1967 ‘King of Folk’ Song, Written in a New York Basement, Is Still a Powerful Hit 59 Years Later

In the aftermath of his 1966 motorcycle accident, Bob Dylan retreated from the public eye and began making music with The Band in Woodstock, New York. Among the songs recorded during those basement sessions was “I Shall Be Released,” which would become a lasting classic.

Following Dylan’s crash, four members of the Hawks, the group that had backed him during his 1965–1966 world tour, joined him in the Woodstock area. The musicians began working together on music and film projects, eventually producing more than 100 tracks in 1967.

The work began at Dylan’s home before moving to the basement of a house known as “Big Pink.” The recordings included original songs, traditional material and covers, while Dylan took his music in a more intimate direction than the one heard on Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde.

“I Shall Be Released” was among the original songs from this period. The lyrics follow a narrator who longs to be free, giving the song its powerful themes of hope and redemption.

The collection eventually became known as The Basement Tapes, although it wasn’t officially released until 1975. The album included 16 tracks featuring Dylan and The Band from 1967, along with eight songs performed by The Band without Dylan that were made between 1967 and 1975.

Dylan’s recording of “I Shall Be Released” stayed unreleased in the vault for years as part of that shelved collection, while other musicians brought their own versions of the song to audiences ahead of him. English musician Boz Burrell, performing under the name Boz, released the first official version as a single in May 1968. 

Two months later, The Band included its interpretation on its debut album, Music from Big Pink, with Richard Manuel on lead vocals and Rick Danko and Levon Helm singing harmony.

Dylan eventually revisited the composition. In 1971, he recorded a different arrangement with Happy Traum for Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II. His original 1967 performance finally received an official release in 1991 on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3. A remixed version later appeared on The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete in 2014.

Nearly six decades later, “I Shall Be Released” still ranks among Dylan’s most acclaimed songs. Rolling Stone placed it No. 6 on its list of the “100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs,” calling it an “evocative tale of a prisoner yearning for freedom” and a “rock hymn.” 

The song also became part of Lilith Fair history in 1999, when Sarah McLachlan and other performers sang it together. Their closing rendition was later included in the 2025 film Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery.

“I Shall Be Released” has also had a long run in Dylan’s live performances. Dylan’s website lists 491 performances of the song between its 1975 live debut and 2008. Following a lengthy hiatus, he brought it back as the closing song of his June 9, 2026, concert at the Cuthbert Amphitheater in Eugene, Oregon.

He has also performed it with artists including Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Elvis Costello, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, The Band, the Jerry Garcia Band and Amos Lee.

Related: 1969 Rock Song, Written by the ‘King of Folk,’ Was Reimagined by Cher Before It Became a Hit