Bob Dylan releases first original song in 8 years (listen)

Things suck right now, but here’s some good news: Bob Dylan has released his first original song since 2012’s Tempest (his more recent releases had been covers of standards). And it’s not just any new song, it’s a seventeen-minute new song about the John F. Kennedy murder. Dylan says:

Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years.
This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting.
Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.
Bob Dylan

Backed by some lovely strings and piano, Dylan rattles off stream-of-consciousness lyrics with all kinds of clever period references, and he sounds great. Listen below.

Dylan is scheduled for a summer tour with Nathaniel Rateliff, which is supposed to hit NYC’s Forest Hills Stadium and Bethel Woods (home of the original Woodstock festival, one of the many ’60s events mentioned in “Murder Most Foul”), but like all tours, the fate of that one probably remains to be seen.