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The 1965 song Bob Dylan wrote as an act of revenge: “To put somebody in their place”
Bob Dylan’s 1965 song ‘Positively 4th Street’ is widely understood as a sharp rebuke to someone in his circle, written after he felt betrayed or patronised during his move from folk music towards electric rock. The song matters because its cutting, personal tone exemplified Dylan’s ability to turn private resentment into a lasting and influential pop song.
Although Dylan never definitively identified its target, speculation has included figures from the Greenwich Village folk scene, particularly music critic and former friend Irwin Silber. Released as a standalone single in 1965, it reached number seven in the United States and became known for lyrics that accuse its subject of hypocrisy, insincerity and opportunism.
In short
- ‘Positively 4th Street’ turned Dylan’s resentment into a hit single.
- Its exact target remains unconfirmed.
- The song reflected tensions around Dylan’s electric turn.
Explained simply
Bob Dylan emerged from New York’s folk music scene in the early 1960s, becoming known for songs that drew on traditional music and addressed social and political issues. By 1965, he was moving towards a fuller sound using electric instruments, a change that divided some of his earlier supporters.
‘Positively 4th Street’ was released during this period as a single rather than on one of Dylan’s studio albums. Its narrator addresses an unnamed person in unusually direct and hostile terms, but Dylan has not confirmed who inspired it.
The song became a commercial success in the United States and remains one of Dylan’s best-known recordings. It is often discussed as an example of how personal disputes within the music world could be turned into a broadly resonant pop song.