"My Own Version of You" is a song written and performed by the American singer-songwriter

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

and released as the third track on his 2020 album ''

Rough and Rowdy Ways ''Rough and Rowdy Ways'' is the thirty-ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on June 19, 2020, through Columbia Records. It is Dylan's first album of original songs since his 2012 album '' Tempest'', following three ...

''. Inspired by

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ( , ; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of science fiction# ...

's novel ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'', this darkly comical song features a narrator who describes bringing "someone to life" using the body parts of disparate corpses in what has been widely interpreted as an elaborate metaphor for the songwriting process.

Composition and recording

The song's lyrics prominently feature gothic-horror imagery, which can be found to a lesser extent on other tracks on ''

'' (including " I Contain Multitudes", which references the stories "

The Tell-Tale Heart "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It is told by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of the narrator's sanity while simultaneously describing a murder the nar ...

" and "

The Cask of Amontillado "The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of ''Godey's Lady's Book''. The story, set in an unnamed Italy, Italian city at carnival time, is about a man taking fa ...

" by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

, and " Murder Most Foul", which alludes to the movies ''The Wolf Man'', ''The Invisible Man'' and ''

A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American Supernatural horror film, supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise), ''A ...

''). A number of lyrics in "My Own Version of You" explicitly reference ''

'', including the opening verse ("I've been visiting morgues and monasteries / Looking for the necessary body parts") as well as lines about studying "Sanskrit and Arabic to improve my mind" and needing "one strike of lightning" and a "blast of 'lectricity that runs at top speed" in order to bring the song's creature, the "you" of the title, to life. One of the song's most distinctive features is its unpredictability. The first half of the refrain that concludes each verse is the same ("I'll bring someone to life...") but is followed by a different lyric in the second half each time. Even more unusual is the way the number of lines in each verse varies dramatically from one verse to the next. As Chris Gregory writes in his book ''Determined to Stand: The Reinvention of Bob Dylan'', "Two four line verses are followed by three eight line verses, two more four line verses and one final marathon twenty line verse. This unpredictability helps to maintain a distinctly edgy ambience, as we are drawn into the meandering narrative". Some critics have noted that, even apart from the lyrics, the music to "My Own Version of You" is "spooky". This is due primarily to Tony Garnier's descending bass line and a pedal-steel guitar part by Donnie Herron that resembles the sound of the

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...

parts frequently heard on science-fiction and horror-movie soundtracks. The song's overall musical atmosphere has also been compared to that of

Screamin' Jay Hawkins Jalacy J. "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, film producer, and boxer. Famed chiefly for his powerful, shouting vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of s ...

' 1956 novelty-horror single "

I Put a Spell on You "I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song recorded by "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins and co-written with Herb Slotkin. The selection became a classic cult song, covered by a variety of artists. It was Hawkins's greatest commercial success, reportedly su ...

". Dylan scholar and musicologist Eyolf Ostrem has described

Blake Mills Blake Mathew Simon Mills (born September 21, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer based in California. He is known for production and guitar work on albums and singles by many artists, including Fiona Apple, ...

' guitar part as "quite advanced playing, which requires precision and dexterity". The song is performed in the sounding key of

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Themes

A number of critics see the notion of a mad-scientist narrator stitching together "body parts" in order to create new life as analogous to the way Dylan, as writer, stitches together lines from diverse sources (e.g., songs, poems, movie dialogue, etc.) in order to bring a ''song'' to life. Chief among these critics is Dylan scholar Laura Tenschert who posits "My Own Version of You" as part of a diptych of songs, along with " Mother of Muses", that explore the "myth and mystery of creation" on ''

''. Tenschert also considers that the line "I want to do things for the benefit of all mankind" may be a humorous reference to Dylan's having won the

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

in 2016:

Alfred Nobel Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( ; ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite, as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes. He also m ...

established the prize when he stated in his will that the remainder of his estate should be used to endow "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind". Still others see the "you" of the title as referring to Dylan himself, and the song's main theme being that of artistic reinvention. Critic Justin Cober-Lake, for instance, wrote that "The question, among all the wordplay, asks who the 'you' is that Dylan addresses. One path suggests he's recreating someone who has left. Another reading sees him speaking to himself. When he sings, 'I'm saying to hell to all things that I used to be', he suggests that he's reinventing himself, which maybe paradoxically, has been a core element of Dylan the artist. If so, the song talks directly to Dylan's fans and critics. If we’ve spent years creating our own imagined versions of who Dylan is, he can play with that idea, stitch some limbs together and make his own version of himself".

Critical reception

Sam Sodomsky, writing in ''Pitchfork'', called the song a "macabre narrative" in which Dylan sings "about playing god as he scavenges through morgues and cemeteries to reanimate a few notable corpses and absorb their knowledge...slapstick horror rendered as existential comedy". Writing in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'', critic

Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Blen ...

described Dylan's vocal performance on the track as "marvelously nimble and delicate" as he sings the song's humorous lyrics. Critic Sanjoy Narayan, who hailed ''

'' as a "masterpiece", cited "My Own Version of You" as the one song "that really stood out" to him on the album. In his review of ''Rough and Rowdy Ways'' in the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', critic Jon Bream sees "My Own Version of You" as bearing the influence of the many traditional pop standards Dylan had recently recorded in the studio and live in concert: "Sonically, this has the flourish of neither colorful keyboardist nowiki/>Leon Russell or Liberace">Leon_Russell.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Leon Russell">nowiki/>Leon Russell or Liberace] but rather plenty of underwater surf guitar. With Dylan's vocals upfront over what sounds like a soundtrack to an old silent movie, this moody piece recalls the evocative jazz of Dylan's three recent collections of standards". ''Spectrum Culture'' cited it as one of "Bob Dylan's 20 Best Songs of the '10s and Beyond". ''

The Big Issue ''The Big Issue'' is a United Kingdom–based street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. ''The Big Issue'' is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer ho ...

'' placed it at #76 on a list of the "80 best Bob Dylan songs - that aren't the greatest hits". A 2021 ''Guardian'' article included it on a list of "80 Bob Dylan songs everyone should know".

Cultural references

Two of the song's lyrics reference famous lines in plays by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

: "Well, it must be the winter of my discontent" paraphrases the opening line of ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' and "Tell me what it means / To be or not to be" alludes to the most well-known line in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''. "I'll take the ''Scarface'' Pacino and the ''Godfather'' Brando / Mix 'em up in a tank and get a robot commando" refers to two of the most famous performances by American "

method actors Method (, methodos, from μετά/meta "in pursuit or quest of" + ὁδός/hodos "a method, system; a way or manner" of doing, saying, etc.), literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In re ...

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

and

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

. The line about making "gunpowder from ice" is a reference to a passage in Chapter 5 of ''

Gulliver's Travels ''Gulliver's Travels'', originally titled ''Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships'', is a 1726 prose satire by the Anglo-Irish writer and clerg ...

'' by

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer, essayist, satirist, and Anglican cleric. In 1713, he became the Dean (Christianity), dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and was given the sobriquet "Dean Swi ...

. The line "I'll be at the Black Horse Tavern on Armageddon Street" contains two references to the

Book of Revelation The Book of Revelation, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse or the Apocalypse of John, is the final book of the New Testament, and therefore the final book of the Bible#Christian Bible, Christian Bible. Written in Greek language, Greek, ...

: In addition to the obvious reference to the biblical end times battle, the "Black Horse" is likely a reference to the Third Horseman of the Apocalypse (AKA Famine) who rides a black horse and may also be the inspiration for the ''

'' song '' Black Rider".However, the phrase could also evoke the White Horse Tavern in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

—a famous hangout of folk musicians, artists, and bohemians, as well as the last place poet

Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer, whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Un ...

drank before his death. Given that Dylan took his stage name from Thomas, this may be a subtle nod to the poet’s tragic end. The song alludes to

classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...

with lines about

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

and "

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

women and children" being sold into slavery. Similar references to

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

can be found on other songs on ''

''. As in " Goodbye Jimmy Reed", the line "You can bring it to

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

, you can bring it to Jerome" humorously juxtaposes the sacred and the secular by referencing an apostle of

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

alongside

Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...

's maracas player. Jerome may also refer to Saint Jerome of Stridon, a Christian pirest, confessor and theologian. The line "Can you help me walk that moonlight mile?" is a reference to the 1971 song " Moonlight Mile" by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

(who are also referenced as "them British bad boys" on ''Rough and Rowdy Ways opening track " I Contain Multitudes"). Dylan identifies "Mr.

Freud Sigmund Freud ( ; ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies seen as originating from conflicts in t ...

" and "Mr.

Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...

" as two of the "best-known enemies of mankind" in the song and refers to them as burning together in hell. Dylan had derisively mentioned Freud and Marx together on at least one previous occasion: At a press conference in Rome to promote ''Love and Theft'' in 2001, Dylan was asked if he feared analysis. His response was, "No...I don't know what anybody can find in any of my stuff...Analysis? A Freudian analysis, you mean? Or German idealism? Or maybe a Freudian-Marxist? I don't know".

Live performances

"My Own Version of You" received its live debut at the Riverside Theater in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

on November 2, 2021, the first concert of Dylan's Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour. According to Dylan's official website, he has performed the song in concert 250 times as of April 2025.

References

External links

*
Lyrics
at Bob Dylan's official site

at Dylanchords {{Bob Dylan 2020 songs Bob Dylan songs Songs written by Bob Dylan