“I was always ragingly envious”: the one 1960s song Jeff Tweedy and Nick Cave agree is Bob Dylan at his most sincere
Jeff Tweedy and Nick Cave have both praised Bob Dylan’s “I Threw It All Away” as an unusually sincere and powerful song. Their admiration centres on its plain, direct lyrics, showing how Dylan’s songwriting could move listeners through simplicity as well as the dense imagery for which he is known.
The song appeared on 1969’s *Nashville Skyline*. Laura Cantrell also calls its words straightforward and heartbroken; Tweedy describes Dylan as having his guard down, while Cave says he was “ragingly envious” of the song. Dylan has not performed it live since 2002.
- Tweedy and Cave admire Dylan’s “I Threw It All Away”.
- They praise its simple, direct lyrics.
- Dylan last performed it live in 2002.
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Bob Dylan is an American singer and songwriter whose work helped shape folk and rock music from the 1960s onwards. He is known for lyrics rich in images and references, though many of his songs use simpler, more direct language.
“I Threw It All Away” is a song from Dylan’s 1969 album Nashville Skyline, a record with a softer country sound than some of his earlier work. Its lyrics describe regret after losing a relationship, making it a clear example of how a song can carry emotional weight without elaborate imagery.
Jeff Tweedy is the singer and songwriter for the American band Wilco, and Nick Cave is an Australian singer and songwriter. Their interest in the song reflects its lasting influence on other musicians and the range of ways listeners respond to Dylan’s writing.