Covering Dylan: 5 Takes on “It Ain’t Me Babe”

“It Ain’t Me Babe” was one of many songs Bob Dylan wrote about his tempestuous relationship with girlfriend Suze Rotolo in the early 1960s. It appeared on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan, which was the first Dylan record that focused more on matters of the heart than matters of the world.

Perhaps because it’s a bit more traditional in its structure (three verses, each punctuated with a refrain) than some of Dylan’s more unwieldy epics of that time, it was immediately popular as a cover opportunity for other artists. Sixty years since it was first released, folks are still taking their shots at “It Ain’t Me Babe.” Here are five memorable versions released over the years.

The Hit Take: The Turtles

The Turtles were an LA band that boasted the outstanding singing and arranging talents of Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. Although they benefited from top American songwriters and session talents, their sound owed a bit more to the British Invasion bands after whom they patterned themselves. On their version of “It Ain’t Me, Babe,” they pull off a nice dynamic of quiet and pensive in the verses to loud and taunting in the chorus. It worked, as it gave the band a Top-10 U.S. hit in 1965 that essentially launched their career.

The Duet Take: Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash

The mutual admiration between Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash manifested itself in some special musical moments. They duetted on “Girl from the North Country” on Dylan’s Nashville Skyline, and then performed that song together on Cash’s television variety show, which was a rare appearance of that kind by Dylan. Well before that, Cash and his wife June Carter did a version of “It Ain’t Me Babe” for Cash’s classic 1965 album Orange Blossom Special. They’d later give a stirring live take on the song for Dylan’s 30th anniversary concert in 1992.

The Crooner’s Take: Bryan Ferry

Ferry started to sprinkle in some ‘70s solo albums in between his work as lead singer of Roxy Music. On the first few of these albums, he concentrated on cover songs. He often took songs that were considered sacrosanct (such as material from the Great American Songbook) and twisted them to his own will. With “It Ain’t Me Babe,” he wrings every last bit of drama from the lyrics, as if the decision to not be this girl’s ideal mate is absolutely ripping out his insides. The pomp of the arrangement adds to that idiosyncratic effect.

The Emo Take: New Found Glory

You could make a case that Dylan was the first emo artist, a guy who wrote lyrics based on how he was feeling at any moment instead of worrying about the typical pop-song idioms. The Florida pop-punk veterans New Found Glory tapped into that vein on their cover of “It Ain’t Me Babe,” released on their 2007 compilation album From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II. They do a great job of placing the song into their context. When the lyrics mention leaving at your own chosen speed, it’s clear NFG’s selected pace is blistering.

The Bluesy Take: Bettye LaVette

The cool thing about “It Ain’t Me Babe” is any number of lyrical interpretations can work. Many versions sound almost snotty, as if when Dylan was singing no, no, no, he meant nyah, nyah, nyah. LaVette, whose 2018 album Things Have Changed is an absolute master class in finding new ways to cover Dylan, taps into a great well of sadness when she sings it. In her take, the narrator is expressing great regret she couldn’t meet up to the standards of her lover. It doesn’t matter who’s at fault. What matters is that it could have worked out, but didn’t.

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