Bob Dylan drew heavily on those who came before him, treating songs as something passed down through generations rather than owned outright, and he counted Johnny Cash among the most important influences on his own path. This mattered because Cash not only shaped Dylan's sense of authenticity in music but also publicly defended him during a difficult period in his career, cementing a friendship built on mutual respect rather than rivalry.

Dylan has said he knew many of Cash's songs "better than I knew my own", describing him as an "intense character" who spoke the truth in his music more than most Nashville stars. When Dylan faced backlash for going electric, Cash wrote to magazines rebuking critics and urging them to "let him sing". The two went on to record duets together, with Dylan regarding Cash as an elder figure who offered guidance rarely afforded to newcomers in the industry.