Bob Dylan is one of the most covered songwriters in history. His songs have been interpreted by everyone from Johnny Cash to Jimi Hendrix to Adele — and many have become legendary in their own right. Yet despite the countless tributes and reimaginings, there’s one cover version Dylan has openly said he dislikes more than any other.
And his reasoning isn’t about talent, popularity, or commercial success — it’s about intention and emotional truth.
The cover in question? “The Times They Are A-Changin’” as performed by The Byrds.
The Byrds — an influential folk-rock band in their own right — recorded The Times They Are A-Changin’ in the mid-1960s, adding their signature jangly guitars and smooth harmonies to one of Dylan’s most urgent protest songs. The result was musically appealing, but Dylan himself reportedly rejected the Byrds’ version — not on musical grounds, but because he felt it diluted the message.
In Dylan’s view, The Times They Are A-Changin’ was never meant to be a polished pop anthem. It was a raw call to awareness — a song rooted in social upheaval and urgency. By smoothing out its edges and “prettying” it up, Dylan felt the Byrds inadvertently softened the impact of the lyrics. What was once a rallying cry became, in his mind, a pleasant melody.
According to those close to him, Dylan has said something along the lines of: “I’ve never been happy with that version — it just doesn’t carry the same weight.” It’s a rare example of the songwriter openly critiquing an interpretation of his work.
Dylan has always been protective of his artistic intent, even as he acknowledges that songs take on new lives once they leave the writer’s pen. He’s praised other covers, including Jimi Hendrix’s iconic reimagining of All Along the Watchtower, which he reportedly admired for how deeply it transformed the original. But with the Byrds’ take on The Times They Are A-Changin’, he felt the emotional core was overlooked.
This speaks to a larger issue in music: the tension between interpretation and authentic voice. A cover can be technically superb, but if it misses the emotional landscape of the original, the songwriter may feel something is lost — even if listeners love the version.
History is full of Dylan covers that have soared. Beyond Hendrix, artists like Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, and Adele have delivered renditions that critics and fans widely praise — each bringing new dimension without betraying the spirit of the original. But the Byrds’ version remains a notable outlier precisely because it was once so celebrated, yet regarded by Dylan himself as a misfire.
It’s also a reminder that even beloved songwriters can look back at the reinterpretations of their work with mixed feelings. Cover versions celebrate the reach and resilience of a song — but they don’t always capture what the writer had in mind.
