Forever Young (Bob Dylan song)
| "Forever Young" | |
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| Song |
| "Forever Young" | |
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| Song | |
| B-side | "All Along the Watchtower" & "I Want You" |
"Forever Young" is a song by Bob Dylan. The song first appeared (in two different versions) on Dylan's 1974 album Planet Waves.
Analysis
In the notes for the 2007 album Dylan, Bill Flanagan said the following about "Forever Young":
After an eight year break from touring, Dylan's legend was big enough to fit all twelve apostles and still have room for a couple of Buddhas. He agreed to go back on the road in 1974 with The Band, his old backup group who had become stars themselves during the down time. They got together and quickly knocked off an album, Planet Waves, that featured two versions of a blessing from a parent to a child. In the years he was away from stage Dylan had become a father. He had that in common with a good chunk of the audience. The song reflected it. Memorably recited on American TV by Howard Cosell when Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight crown for the third time.
Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart recorded a song entitled "Forever Young" that was released as a single and included on his Out of Order album in 1988. The song was remarkably similar to the Bob Dylan song of the same title, sharing not only a similar melody but many of the same lyrics. Stewart agreed to share his royalties with Dylan.[1]
2009 Remix
In 2009 a remix of the song, "Forever Young (Continued)" was featured in a Pepsi commercial,[2] with will.i.am rapping a verse.[3] The advertisement ends with the slogan: "Every generation refreshes the world."
Cover versions
The Pretenders covered the song for their sixth studio album Last of the Independents and in the end credits to Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home.
Billy Corgan sang a cover version of the song on Bozo: 40 Years of Fun, the final episode of Chicago's long-running Bozo series.
On October 19, 2011, Norah Jones sang the song at the open-air memorial concert for Apple founder, Steve Jobs.[4]
On his 2013 album, Love Never Fails, X Factor runner-up Jahméne Douglas performed a remix of "Forever Young".
Peter, Paul and Mary covered the song in their album "Reunion" released in 1978.
In popular culture
The 2010 television series Parenthood uses the second version of this song, "Forever Young (Continued)" as its theme song.
"Forever Young" is one of seven Dylan songs whose lyrics were reset for soprano and piano (or orchestra) by John Corigliano for his song cycle Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan.[5]
Episode 12 of Season 1 of the television series Sons of Anarchy, opens and closes with a cover version of "Forever Young" sung by Audra Mae.
Retailer Kohl’s began running a television commercial in November 2013 for the holidays that portrays a couple decorating an elderly woman’s apartment set to a cover of Dylan’s “Forever Young.” [6]
References
- ^ Caro. "The song remains the same? Copycats tricky to tag in a recycled culture". Chicago Tribune. Victoria Advocate. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ "Forever Young" Pepsi commercial
- ^ WTF: Bob Dylan and Will.I.Am: "Forever Young" (Pepsi ad) - Pitchfork.
- ^ Wingfield, Nick (October 19, 2011). "Coldplay and Norah Jones Play at Memorial for Jobs". The New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
- ^ Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan at schirmer.com
- ^ “Kohl's Adds Emotional Brand Spots to Holiday Mix” by Natalie Zmuda, November 7 2013, Ad Age, http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/kohl-s-adjusts-holiday-marketing-mix/245177/
