Forever Young

"Forever Young" is a composition by Bob Dylan. The song first appeared (in two different versions) on Dylan's 1974 album Planet Waves.

Analysis

In the notes for the 2007 album titled DYLAN, Bill Flanagan had the following to say about "Forever Young":

After an eight year break from touring, Dylan's legend was big enough to fit all twelve apostles and still have room for a couple of Buddhas. He agreed to go back on the road in 1974 with The Band, his old backup group who had become stars themselves during the down time. The got together and quickly knocked off an album, Planet Waves, that featured two versions of a blessing from a parent to a child. In the years he was away from stage Dylan had become a father. He had that in common with a good chunk of the audience. The song reflected it. Memorably recited on American TV by Howard Cosell when Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight crown for the third time.

Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart recorded a song titled "Forever Young", which was released as a single and included on his Out of Order album in 1988. The song was remarkably similar to the Bob Dylan song of the same title, sharing not only a similar melody but many of the same lyrics. Upon threat of a plagiarism suit, Stewart acknowledged that he had subconsciously plagiarized the older song, and agreed to share his royalties with Dylan.

2009 Remix

In 2009 a remix of the song, "Forever Young (Continued)" was featured in a Pepsi commercial, with will.i.am rapping a verse.^[1]

Cover versions

• The Band with Bob Dylan, live version on The Last Waltz

English

• Joan Baez
• Harry Belafonte, on CBS CB85254, 1977
• Johnny Cash
• Billy Corgan on the finale of The Bozo Show entititled Bozo: 40 Years of Fun!
• Jerry Garcia with the Jerry Garcia Band
• Rebbie Jackson, for the soundtrack of Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
• Patti Labelle, on Live Aid
• Stoney Larue, on The Red Dirt Album
• Meat Loaf, on Couldn't Have Said It Better
• Audra Mae, 2 different versions used in Season One Episode 12 of Sons of Anarchy
• The Pretenders, on Last of the Independents
• Diana Ross, on Swept Away
• Rod Stewart on Out of Order
  (While ostensibly a different song, the Stewart song actually used the same melody and many of the same lyrics as the Dylan song. Stewart conceded it was the same song by agreeing to share composer royalties with Dylan.)
• So They Say on Punk Goes 80's
• Soweto Gospel Choir
• Kitty Wells

Foreign Languages

• Morten Harket covered the song in Norwegian under the translated title "Evig Ung"
• André Heller & Wolfgang Ambros covered the song in Austrian German under the translated title "Für immer jung"

References