Two pages of Bob Dylan‘s original lyrics to “Mr. Tambourine Man” were sold for $508,000 in a recent auction.
The auction took place on January 18 in Nashville at Julien’s Auctions. Among the 60 items up for sale were photos, music sheets, a guitar, and artwork by Dylan. Most of the items came from the collection of the late music journalist Al Aronowitz.
The auction raised nearly $1.5 million, with Dylan’s typewritten lyrics making up a third of the total. The three drafts of the 1965 song were part of his iconic album Bringing It All Back Home. The song was released as the album’s opening track and became a hit when covered by The Byrds in 1965.
The lyrics, written on yellow paper, featured Dylan’s handwritten annotations. According to Aronowitz’s 1973 article, Dylan composed the song in Aronowitz’s New Jersey home after a breakup with his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo. Aronowitz recalled that Dylan typed the lyrics while listening to Marvin Gaye’s “Can I Get a Witness?” on repeat.
Aronowitz later shared that he almost discarded the early drafts, which he had found crumpled in a wastebasket. Instead, he kept them, realizing their significance over time.
Aronowitz’s son, Myles, spent years sorting through his father’s vast collection, which led to the discovery of these rare documents. He said the drafts had long been considered lost, and were part of the family’s “lore.”
The auction also included other high-value items. A signed 1968 oil painting by Dylan sold for $260,000, while a custom 1983 Fender guitar fetched $225,000.
At 83, Bob Dylan remains an influential figure in music, and his life is currently being depicted in the biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet. Chalamet, who trained for years to play Dylan, said the process of learning the guitar, harmonica, and singing was “magical.”
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