The Story and Meaning Behind “Sara,” Bob Dylan’s Colossal Ode to His First Wife

Bob Dylan recorded “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,” his first massive tribute to his wife, in 1966 to close out his magnificent double album Blonde on Blonde. A decade later, he did it again with “Sara” on his album Desire, although, as it turned out, it would turn out to be more of a farewell song than one that propped up their union.

What is “Sara” about? Where was Dylan at in his relationship when he wrote it? And how did it differ from many of the other songs on the Desire album? Here is the story of Dylan’s most autobiographical, heartfelt songs.

The Saga of Bob and Sara

Bob Dylan met the fashion model Sara Lownds in 1964 as her first marriage was starting to fall apart. Dylan was by that time one of the most famous musicians in the world, and he had already dated several women on a serious basis, but his relationship with Sara soon superseded all that. They were married in 1965, and would have four children together, while Bob also took custody of Sara’s daughter from her first marriage.

The marriage started showing serious signs of strain in the early ’70s. Although Dylan always denied this was the case, most people have guessed the harrowing songs about relationship turmoil on the album Blood on the Tracks were about reflections on the state of his union.

As it turned out, the marriage struggles coincided with a resurgence in Dylan’s career. Blood on the Tracks was hailed by most as an artistic triumph on par with any of his hallowed ’60s works. He started touring regularly again with great success, and the official release of The Basement Tapes with The Band in 1975 only solidified that Dylan was as popular as he had ever been, which was remarkable considering his slump in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

In 1975, Dylan started writing songs with the help of Jacques Levy, a theater producer and part-time songwriter. Most of the album Desire came from this collaboration, as Dylan and Levy churned out a set of story songs that were so rife with details and imagery you could visualize most of them as mini-movies.

But Dylan came to those sessions with a couple songs already completed, and one of them was “Sara.” It was rare for him to write in such autobiographical fashion, but his love for his wife and his desperation for them to be reunited must have driven him in this direction. In a strange bit of coincidence, Sara Dylan showed up in the studio the night the song was recorded in July 1975, and the two did reconcile at that point.

That reconciliation was short-lived. Although Sara accompanied him on the rollicking Rolling Thunder Revue tour that followed Desire and starred with him in the little-seen film Renaldo and Clara that was made around that time, they soon separated again. They eventually divorced in 1977.

What is the Meaning of “Sara”?

Although it did not ultimately repair all wounds, “Sara” stands as a testament to the depth of feeling between Bob and Sara Dylan. The song begins by recalling summer holidays the couple and their children spent in happier times. By song’s end, Dylan reflects upon where the relationship stands by drawing a comparison: Now the beach is deserted except for some kelp / And a piece of an old ship that lies on the shore.

In between all that, he keeps flashing back to memorable moments in their relationship, including one momentous, musical one: Staying up for days in the Chelsea Hotel / Writing “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” for you. In the refrains, he tries to capture her elusive nature, often in vain: So easy to look at, so hard to define.

Dylan’s voice quivers with emotion as he makes his testimony: Sara, oh Sara, it’s all so clear, I could never forget / Sara, oh Sara, loving you is the one thing I’ll never regret. Doomed though the marriage may have been, few rock couplings have been immortalized in such convincing fashion.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Photo by Steve Morley/Redferns