the extent that they have been called covers of a cover. Dylan has performed the song live more than any of his others, with over 2,250 recitals. The song's sparse, cyclical music—three chords repeated in an unchanging pattern—creates a hovering atmosphere that complements its apocalyptic lyrics. Its legacy is cemented by its widespread coverage by numerous artists and its status as a staple of Dylan's concert repertoire.
Did You Know?
- The original version contains only twelve lines, akin to a truncated sonnet.
- Dylan first played the song live on the Bob Dylan and the Band 1974 Tour.
- The song was recorded in two takes spliced together, though the exact take numbers are disputed.
- Dylan has performed the song live more than 2,250 times, more than any of his other songs.
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