Dylan Song by Song: "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" Quiz

Answer: Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume II

While Dylan first recorded the song in 1967 after his motorcycle accident, he did not release a version of it until 1971 on "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume II." This alternate version of the song was recorded in September and released in November. Rolling Stone magazine describes the 1971 version as "a good-time banjo shuffle."

Answer: The Hawks / The Band

Dylan engaged in writing and recording sessions with the Hawks (later the Band) in the basement of their "Big Pink" house in Woodstock, New York between June and October of 1967. Many songs from these sessions, including "You Ain't Going Nowhere," were later released on "The Basement Tapes" album in 1975. Rolling Stone magazine writes that "the definitive Basement Tapes version" of this song "is mysterious, doomy, yet somehow still festive."

Answer: McGuinn

Rolling Stone magazine called this line "a sly riposte to the Byrds' Roger McGuinn." The Byrds released a straight country version of the song before Dylan ever released a version of his own, in 1968, as a single from their album "Sweetheart of the Rodeo." It peaked at number 74 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman of the Byrds together released another version of the song in 1989, and that version made it into the top ten on the Hot Country Songs chart.

Answer: my bride

Joan Baez released her version of "You Ain't Going Nowhere" on her 1968 album "Any Day Now," which consisted exclusively of covers of Bob Dylan songs. Bob Dylan sings, "Tomorrow's the day that my bride's gonna come." Another early (1968) cover of the song was recorded by Unit 4+2, a British pop band best known for its hit "Concrete and Clay."

Answer: swift

"Clouds so swift and rain fallin' in
Gonna see a movie called Gunga Din
Pack up your money, pull up your tent, McGuinn
You ain't goin' nowhere."

According to the Official Bob Dylan site, this song was performed live 108 times from January of 1976 to November of 2012.

Answer: easy chair

"Whoo-ee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's gonna come
Whoo-ee, are we gonna fly?
Down into the easy chair."

Mary Chapin Carpenter performed "You Ain't Going Nowhere" live at the the 30th Anniversary Concert with Roseanne Cash and Shawn Colvin. The concert was held live in Madison Square Garden in 1992 as a tribute to Bob Dylan, who had been producing music for thirty years at that point.

Answer: Genghis Khan

"Genghis Khan and his brother, Don
Couldn't keep on keepin' on
We'll climb that bridge after it's gone
After we're way past it."

In other versions of this song, Dylan sings, "Genghis Khan, he could not keep / all his kids supplied with sleep."

Genghis Khan, who was born in the 12th century, founded the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history.

Answer: a gun

Versions of the song have appeared on numerous Bob Dylan albums, including "Greatest Hits Volume II," "The Basement Tapes," "The Bootleg Series Volume 11," "The 30th Anniversary Concert," and "The Essential Bob Dylan." The song has been covered by Phil Carmen, Dumptruck, The Celtic Tenors, and the Clarksdale Brothers, among others.

Answer: walks

Joan Osborne recorded a cover of this song on her 2017 album "Songs of Bob Dylan." Country singer Garth Brooks recorded a version on "Blame It All on My Roots," which was released in 2013.

Answer: Counting Crows

The Counting Crows' sixth studio album, "Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation)," consists entirely of cover songs, including a version of Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Going Nowhere." On the same album, as a bonus track, the Counting Crows recorded a version of Dylan's "Girl from the North Country."