Country Rock
The song “Lay, lady Lay” was written by Bob Dylan. It was intended for the soundtrack of the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight. However, it missed the submission deadline and was not included. Dylan released it on his 1969 album Nashville Skyline and as a single backed with “Peggy Day.” In 1969, the song went to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the U .K. Singles Chart. It was also in the Top 20 in Ireland and Australia.
Dylan sings in a low crooning style rather than a high nasal one he adopted for earlier albums. He attributed it to the fact that he stopped smoking (he had used this voice before, but never mind). On the track were Dylan (guitar, harmonica, keyboards, vocals), Pete Drake (pedal steel guitar), Charlie Daniels (guitar), Charlie McCoy (bass), Kenny Buttrey (drums), and Bob Wilson (organ, piano).
The song’s lyrics are simple and direct. It has become a standard and has been covered by numerous artists, including The Birds, The Everly Brothers, Melanie, The Isley Brothers, Duran Duran, Hoyt Axton, Ministry, and many more.
Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota. Over these many decades he has been a singer, songwriter, painter, writer, and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. His music covers variety of genres, including folk, blues, country, gospel, rock and roll, rockabilly, jazz, the American Songbook. He has been influential both musically and culturally.
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