Bob Dylan Announces First New Album of Original Music in Eight Years Rough And Rowdy Ways For June 2020 Release

Legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is releasing his first album in eight years. The album, titled Rough And Rowdy Ways, has a planned release date of June 19. Back in April, Dylan released the 17-minute track “Murder Most Foul” that discussed the infamous assassination of John F. Kennedy. Today, however, the iconic musician is back with a new track, “False Prophet.”

“False Prophet” opens with bluesy and warm guitars. The production is fuzzy and adds a gruffness to the overall sound of the track. Dylan’s husky voice comes in crooning over the melody. The lyrics allude to a sort of spiritual uncertainty, while also illustrating some kind of playfulness. Dylan states that he “ain’t no false prophet,” but that he is “…here to bring vengeance on somebody’s head.”

Lyrically, the song reads like a classic Dylan poem. The verse “I search the world over/ For the Holy Grail/ I sing songs of love/ I sing songs of betrayal/Don’t care what I drink/Don’t care what I eat/I climbed the mountains of swords on my bare feet” touches on themes of longing, uncertainty, and observation. Sonically, the scratchy acoustic guitar complements Dylan’s voice.

“False Prophet” comes after the release of the track “I Contain Multitudes,” which is the lead track of the album. Regarding Rough And Rowdy Ways, Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer stated that “These songs are unprecedented. By Bob or anybody else.” Dylan releases this new record after becoming the only singer-songwriter to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016.

Rough And Rowdy Ways will be available in various formats, including 2-disc CD, 2-LP gatefold vinyl, and digital download. In a career spanning over forty years, this will be Dylan’s 39th record. Dylan’s last album, Tempest, was released in 2012 to much acclaim. Dylan does not plan on slowing down anytime soon and plans to perform at the Mohegan Sun Arena on July 7.

Rough And Rowdy Ways track list 

1. I Contain Multitudes
2. False Prophet
3. Untitled
4. Untitled
5. Untitled
6. Untitled
7. Untitled
8. Untitled
9. Untitled
10. Murder Most Foul