You know when you first wake up, so your brain is still scrambling to put two and two together, and you come up with seemingly brilliant ideas like a Cardi B remake of Emma? That has to be how Bob Dylan’s 17-minute song about the JFK assassination came to be. The legendary musician just released his first new song in eight years, “Murder Most Foul,†a free association about the infamous murder. There are lots of things to think about in the world right now, even specifically in American politics right now, but funnily enough, the JFK assassination was not one of the first to come to mind. “Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty over the years,†Dylan said in a brief statement. “This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.†A representative told Variety that they wouldn’t be releasing any further information about the song, so it’s unclear when “a while back†was.
Bob Dylan fans are going to lose their minds dissecting the lyrics, which pretty literally recounts the assassination, often with a slant toward conspiracy. “’Twas a dark day in Dallas, November ’63,†he opens the song, “a day that will live on in infamy.†At 16 minutes and 56 seconds, “Murder Most Foul†is Dylan’s longest song, just barely beating 1997’s “Highlands,†which clocks in at 16:31. You know you’re a legend when your only competition is yourself.