The Beatles, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, frankly, every major popular musician would not exist in their current capacity with their own style if not for Elvis Presley. Presley, along with the likes of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and other artists, was one of, if not the most important, figure in the popularization of rock ‘n’ roll. Consequently, he trailblazed the paths for everyone, or at least a lot of people, including Bob Dylan.
Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley have little to no musical similarities. However, if you were a kid in the 50s, then you just know how monumental Elvis Presley’s entry into the music scene was. He did not just help create pop culture; he was pop culture. That being so, every kid with a taste for fame through music looked to him as a North Star, and per his comments, Bob Dylan was one of them.
Concerning Elvis’ influence, Dylan stated in an interview with US Weekly, “When I first heard Elvis’ voice, I just knew that I wasn’t going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss.” “Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail,” added Dylan, via Graceland.
Given those comments, it seems Elvis’ effect enticed, inspired, and pushed Bob Dylan to seek individual autonomy through music. Needless to say, Bob Dylan did that, and some more. So, when Elvis covered one of Dylan’s songs, the ever-so stoic Dylan showed a streak of sentimental emotion he rarely shows.
The Unreleased Bob Dylan Song Recorded by Elvis Presley
Bob Dylan’s catalog of songs is seemingly endless. He has material upon material upon material, so he can afford to give some of it away or not release it. Well, that is exactly what he did with the song, “Tomorrow Is A Long Time”, as Dylan recorded the song but never released it until 2010 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos: 1962–1964 album.
Before the release of that album, Elvis Presley covered the song in 1966. Given his affinity for The King, Dylan, surprisingly, spoke very candidly about how the cover moved him, and in a sense, the little kid inside him bled through.
Regarding the importance of the single, Bob Dylan told Rolling Stone, “Elvis Presley recorded a song of mine. That’s the one recording I treasure the most.” He also added that it was “the highlight of my career.”