"Spanish Harlem Incident" is a song written and performed by

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 ...

which was released on his album, '' Another Side of Bob Dylan'', on August 8,

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

. The song has been described as "a gorgeous vignette" by critics and been praised for its multilayered, poetic dimensions. When Dylan himself has been questioned about the song's subject matter he has confessed that he has no idea. However, author Paul Williams describes the song as a portrait of a

gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

girl that Dylan has seen only fleetingly but who has completely captivated him. Williams goes on to say that within the context of the song, Dylan is falling in love with not only the gypsy girl but also with the whole idea of gypsies and of himself in love with one. The song takes its name from the

Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the east ...

neighborhood of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Reception

Music critic Tim Riley writes that "'Spanish Harlem Incident' is a new romance that pretends to be short and sweet, but it's an example of how Dylan begins using uncommon word couplings to evoke the mysteries of intimacy...her 'rattling drums' plays off his 'restless palms'; her 'pearly eyes' and 'flashing diamond teeth' off his 'pale face.'" Dylan has only performed the song once, on October 31, 1964, during a concert at New York's Philharmonic Hall (now the David Geffen Hall). This performance was officially released in 2004, on '' The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall''.

Covers

The song was covered by

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

on their 1965 debut album, '' Mr. Tambourine Man'', and had first been performed by the band during their pre-fame residency at

Ciro's Ciro's (later known as Ciro's Le Disc) was a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California owned by William Wilkerson. Opened in 1940, Ciro's became a popular nightspot for celebrities. The nightclub closed in 1960 and was reopen ...

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

in West Hollywood, California. The song was one of four Dylan covers to appear on their debut album. After its appearance on the ''Mr. Tambourine Man'' album, The Byrds performed the song infrequently at live

concert A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

s. "Spanish Harlem Incident" was also covered by Dion on his 1978 ''Return of the Wanderer'' album.

Chris Whitley Christopher Becker Whitley (August 31, 1960 – November 20, 2005) was an American blues/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. Whitley's sound was drawn from the traditions of blues, jazz and rock and he recorded songs by artists from many g ...

covered the song (as well as Dylan's " 4th Time Around") on '' Perfect Day'' in 2000. In 2006, a live cover of the song by

Silkworm ''Bombyx mori'', commonly known as the domestic silk moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of '' Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. Silkworms are the larvae of silk moths. The silkworm is of ...

was featured on their final EP "Chokes!", featuring posthumous vocals from drummer Michael Dahlquist.

References

External links

Song lyrics at BobDylan.com
{{Authority control Songs written by Bob Dylan Bob Dylan songs The Byrds songs 1964 songs Song recordings produced by Tom Wilson (record producer) Song recordings produced by Terry Melcher