Bob Dylan’s Pick for His “Most Perfect Song” Comes From One of His Most Divisive Albums

Bob Dylan has long been an opaque public figure, confusing and befuddling onlookers with his deeply metaphorical songwriting and guarded exterior. This purposeful disconnect from the outside world has inevitably led to dissonance between Dylan and his audience, including over what to consider the songwriter’s best work.

In a 1983 interview with NME, Dylan shared his favorite, “most perfect” song. And surprisingly, it came from a somewhat divisive album. During his mid-80s conversation, Dylan cited “Shot Of Love”, the title track to his 21st studio album, as the ideal song from his already prolific collection.

“The purpose of music is to elevate and inspire the spirit,” Dylan told NME (via SongFacts). “To those who care where Bob Dylan is at, they should listen to ‘Shot Of Love’. It’s my most perfect song. It defines where I am spiritually, musically, romantically, and whatever else.” He continued, “It shows where my sympathies lie. It’s all there in that one song.”

“Shot Of Love” was never a single. Rather, it appeared as a cut on the 1981 album of the same name—an album that alienated and divided Bob Dylan’s fan base.

Of Course Bob Dylan’s “Most Perfect Song” Came From a Hotly Contested Album

Bob Dylan has never been one to march to the beat of someone else’s drum, and that’s certainly true of his opinions about his own songwriting. While Dylan would call “Shot Of Love” his most identity-affirming track in his catalogue, many others would consider it a skippable track on a not-so-great album. Indeed, Shot Of Love is among Dylan’s infamous Christian trilogy, closing out the trio of religiously themed albums after Saved and Slow Train Coming.

Shot Of Love, like the two albums that came before it, were poorly received by the general public. Many believe Dylan’s Christian phase to be some of his worst work, and that was reflected in his chart performance. Although the 1981 album broke into the Top 10 in the United Kingdom, it peaked at a relatively modest No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. Considering that Dylan once dominated the mainstream chart in the 1960s, this difference was notable.

Perhaps that’s why Dylan remains so opaque after all. When he does present himself to the public—spiritually, musically, and romantically, as he said—the public just doesn’t get it.

Photo by NBCU Photo Bank

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