Bob Dylan / 3:32
Musicians
Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar
Robbie Robertson: guitar
Richard Manuel: piano, vocals
Garth Hudson: organ
Rick Danko: bass, vocals
Levon Helm: drums, vocals
Recording Studio
Recorded live during the Isle of Wight Festival, August 31, 1969
Technical Team
Producer: Bob Johnston
Sound Engineer: Glynn Johns
Dylan appropriated a famous Irish patriotic song originally written by Thomas Moore. But in Dylan’s version, the troubadour was not killed during the war. Dylan wonders, “Who’s gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?” so that he can continue his path and compares him to the mockingbird, known as one of the most prominent songbirds of American forests.
“Minstrel Boy” was actually written during sessions for The Basement Tapes in 1967. Fans were wondering for over forty years if it had been recorded in the basement of Big Pink. When The Bootleg Series Volume 10: Another Self Portrait was released in 2013, the veil was lifted: the answer was yes!
There are two versions of “Minstrel Boy.” The studio version, which dates from the legendary summer of 1967 in Woodstock, was not chosen for the first version of The Basement Tapes in 1975. It was only released on The Bootleg Series Volume 10: Another Self Portrait in 2013 and on The Bootleg Series Volume 11: The Basement Tapes Complete in 2014. However, a live version from the Isle of Wight Festival, August 31, 1969, appears on Self Portrait.
The live version, where Dylan was accompanied by the Band, does not showcase the group’s talent. The vocal harmonies are off, and it all sounds a bit too short winded. Regrettably, this song deserved better treatment, and its presence on the album is not really justified. The Basement Tapes version is clearly better, fresh and spontaneous, but reinforces the feeling that Dylan had neglected his “Minstrel Boy.”