Bob Dylan, Forever Young an enduring song

A friend sent this to me from the David Letterman Show.

(Updated June 2012) Written during Bob Dylan’s bucolic period as family man and Woodstock New York semi-recluse, ‘Forever Young’ has become one of Bob Dylan’s most enduring songs.

It was released on the album ‘Planet Waves’ and became a staple of Dylan’s concerts in the 1970s and later. “Planet Waves” is often ignored; however, it has several rarely heard gems such as ‘Hazel’, ‘Young Angel You’ and “On a Night Like This.”

The song is a lullaby of father to son with the simple message of love, grow up straight and true but remain young at heart. ‘Forever Young’ also reflects strong spiritual values that were awakening in Dylan.

One of my favorite versions is with The Band at the end of ‘The Last Waltz’. The fan posting has Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s hip poem as an intro. ‘The Last Waltz’ is one of the greatest rock concert videos and features some of the best artists of the 1960s.

Lyrics

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young

May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young
Copyright © 1973 by Ram’s Horn Music; renewed 2001 by Ram’s Horn Music

Cover Versions

The song strikes an emotional chord and has been covered extensively.

English

• Joan Baez incorporated “Forever Young” into her repertoire in 1974, releasing a studio version that year, and frequently including the song in her concert set lists from then on; she has released two additional live recordings of the song.
• The Band originally backed Dylan on the song on Planet Waves, and subsequently covered the song on their 1996 album High on the Hog.
• Harry Belafonte, on CBS CB85254, 1977
• The Black Crowes
• Johnny Cash
• Billy Corgan on the finale of The Bozo Show entititled Bozo: 40 Years of Fun!
• The Grateful Dead with Neil Young, live version on 11/3/91 at the Polo Field at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco
• Jerry Garcia with the Jerry Garcia Band
• John Illsley with Cunla and Greg Pearle on Live in Les Baux de Provence
• Rebbie Jackson, for the soundtrack of Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
• Norah Jones on Steve Jobs (former Apple CEO) memorial concert in October 2011
• Patti Labelle, on Live Aid
• Stoney LaRue, on The Red Dirt Album
• Meat Loaf, on Couldn’t Have Said It Better
• Audra Mae, two different versions used in Season One Episode 12 of Sons of Anarchy
• Matell on Forever Matell
• The Pretenders, on Last of the Independents
• Diana Ross, on Swept Away
• Pete Seeger, on Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International
• Rod Stewart on Out of Order
  (While ostensibly a different song, the Stewart song actually used the same melody and many of the same lyrics as the Dylan song. Stewart conceded it was the same song by agreeing to share composer royalties with Dylan.)
• Soweto Gospel Choir
• Eddie Vedder in Water on the Road
• Kitty Wells released a version of the song backed by members of the Allman Brothers Band in 1975
• Randy Kaplan on “The Kids Are All Id” (2010).
• Lakyn Heperi on Australias version of “The Voice” (2012)

Other languages

• Morten Harket covered the song in Norwegian under the translated title “Evig Ung”
• André Heller & Wolfgang Ambros covered the song in Austrian German under the translated title “Für immer jung”
• The German band BAP covered the song in Kölsch, a German dialect spoken in Cologne.
• Benny Holst covered the song in Danish under the title “Til Evig TId”
• The song was translated into Hebrew by Yair Lapid and performed by Rami Kleinstein under the title “Tza’ir Lanetzach” (צעיר לנצח)

List from Wikipedia

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