By some accounts, the mid-to-late-eighties were not kind to Bob Dylan, containing some of his less appreciated and undervalued creative output.1 In fact, when Dylan reflects on his newfound inability to compose and perform around this time in Chronicles: Volume One, he writes: “I felt done for, an empty burned-out wreck . . . I’m in the bottomless pit of cultural oblivion.”2 While his music from this period may not hold a candle to his greatest work, Dylan would produce material in the eighties that is still highly regarded by fans and critics alike. The track “Brownsville Girl” is often cited as one of Dylan’s major triumphs in this period, gaining significant attention as a “masterpiece” in the greater context of his catalogue.3 Notably, Dylan did not write this well-regarded effort alone, as he enlisted the efforts of Sam Shepard to guide him into producing substantial revisions to his original composition, dating back to 1984. Collaboration helped Dylan find success in a period where, in his words, he “had no connection to any kind of inspiration.”4 This particular partnership between Dylan and Shepard reveals much about Dylan as a creative and his desire to work artistically with others and challenges the popular image of Dylan as the solitary singer-songwriter composing in isolation.
For many years, Sam Shepard and Bob Dylan were creative forces who found their paths intersecting. Though creatively expressive in distinct media (Shepard primarily as a playwright and Dylan primarily as a musician), both pursued other expressive outlets beyond their core professional identities. In her 1980 essay on Dylan and Shepard, Irene Oppenheim observes that “an assessment of their current permutations of style and spirit seems worth the while in that, as artists, they both augur and reflect whatever it is that’s going on.”5 Six years after the publication of Oppenheim’s piece, Shepard and Dylan would meet up and engage in that reflection, but before we delve into that conversation, we provide some context.
Though Shepard and Dylan both launched their careers in New York in the 60s, they didn’t formally meet until 1975, when Dylan asked Shepard to join the Rolling Thunder Revue as a writer for a film project that would coincide with the tour. By Shepard’s account, Dylan was planning on making a film in which, “we don’t have to make any connections… None of this has to connect. In fact, it’s better if it doesn’t connect.”6 The result of their efforts was the film Renaldo and Clara (1978), in which Shepard barely received a writing credit (Written by Bob Dylan; Additional Dialogue by Sam Shepard).7 Shepard published his experience of the tour in his Rolling Thunder Logbook (1977).
According to Clinton Heylin, Dylan took note of Lou Reed’s 1984 song, “Doin’ the Things That We Want To” (a song that starts “the other night we went to Sam’s play” and contains the line, “it reminds me of the movies Marty made about New York”). 8 Reed’s song, with clear inspiration from Shepard and Scorsese, apparently gave Dylan the genesis of his own song that would also serve as a reaction to another work of art, Gregory Peck’s 1950 film, The Gunfighter. Dylan enlisted Shepard in the fall of 1984 to co-author “New Danville Girl” (elements of Woody Guthrie’s “Danville Girl” would appear in the lyrics) which Dylan attempted for 1985’s Empire Burlesque album and later resurrected as “Brownsville Girl” for 1986’s Knocked Out Loaded.9 Given that an overwhelming majority of his songs were written without collaborators, Dylan’s co-write on “Brownsville Girl” has generated significant interest, probably even more than his work with Jacques Levy or Robert Hunter.
Not long after the 1986 release of Knocked Out Loaded, Shepard and Dylan would meet again. On August 7, 1986, they sat down for an informal interview at Dylan’s Malibu home, with this conversation serving as the basis for Shepard’s highly fictionalized one-act play, True Dylan, in Esquire magazine in 1987. Shepard titled his play “Side to Side (Why Try to Fight it?),” referring to a conversation on the tape about Dylan’s movement on stage. Without consulting Shepard, however, Esquire published the piece with a changed title, True Dylan, perhaps as a nod to Shepard’s play, True West. The Shepard Archives contain correspondence between Shepard and Esquire about the title change, including understandable signs of Shepard’s frustration with the magazine’s decision. A typed draft of the play has written at the top in Shepard’s hand, “Side to Side (Why Try to Fight it?)”10
While the recorded interview and published play are similar, with moments of overlap regarding conversation topics, the original tapes from this interview reveal certain unique, unprecedented exchanges. Though not comprehensive, Table 1 below illustrates some of the similarities and differences between the interview and one-act play:
| The Dylan-Shepard Tapes | True Dylan (Esquire Magazine) |
| Discussion of planned 1986 record with Gary Stewart and T-Bone Burnett | Not found in the Esquire one act play |
| Not present in the original interview | Discussion about the 1966 motorcycle crash |
| Retelling of experiences surrounding artists like Woody Guthrie, Ricky Nelson, and Bob Marley | Also included in the fictionalized one-act play |
| Conversations about Minnesota towns and the influence of Polka Music | Found in the Esquire piece as well |
| Dylan stating that Christianity “still fits” with his worldview, well after his public conversion | Dylan and Shepard’s musings on religion, angels, and purgatory |
| Brief interjections from persons on the phone, an unknown woman, and crying sounds from a child (likely Carolyn Dennis and Desiree Dylan) | Individuals calling Dylan on the phone have fictionalized names, but no woman or child appears |
Thanks to the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University, we were given access to this never-before-transcribed audio from this unshared interview. In over three hours captured on tape, Dylan comes off as particularly genuine and engaged in the dialogue, unlike the combative persona seen in many press conferences. In this interview, Shepard functions not as a typical journalist, but rather as a creative equal and trusted collaborator. Interspersed between their discourse are intriguing moments in which Dylan plays guitar. While Dylan is often just fiddling around, he does play two tracks, “We Shall Overcome” and “St. James Infirmary,” in a more coherent manner. Both tracks hold significance in the broader context of his musical career, with the former relating to Dylan’s brief involvement with the American Civil Rights Movement, and the latter with the track “Blind Willie McTell.” From these details we can infer that Dylan is generally relaxed, and his often-directionless strumming indicates that he is in an easygoing mood while conversing with Shepard. Another important detail to note is that Dylan and Shepard are both chatting inside Dylan’s Malibu home, a place in which he would naturally feel more comfortable. Dylan can also be heard interacting with his two large bullmastiffs (Brutus and Jumbo) and talking to others both on the phone and in person. Their exchanges are fascinatingly informative yet casual, with many references to Dylan’s previous musical output and precedents for what he was yet to create years later.
The recorded conversation between Shepard and Dylan may, at first listen, sound disjointed, rambling, and unsubstantial. However, dismissing the interview as insignificant would be a mistake. The exchanges captured in these recordings serve as a time capsule that reveals much about Dylan, Shepard, and their artistic visions. Through the inspection of this exclusive material, we were able to make salient connections to Dylan’s own words and perspectives related to his visual art, acting methodologies, and ultimately his personal struggles as they pertain to songwriting at this turbulent time in his career. The interview coincidentally took place just a day after the live debut (and only performance to date) of “Brownsville Girl” on the final night of the True Confessions Tour with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in Paso Robles, CA. Within this examination of the interview material, we will include transcribed segments from the previously unreleased tape, as we are unable to share the full interview.11
Of course, Dylan and Shepard had already collaborated on Dylan’s ill-fated film project Renaldo and Clara during the Rolling Thunder Revue, and co-written “Brownsville Girl,” as well as some unreleased songs, such as “The Girl I Left Behind,” only a few years earlier, in 1984.12 While one may assume Dylan and Shepard first met around 1975, in the interview both men reminisce about their time in Greenwich Village in the mid-60s.
SHEPARD. I saw you one time on the street on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Houston Street.
DYLAN. What year?
SHEPARD. Sixty uh—must have been ‘67 or—
DYLAN. Was that when I was with The Band, at that time?
SHEPARD. Yeah. You were wearing a blue navy pea jacket.13
DYLAN. Yeah, that’s me.
SHEPARD. And tennis shoes.14
Shepard shows clear knowledge of Dylan’s musical accomplishments and demonstrates familiarity with much of his discography.15 In fact, Shepard’s first verbal exchange on the tape recorder contains the line “Is it rolling, Bob?,” Of course, this sentence parodies Bob’s studio chatter to Bob Johnston on “To Be Alone With You” from 1969’s Nashville Skyline.
Similarly, Shepard demonstrates an awareness of Dylan’s affinity for visual art, calling attention to an often-overlooked aspect of Dylan’s unending creative endeavors. This exchange details their conversation on the matter.
SHEPARD. This is either gonna be the lamest interview in history or… (laughs) Are you still painting, drawing?
DYLAN. Uh, yeah, I do, I would like to do that. I would like to spend a lot of time doing that.
SHEPARD. What’s your fascination with that? Like—
DYLAN. Fascination with that?
SHEPARD. I mean, is it related to music?
DYLAN. Yeah.
SHEPARD: In color?
DYLAN: No, in putting down what you see. Uh.
SHEPARD: Story? In like story?
DYLAN. Well, you know it’s like—how can you put it? Painting. Oh yeah, you know, the essence of a person.
SHEPARD. Right.16
The way Dylan describes his ability to manifest reality into his art is reminiscent of essential thematic elements he had learned by the instruction of Norman Raeben in 1974. Dylan has since described the creatively invigorating nature of these meetings with Raeben, claiming that “He put my mind and my hand and my eye together in a way that allowed me to do consciously what I unconsciously felt.”17 In his Shadow Chasing newsletter, Graley Herren emphasizes how Dylan’s songwriting was impacted by learning new ways of seeing from Raeben’s painting lessons.18 It seems this practice of “attentive seeing” and “engaged vision” persisted nearly 12 years later when Shepard interviewed Dylan.
Out of the multitudes of musicians who are directly named in this conversation, certain figures hold significance, either in their closeness to Dylan’s work and biography or their collaborations with him.19 Dylan mentions numerous band members and affiliated artists present on the Rolling Thunder Revue, with Shepard and Dylan reflecting on where they are now. Patti Smith, Howie Wyeth, and Rob Stoner show up in their conversations. In a similar breath, Dylan briefly reminisces about members of his 1966 tour, discussing circumstances surrounding Mickey Jones replacing Levon Helm on drums, as well as the recent passing of Richard Manuel earlier in 1986, saying it really upset him. Soon after this exchange, both men reflect on a gathering that included Phil Ochs and discuss his turbulent mental state.
SHEPARD: Remember in New York, when we were there, that guy, he came around to that one party, and we had down on Eighth Street? Big, crazy guy. He used to be a singer.
…20
DYLAN: Don’t make me say it.
SHEPARD: Oh, come on, what was it?
DYLAN: Oh, shit. That was a sad scene.
SHEPARD: He was there at this party, remember? And there was that blonde girl who wanted to marry him.
DYLAN: Lizette.
…
SHEPARD: He was a well-known singer. A folk singer around the same time you were. And he was crazy. I mean, totally nuts. Wiped out of his head and he was standing at the top of the stairs yelling and screaming at you about boxing, or a boxing movie, or—
…
DYLAN: Oh, Phil!
SHEPARD: Phil Ochs.
…
DYLAN: He was real nuts, but he got crazed. He got crazed. But, you know, he was sick.
SHEPARD: Yeah.
DYLAN: And nobody realized. I mean…
SHEPARD: Physically sick?
DYLAN: Physically sick. He couldn’t shit for a year.
SHEPARD: What?
DYLAN: Yeah. He took up a bug, some kind of amoeba, in the Middle East.
SHEPARD: Jeez.
DYLAN: I know, man, but that was his problem. His problem was—you know.
SHEPARD: Couldn’t shit for a year. Oh, boy. Where did he get that?
DYLAN: He had to sweat it out.
SHEPARD: Where did he get that?
DYLAN: In Africa.
SHEPARD: Oh, man.21
Interestingly, Dylan seems somewhat reluctant to bring up Phil’s name, perhaps an indication of their complex and often competitive relationship. Phil Ochs was bipolar, and he did struggle with alcoholism. Toward the end of his short life, he unaccountably demanded others address him as “John Train,” which Dylan soon mentions to Shepard. This perhaps final conversation between Ochs and Dylan likely occurred around their performances at the Friends of Chile Benefit concert in 1974, with Shepard noting that this exchange happened “before we hit the road,”22 in reference to Rolling Thunder. Strangely, there is no account of Ochs catching an amoeba in Africa or the Middle East. He did suffer physical injuries after being attacked and nearly strangled in Tanzania in 1973, but was not known to have contracted any illness from this event.23
T-Bone Burnett comes into conversation while Shepard and Dylan reflect on other Rolling Thunder members, but his mention holds more significance for Dylan’s upcoming projects in 1986.
DYLAN. T-Bone is doing great. I saw T-Bone in Texas recently. In fact, we wanted to make a record. We want to… I hope we do it. I hope we do it. The record with Gary Stewart.
SHEPARD. Gary Stewart, love it. Gary Stewart is a great singer.
DYLAN. Great performer. He’s a great singer.
SHEPARD. He’s still… T-Bone’s still producing?
DYLAN. T-Bone? Yeah, he’s playing in for these things.
SHEPARD. I really love that, uh “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” thing, you know that Lou Reed thing?
DYLAN. Yeah. T-Bone’s been working with Elvis Costello for a long time.
SHEPARD. Really?
DYLAN. I hope we make this record. I hope we do this thing with Gary Stewart. Gary Stewart did his one song called “Ten Years of This.” It’s a classic song. Classic song, classic performance. I’ve always liked Gary Stewart and I ran into him in Houston or Dallas and uh, it was the most amazing circumstances for equipment, because you know, we were talking and I was asking now to have a record out or something and T-Bone was there at the same show, so we kind of got together and said we’d make a record.
SHEPARD. So, when are you going to do this? DYLAN. Well, maybe by Christmas.24
While this ambitious crossover never saw an official release, or even studio sessions, it is fascinating to imagine what could have been. The trio of artists’ decision to make a record likely happened on June 22nd, 1986, when Dylan played the (aptly titled) Reunion Arena in Dallas, as part of his True Confessions Tour. In fact, just before playing “I and I,” Dylan says to the audience: “I want to say hello to Gary Stewart, who is here tonight. I want to say one of my favorite records was ‘Ten Years of This.’ Really one of my favorite records.” Dylan clearly loves this track and admires Stewart enough to consider a rare collaboration record with him and Burnett. Many details about this speculative record are unknown, but it likely never came to fruition due to Dylan’s obligations with Hearts of Fire, complicating these plans to produce an album by the end of the year.
With this film project on Dylan’s horizon, Shepard predictably inquires about Dylan’s involvement in the movie and his role as Billy Parker.
SHEPARD: Where you headed from here? DYLAN: London.
SHEPARD: London! With Petty?
DYLAN: No. I’m going to do this, this um, film. SHEPARD: Oh, right. Now, what part are you playing? DYLAN: Uh, Billy Parker.
SHEPARD: Billy Parker in… what, what is that?
DYLAN: If they keep that name. SHEPARD: What—what does he do?
DYLAN: He’s an over-the-hill rock and roll singer that does 80s shows.
SHEPARD: Who’s directing?
DYLAN: Richard Marquand.25
It seems that at this point in the writing of Hearts of Fire, some minor details (like Dylan’s character name) are still up in the air, as the filming would start on August 26th in London.26 Another exchange on the subject of Hearts of Fire shows the informal nature of Dylan’s role in the film, and the following conversation details his acting methods:
SHEPARD. What about acting? You’re gonna be acting, right? Tell me about your latest, uh—what is your latest—playing a character?
DYLAN. Well, I don’t play a character, but the character is not really that far away from me or people I know.
SHEPARD. So, you already have a handle on it.
DYLAN. Sort of, that’s all there is to it.
SHEPARD. I mean, are you gonna have an approach to the character, or are you gonna dive in? Bite it in the ear.
DYLAN. Approach?27
While this reads quite humorously, Dylan was clearly cast in a role that must have felt familiar and therefore required little acting on his part.
Dylan and Shepard continue on with their meandering conversation, moving from topic to topic with this same playful, often comical tone, before settling into a more direct discussion related to creativity itself and songwriting. It seems that their collaborations contained a certain invigorating element, especially when considering Dylan’s broader career and writing. In this exchange below, both men discuss such inspirational guidance and how it fits into Dylan’s creative process.
SHEPARD. Alright, well, what about like the search for a path or a way? You’ve tried a lot of different stuff, do you feel like you still have a need to find something that belongs to an ancient tradition, or do you feel like you can guide yourself? Do you feel like you need a teacher?
DYLAN. A teacher? Oh yeah, all the time.
SHEPARD. I mean, do you actively search for a teacher?
DYLAN. Well, uh, me I listen to music for my thing, so like uh I’ll have to constantly be involved in some kind of way in that.
SHEPARD. Your music.
DYLAN. Yeah.
SHEPARD. So, music, in a way, is a teacher?
DYLAN. Yeah, well, y’know, you were talking about seeing Lightnin’ Hopkins. You know you just have to keep doing that. If you wanna keep doing it, ‘cause those are your sources.28
While Dylan has enlisted guidance from various sources and persons throughout his entire career, it seems at this time that these collaborations proved most crucial to produce substantive work. It is of particular note that Knocked Out Loaded and Down In The Groove contain a total of only four sole-authored, non-cover tracks by Dylan, which may be indicative of this reliance on other artist’s direct input to inform his own work during this time. Seemingly in a “mid-career slump” with dwindling critical successes and a need for “original thoughts,” many of these connections serve as Dylan’s lifeline for inventive efforts, and would be utilized later to sustain his songwriting, production, and especially his live performances.29 It may be suggested that this specific period of Dylan’s career, ranging from 1985 to 1989, can be seen as his most collaborative era. The interview between Shepard and Dylan provides insight into this phenomenon, as it relates to the impetus of such collaborations. When recounting the writing process of “Brownsville Girl,” “Miss Arizona,” and possibly other unheard (or unrecorded) tracks with Shepard, Dylan explains his need for outside assistance when experiencing creative or emotional turmoil.
SHEPARD. You’re in a better emotional state than the last time I saw you.
DYLAN. Ah, when was that? When we did those songs? SHEPARD. Yeah. You were going through a lot.
DYLAN. Let’s see what was happening then.
SHEPARD. Do you feel alright?
DYLAN. Yeah, I’m trying to picture.
SHEPARD. You know, we were up in that cabin up there?
DYLAN. Oh yeah, that was a—oh shit man, oh no. That’s why I asked you to come help me write these songs! (laughs)
SHEPARD. (laughs) Couldn’t write a lick! Now, how much do you think the mind has to do with that, your mental attitude?
DYLAN. Probably a lot.
SHEPARD. I mean if you paint bad, you’re gonna feel bad, right?
DYLAN. It seems that way.
SHEPARD. So, what do you do when—can you straighten your mind out when you’re going down a downhill slide?
DYLAN. Nah, I can’t. I usually have to have someone else do it for me.30
Not only is this exchange fascinating in its original context, but it may also shed light on Dylan’s motives in these collaborative partnerships. Though the location Dylan refers to as “the cabin” is unknown, it is likely referring to a separate facility near Dylan’s Malibu home. Regarding Dylan’s “mental attitude,” it is particularly noteworthy that the highly lauded co-write with Shepard came from a seemingly intense bout of turmoil. With the added context here, the line in “Brownsville Girl,” “I could feel a whole lot better, if you were just here by my side to show me how”31 seems self-referential and applies to how Dylan required Shepard’s assistance in remedying his lack of inspiration. When Dylan struggled to find “an original thought,” having Shepard by his side may have restored his creative capabilities, and might have operated similarly in other collaborative efforts around this time.
Almost forty years after Shepard sat down with Dylan for a long and rambling conversational interview, we’ve had the opportunity to listen to this time capsule and learn more about Dylan and his creative processes at a pivotal time in his career. Until now, the only publicly available material related to the tapes was Shepard’s fictionalized account of the interview as published in Esquire in the form of a one-act play. Unlike Dylan’s interviews with journalists and critics, the dialogue reported here reveals a side of Dylan that’s generally unguarded and nearly free of pretension.
Dylan showed in these tapes a fondness for reminiscing with Shepard about experiences from their shared past, opinions about other musicians and artists, and thoughts about the creative process. Most noteworthy, Dylan revealed an awareness of his limitations, his need for teachers, and his creative challenges. While some have speculated that Dylan’s approach to writer’s block has been a method of appropriation, details from the Shepard-Dylan tapes suggest that collaboration has been one of Dylan’s primary approaches to advancing when the creative juices aren’t flowing as freely. Access to this interview has given us a chance to peer into a conversation that’s both convivial and illuminating, with Dylan and Shepard metaphorically standing “side to side” in their collaborative and individual artistic efforts.
1 Callahan, Erin, et al. “‘I’m Still Pushin’ Myself Along the Road’: Reassessing Bob Dylan in the 1980s” World of Bob Dylan, 2025.
2 Dylan, Bob. Chronicles: Volume One. Simon & Schuster, 2004, 147.
3 Gray, Michael. Brownsville Girl. The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Continuum Press, 2006.
4 Dylan, Bob. Chronicles: Volume One. Simon & Schuster, 2004, 148.
5 Oppenheim, Irene. Changing Trains: Sam Shepard and Bob Dylan. Three Penny Review, 1980, 18-20.
6 Shepard, Sam. Rolling Thunder Logbook. Penguin, 1977.
7 Renaldo and Clara. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078151/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cst_sm
8 Heylin, Clinton. Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited. William Morrow, 2001.
9 See Bill Lattanzi, The Drafts of “Brownsville Girl, “Found and Lost, The Dylan Review, 8 Aug. 2025, for an exceptional account of the evolving drafts of the song.
10 Side to Side (Why Try to Fight it?) (draft). Sam Shepard Archive, The Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin.
11 Full public distribution was not cleared by the Wittliff Collections, due to copyright laws surrounding these materials. The tapes themselves, as well as Moreno’s transcript, can be requested by in-person appointment only.
12 Lattanzi, Bill. “The Drafts of Brownsville Girl, Found and Lost.”
13 For those familiar with Dylan’s wardrobe at this time, this jacket made many appearances, perhaps most infamously in Tony Gale’s photographs from 1966.
14 The Dylan-Shepard Tapes (1986). Sam Shepard Archive, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University. Transcribed by Mason Moreno.
15 This trend of awareness with Dylan’s discography can be linked to the title of Shepard’s 1971 play, Cowboy Mouth, which likely originated from Dylan’s “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands.” This specific phrase gets distinct attention in the interview as well, when the pair discuss the inherent power of certain words.
16 The Dylan-Shepard Tapes (1986). Sam Shepard Archive, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University. Transcribed by Mason Moreno.
17 Cott, Jonathan. “Bob Dylan as Filmmaker: ‘I’m Sure of My Dream Self. I Live in My Dreams.” Rolling Stone (26 January 1978)
18 Herren, Graley. (2025). Dylan + Art: Norman Raeben. Retrieved from https://shadowchasing.substack.com/p/dylan-art-norman-raeben
19 One of these musicians, Richard “Rabbit” Brown, wrote the track “James Alley Blues,” which is echoed in Dylan’s own “Crash on the Levee,” when he sings: “Well it’s sugar for sugar, and salt for salt.” It is no surprise that in this interview, Dylan immediately names this recording when Brown’s name is brought up by Shepard, given its relevance to Dylan’s own music.
20 Ellipses signify a break in the included interview material.
21 The Dylan-Shepard Tapes (1986). Sam Shepard Archive, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University. Transcribed by Mason Moreno.
22 Ibid.
23 George, Myers, Jr., “Phil Ochs in Africa.” Life of a Rebel. Retrieved from https://phil-ochs.blogspot.com/2008/04/phil-ochs-in-africa.html.
24 The Dylan-Shepard Tapes (1986). Sam Shepard Archive, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University. Transcribed by Mason Moreno.
25 The Dylan-Shepard Tapes (1986). Sam Shepard Archive, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University. Transcribed by Mason Moreno.
26 Hearts of Fire. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093163/locations/
27 The Dylan-Shepard Tapes (1986). Sam Shepard Archive, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University. Transcribed by Mason Moreno.
28 Ibid.
29 Note that around this time, Dylan had co-written “Jammin’ Me” and “Got My Mind Made Up” with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, while on the True Confessions Tour. In a similar vein, Dylan would team-up with the Grateful Dead in the summer of 1987 for live performances. The following year presented yet another instance of high-profile collaboration with the super-group, the Traveling Wilburys.
30 The Dylan-Shepard Tapes (1986). Sam Shepard Archive, Wittliff Collections, Texas State University. Transcribed by Mason Moreno.
31 Dylan, Bob. “Brownsville Girl.” Track 6 on Knocked Out Loaded. Columbia Records, 1986.
Works Cited
Callahan, Erin, Court Carney, Graley Herren, Rebecca Slaman, and Robert Reginio. “‘I’m Still Pushin’ Myself Along the Road’: Reassessing Bob Dylan in the 1980s.” Panel presentation at the World of Bob Dylan Conference, The University of Tulsa, July 26, 2025.
Cott, Jonathan. “Bob Dylan as Filmmaker: ‘I’m Sure of My Dream Self. I Live in My Dreams.’” Rolling Stone, January 26, 1978.
Dylan, Bob. “Brownsville Girl.” Track 6 on Knocked Out Loaded. Columbia Records, 1986, compact disc / LP.
Dylan, Bob. Chronicles: Volume One. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004.
George, Myers, Jr. “Phil Ochs in Africa.” Life of a Rebel (blog), April 2008. https://phil-ochs.blogspot.com/2008/04/phil-ochs-in-africa.html.
Gray, Michael. “Brownsville Girl.” In The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia, 103–5. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006.
Hearts of Fire. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Directed by Richard Marquand.
Lorimar Motion Pictures, 1987. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093163/.
Herren, Graley. “Dylan + Art: Norman Raeben.” Shadow Chasing (Substack), February 2, 2025. https://shadowchasing.substack.com/p/dylan-art-norman-raeben.
Heylin, Clinton. Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited. New York: William Morrow, 2001.
Lattanzi, Bill. “The Drafts of ‘Brownsville Girl,’ Found and Lost.” The Dylan Review 6, no. 1 (August 8, 2025). https://thedylanreview.org/2025/08/08/the-drafts-of-brownsville-girl-found-and-lost/.
Oppenheim, Irene. “Changing Trains: Sam Shepard and Bob Dylan.” The Threepenny Review, no. 3 (Autumn 1980): 18–20.
Reed, Lou. “Doin’ the Things That We Want To.” Lou Reed Archive. Accessed July 22, 2026. http://www.alwaysontherun.net/lou.htm#n6.
Renaldo and Clara. Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Directed by Bob Dylan. Circuit Films, 1978. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078151/.
Shepard, Sam. Rolling Thunder Logbook. New York: Penguin Books, 1977.
Shepard, Sam. “Side to Side (Why Try to Fight It?)” (draft). Sam Shepard Archive.
Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin.
The Dylan-Shepard Tapes. 1986. Transcribed by Mason Moreno. Sam Shepard Archive. The Wittliff Collections, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX.
