An image provided by Julien's Auctions reveals the lyrics to Bob Dylan's iconic song "Mr. Tambourine Man" in this undated photo. (Julien's Auctions via AP)
A set of draft lyrics to Bob Dylan’s legendary song, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” sold for more than $500,000 in an auction this weekend, as part of a remarkable sale of memorabilia from the famous singer-songwriter’s career. The auction, held in Nashville, Tennessee, featured around 60 items from Dylan’s life and music, which included photos, music sheets, paintings, and even his personal guitar. The entire collection was auctioned off for a total of nearly $1.5 million.
The most prized item of the sale was the set of typewritten lyrics for “Mr. Tambourine Man,” a song that is widely regarded as one of Dylan’s most iconic. These lyrics were drafted in the 1960s in the New Jersey home of Al Aronowitz, a music journalist who was a close friend of Dylan’s. The draft included three versions of the song written on two sheets of yellow paper. The third draft was particularly special as it featured Dylan’s own handwritten annotations, marking the differences from the final version of the song.
The lyrics were written on a portable typewriter in a home filled with cigarette smoke, as Aronowitz described in a 1973 newspaper article. Dylan had typed away at his white formica breakfast bar while his fingers danced over the keys. The third draft was still quite different from the version that eventually became the final recording of the song.
"Mr. Tambourine Man" was released in 1965 as the opening track on Dylan’s album Bringing It All Back Home. This song became a milestone in Dylan’s career, marking his first composition to top both the U.S. and U.K. charts. Its success further solidified Dylan’s place in music history and marked the beginning of his shift from folk to rock music.
The auction also featured other notable items that drew significant bids. A signed oil painting from 1968, created by Dylan himself, fetched an impressive $260,000. Additionally, a custom Fender guitar that Dylan owned and played was sold for $225,000. These items, along with the iconic lyrics, were part of the personal collection of the late Al Aronowitz, who had closely worked with Dylan during the 1960s.
This auction occurred shortly after the release of a movie titled A Complete Unknown, which focuses on Dylan’s rise to fame in the early 1960s. The film, which stars Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, explores the artist’s journey to becoming one of the most influential figures in music. The film’s release has sparked a renewed interest in Dylan's early career, with fans and collectors eagerly acquiring memorabilia from his storied past.
Dylan, who is now 83, continues to inspire fans around the world with his music and his cultural impact. The auction has given fans and collectors a rare opportunity to own pieces of history, some of which are closely tied to the creation of one of the most influential songs ever written.
