Released March 26, 1991 Genre Rock Label Columbia | Recorded January 21, 1966 Length 6:09 Writer(s) Bob Dylan | |
"She's Your Lover Now" is a song written by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, and recorded for his 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde, but ultimately never used. It is a "dramatized scene for three players, but only one speaker - the singer - who's attempting to unravel a tangle of complicated emotions."
Contents
Recording
The third session for Blonde on Blonde, which took place on January 21, 1966, in Studio A of Columbia Recording Studios in New York City, focused entirely on laying down a complete take of "She's Your Lover Now". 19 takes were recorded between 2:30 PM and 2:30 AM, but several were false starts. The most complete take with the full band was take 19, which was subsequently released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991. After the 21st, the song was dropped from recording and never returned to.
On the recording sheet, each take is titled "Just a Little Glass of Water", which was the song's working name.
Musical style
"She's Your Lover Now" is in the key of C♯, and follows a chord procession similar to that of "Like a Rolling Stone" (C-Dm-Em-F-G).
Lyrics
In the liner notes to The Bootleg Series John Bauldie states that "it's just about impossible to do justice to its achievement, without writing an entire dissertation on the many simultaneous levels on which this song works." Because this recording of "She's Your Lover Now" breaks down before its end, the last verse is missing from the recording:
Now your eyes cry wolf, While your mouth cries "I'm not scared Of animals like you." And you, there's been nothing of you I can recall; I just saw you that one time. You were just there, that's all. But, I've already been kissed, I'm not gonna get into this. I couldn't make it, anyhow. You do it for me, You're her lover now.This verse is also missing from the official lyrics that appear in both Writings and Drawings and on bobdylan.com.
Personnel
However, it has been speculated that Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, and Sandy Konikoff did not play on this version, with Al Kooper on organ, Paul Griffin on piano, and Levon Helm on drums, instead.