It’s one of the biggest hits of Bob Dylan’s career. But it’s also one of the most uncharacteristic, a country-tinged track with a strange rhythmic pulse and lyrics that head straight for the boudoir.
On top of that, it didn’t even serve the purpose for which it was written. Here’s how “Lay Lady Lay” went from intended movie song to unexpected smash single.
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The Country Crooner
Nobody knew what to expect of Bob Dylan in 1969. He hadn’t done much in the way of public appearances ever since a 1966 motorcycle accident dramatically slowed down his professional pace. John Wesley Harding, the only album he’d released in that stretch, was a muted affair, far from the howling ambition of albums like Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde On Blonde.
But even having established that level of unpredictability, Dylan went way far afield with his next album. Although he’d recorded parts of several albums in Nashville by that point, he went all-in with the prevailing sound of the city on that ’69 album, making a pretty straightforward country LP in Nashville Skyline.
His first single release from the record was “I Threw It All Away”, which showed how affecting Dylan could be, even when writing lyrics in short, succinct strokes. But the public turned away from it, and the song only made it to No. 85. Luckily, Dylan had another arrow in his Nashville Skyline quiver, and this one turned out to be a bullseye.
Too Late and Right on Time
Bob Dylan wrote “Lay Lady Lay” when he was asked by director John Schlesinger to compose a song for his new movie Midnight Cowboy. Unfortunately for Dylan, he turned in his assignment late. The gig instead went to Fred Neil, whose “Everybody’s Talkin’” became a huge smash thanks to an indelible Harry Nilsson performance.
At least Dylan could use “Lay Lady Lay” on Nashville Skyline. When recording the song, session player Kenny Buttrey asked for guidance on what kind of percussion he should play. Unfortunately, Dylan and producer Bob Johnston gave him conflicting instructions.
Frustrated, Buttrey decided to show the two men how crazy this sounded. He played both the cowbell and the bongos on the track, but somehow, it worked. Along with Pete Drake’s sighing steel guitar, it became one of the track’s distinguishing characteristics. However, it had a hard time competing in that arena with Dylan’s voice.
A Special “Lady”
Many who heard “Lay Lady Lay” on the radio in 1969 did double-takes when they were told it was Bob Dylan singing the song. The famous whine of his mid-60s years was replaced with a crooner’s mewl. Dylan explained that he achieved this new vocal tone simply by giving up smoking.
For all that, Dylan himself didn’t think much of “Lay Lady Lay”. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t choose it as the lead single. Luckily for Bob, Columbia music exec Clive Davis intervened. Davis heard a hit in the song and insisted that it be released as a single.
Dylan relented. “Lay Lady Lay”, with its odd structure and the artist’s sly bedroom wooing, soared to No. 7 in 1969. Once again, an unpredictable move by Bob Dylan turned out golden for him.
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