Meet Me in the Morning

"Meet Me in the Morning," a blues gem from Bob Dylan’s 1975 album Blood on the Tracks, stands out as the only blues song on the record, recorded in New York City on September 16, 1974. Its raw, acoustic-driven sound, backed by a full band, echoes the heartache and longing that permeate the album. Interestingly, the song is musically identical to another track from the same sessions, "Call Letter Blues," which Dylan later reworked with entirely new lyrics. "Call Letter Blues" was shelved until its release on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 in 1991. The song’s opening line references “56th and Wabasha,” a nod to Saint Paul, Minnesota, where Minnesota Highway 56 and Wabasha Street intersected in 1974, though the exact “56th and Wabasha” doesn’t exist, adding a layer of Dylan’s cryptic lyricism. An outtake from September 19, 1974, surfaced as the B-side to Dylan’s 2012 Record Store Day single "Duquesne Whistle" and later appeared on The Bootleg Series Vol. 14: More Blood, More Tracks in 2018, with the deluxe edition including the complete recording sessions for the song.

Dylan rarely performed "Meet Me in the Morning" live, but a notable exception occurred on September 19, 2007, in Nashville, Tennessee, when he played it for the first and only time in concert, joined onstage by Jack White of The White Stripes. This performance sparked excitement among fans, as documented on platforms like Reddit’s r/bobdylan, where fans praised its “badass” energy and lamented its absence from radio airwaves. The song also inspired covers, including one by American heavy metal artist Jason Becker for his 1995 album Perspective, and Russian rocker Mike Naumenko’s song “Позвони мне рано утром” (Call Me Early in the Morning). Dylan’s social media presence, particularly on X, hasn’t directly referenced this song, but his recent posts, confirmed as authentic by his camp, show a playful engagement with fans, like recommending restaurants or sharing anecdotes about chance encounters, which aligns with the song’s earthy, conversational vibe.

Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, in St. Louis County, Minnesota, began his musical journey in the late 1950s, immersing himself in the folk and blues scenes. After moving to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota, he traded his electric guitar for an acoustic and dove into the folk music of Woody Guthrie, performing at local coffeehouses under the name Bob Dylan. In 1961, he relocated to New York City’s Greenwich Village, where his raw talent and poetic lyrics caught the attention of producer John Hammond. Signed to Columbia Records, Dylan released his debut album, Bob Dylan, in 1962, a collection of traditional folk and blues covers with two original songs. His early work, including anthems like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” cemented his role as a voice of the 1960s counterculture, blending folk’s simplicity with intellectual depth drawn from literature and poetry.

Dylan’s career evolved rapidly, defying expectations with his shift to electric rock in 1965’s Bringing It All Back Home and the groundbreaking Like a Rolling Stone. Over nearly seven decades, he has released over 40 studio albums, sold an estimated 125 million records, and earned accolades including ten Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. His official website, bobdylan.com, offers tour dates, discography, and news, while his social media accounts—Facebook, Instagram, and X—keep fans updated, with X recently showcasing his quirky, personal posts. Fans connect on platforms like Reddit’s r/bobdylan and the Bob Dylan Fans Facebook group, sharing concert stories and trivia. The fan-run Bob Dylan Book Club hosts discussions on Dylan-related literature, while Expecting Rain provides a comprehensive fan hub for news and archives.