Bob Dylan – Pretty Peggy-O, 1962 (Audio/Pics/Lyrics)
May 16, 2009 Columbia Records
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Bob Dylan released his first self-titled album "Bob Dylan" in 1962. In his first album is the song "Pretty Peggy-O," a variation of the Scottish folk song "The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie." Bob Dylan's first album sold around 5000 copies the first year, just breaking even. Some in Columbia Records wanted to drop Bob Dylan, but due to support from the likes of Johnny Cash he stayed. Bob Dylan rarely performed songs from his first album and as such I was unable to find a live version of the song on video. So I put a together a collection of photographs and lyrics. Due to the faith of those who knew him in his early days, Bob Dylan has become a legend and will always be remembered in history as an important figure in music whose influence spans five decades.
Tags: 1962, Audio/Pics/Lyrics, Dylan, PeggyO, Pretty
May 16th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Yo Moephishron The Dead is my favorite band in the world. I would cut my life short if it would bring Jerry back. But come on you got six musicians vs. One. You cannot say this is any better or worse. But That one with Jerry in the purple shirt, God dam, I lose my bowels every time.
May 16th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Fyvie is actually north of Aberdeen .song refers to old meldrum and aberdeen when army moves south ,other versions speak of aul bethelnie toun .Bethelnie is a farm ( i think) next to old Meldrum
May 16th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
You can only compare it to the original SCOTTISH folk song, I’m Scots and I been laughing at this song since 66, it’s a howl. Tempus Fugit eh? Fyvie is an old variation of Fife, the county Stuart Adamson came from.
May 16th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
You cant compare this version to the the Grateful deads version. They are so different but each have their own beautiful twists to them
May 16th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
I like this version much better.
The folk side of things is down to earth.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
exactly. they practically completely rewrote it. and its so much better than this.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
great to see..lol hear the eytomology of songs tho isnt it…love it…
May 17th, 2009 at 12:23 am
I like the dead’s version better.
May 17th, 2009 at 12:53 am
yo moephishron, bob dylan did many songs in honor of jerry when he died like tangled up in blue, etc….sure jerry played it better but bobs just trying to keep his spirit around
May 17th, 2009 at 1:49 am
I consider this a Grateful Dead song. They made it their own, and well, this is alright but it downright sucks compared to the Dead
May 17th, 2009 at 2:43 am
I wouldn’t say it’s “country”, it owes more to early American music, especialy “Hobbo”, which Dylan was consciously influenced by. You may prefer traditional folk, which i like too by the way, but songs will allways be passed on and remade, which is great, then we have more to choose from (:
May 17th, 2009 at 3:32 am
also peg of my heart
=0)
my name is peggy, so i get to hear people sing peggy songs all the time.
its really cool.
used to be a popular name. im not a margeret either, im peggy. =0)
May 17th, 2009 at 3:39 am
The Grateful Dead made this song what it is.
May 17th, 2009 at 4:16 am
God! As much as I like Dylan… how could he make a “country” music of this very special for all Scots song??? If you want to listen to and feel the special spirit, the emotions that it brings while singing and listening to it, just please listen to the Corries version at Live-a-live-o album. You will cry from emotions
May 17th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Word River..Corries #1
May 17th, 2009 at 5:59 am
That’s what your man Macca says!!
May 17th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Deads version is sooo much KYNDER….
bUT he was def doing hiS thing…
Joe HO…aka demO
He went off with the rodeO
May 17th, 2009 at 6:07 am
Ruined by a master . Get the Scots to do it right . Beautiful on the pipes and brilliant by the Corries . Only true versions we get as i find the Confederate civil war versions more suited to ‘Deliverance’.
May 17th, 2009 at 6:42 am
Dylan wasn’t the first to redo the work: there’s a couple of older English versions that come to mind (“Pretty Peggy of Derby”, “Handsome Polly-O”), as well as a reported Appalachian version. The origions in Scotland are unclear: some say the siege of Fyvie Castle in 1644.
If there really were a single composer, I think he’d be more amused than offended by Dylan’s references to “Feanneario”, Texas rodeos, and Louisiana.
Agreed that Dylan IS a legend. I’ve enjoyed his music for many years.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:21 am
BenAliGtor:
If there is anyone we could let slide on a bastardization of your beautiful Scottish tune, I would hope it would be Robert Zimmerman. I,m sure that the composer of “The Maid of Fyvie-o” is quite honored to have a LEGEND cover his work.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Well, it’s a bastardization of a Scottish tune that goes back a bit and takes place in Fyvie, “The Maid of Fyvie-o”- so that may be why Dylan has never heard of “Feanneario”.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Hey, the reason Dylan did the song this way is that EVERYBODY was a doin’ this here song….his version is a comic send up…
May 17th, 2009 at 8:23 am
i love this song :d bob is the best ever
May 17th, 2009 at 9:01 am
where do i get a bigger version of that photo at 1:13? plz plz plz let me know
May 17th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Great Bravedo! I want to roll along with him!!