The song Bob Dylan wrote about his wish to speak to late friend John Lennon once again

24 September 2026, 09:41

Their paths first crossed way back in 1964.

Bob Dylan was already at that time a genuine phenomenon, who ushered in a new age of meaning for musicians thanks to his outward-looking lyricism.

On the other hand, John Lennon had just touched upon superstardom after The Beatles blew up in America with their iconic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Naturally, artists of their calibre would be drawn to one another, and they inevitably met that year during The Beatles' US tour at the height of Beatlemania.

While staying at The Delmonico Hotel in Manhattan, journalist Al Aronowitz brought Bob Dylan down from Woodstock to meet the Fab Four.

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The encounter became famous (or maybe infamous) as it was when Dylan introduced The Beatles to cannabis.

That smoke-filled room impacted each of The Beatles both personally and creatively, as they went on to explore new realms in and out of the recording studio.

But the experience also sparked a friendship between Dylan and the band, one that would last many years, despite rarely being within touching distance of each other.

In 2012, Bob Dylan reflected on his friendship with John Lennon in the song 'Roll On John', singing about his wish to speak to him once again.

Bob Dylan - Roll on John (Official Audio)

Dylan and Lennon met several times after their initial introduction, one of which was filmed in the back of a car in 1966.

But let's be clear, they didn't always see eye-to-eye. Or at least Lennon didn't.

Over the years, John Lennon included a series of caustic references to Bob Dylan and his work in his songs.

Particularly, Lennon wrote 'Serve Yourself' as a sharp-tongued parody of Dylan's overtly Christian 'Gotta Serve Somebody'.

So, for Dylan to write a song praising John Lennon and expressing his desire to speak to him again showed a hefty dollop of good faith.

He felt compelled to write a paean to John after taking a trip to his childhood home in Liverpool in 2009.

Bob Dylan and John Lennon, 1966 - remastered

According to someone working at the National Trust-owned house, Bob Dylan refused to arrange a private trip and instead just got involved in a public minibus tour.

"[He] could have booked a private tour but he was happy to go on the bus with everyone else," said the witness, adding that he "appeared to enjoy himself".

That might have been down to the fact that nobody on the trip even recognised him.

It meant Dylan got the opportunity to reflect on John's life, and tragic death, without any interruption.

Soon after he wrote a heartfelt tribute to John, in which he recounts his shocking murder and imagines him "breathing his last".

'Roll On John' featured on Dylan's thirty-fifth album Tempest, with the sprawling, referential song closing out the 2012 album.

During the promotional campaign for the album, Dylan was interviewed by Rolling Stone, where he was asked why it was the right time to write a song about his late friend.

"I just felt like doing it, and now would be as good a time as any," he replied in typically nonchalant fashion.

Dylan did expand on his kinship with Lennon however, adding: "We were all about the same age and heard the same exact things growing up.

"Our paths crossed at a certain time, and we both had faced a lot of adversity. We even had that in common.

"I wish that he was still here because we could talk about a lot of things now."

For loyal Dylan heads and fairweather fans alike, 'Roll On John' was widely regarded as the album's most powerful song, and one of Dylan's most poignant songs ever.

Referencing John's rise from the Liverpool docks to the red-lit streets of Hamburg, from Beatlemania and beyond, Dylan makes a nod to some of Lennon's finest compositions and his anti-war stance.

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He's only ever played 'Roll On John' live twice however, both in 2013, on November 24 at Blackpool's Opera House Theatre and November 26 at London's Royal Albert Hall (Dylan's first time performing there since 1966).

John Lennon had strong ties to both of the venues, which made the performances particularly moving.

According to Dylan's then-guitarist Stu Kimball, "it was just amazing. The whole place went crazy and then silent, listening... More than one tear was shed."