Visions of Johanna

"Visions of Johanna"
Song by Bob Dylan from the album Blonde on Blonde
Released	May 16, 1966
Recorded	February 14, 1966
Genre	Folk rock
Length	7:30
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Bob Dylan
Blonde on Blonde track listing
14 tracks Side one "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" "Pledging My Time" "Visions of Johanna" "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)" Side two "I Want You" "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" "Just Like a Woman" Side three "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" "Temporary Like Achilles" "Absolutely Sweet Marie" "4th Time Around" "Obviously 5 Believers" Side four "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"

14 tracks

Side one "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" "Pledging My Time" "Visions of Johanna" "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)" Side two "I Want You" "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" "Just Like a Woman" Side three "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" "Temporary Like Achilles" "Absolutely Sweet Marie" "4th Time Around" "Obviously 5 Believers" Side four "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"

"Visions of Johanna" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan on his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. Dylan first recorded the song in New York City in November 1965, under the working title of "Freeze Out", but was dissatisfied with the results. When the Blonde on Blonde recording sessions moved to Nashville in February 1966, Dylan attempted the composition again with different musicians, and decided to release this performance. All the alternate versions of the song have been officially released, but some only on a limited edition collectors set: many of them are November 1965 or later 1966 studio outtakes, and two others live performances from his 1966 world tour.

Several critics have acclaimed "Visions of Johanna" as one of Dylan's highest achievements in writing, praising the allusiveness and subtlety of the language. Rolling Stone included "Visions of Johanna" on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In 1999, Sir Andrew Motion, poet laureate of the UK, listed it as his candidate for the greatest song lyric ever written. Numerous artists have recorded cover versions of the song, including the Grateful Dead, Marianne Faithfull and Robyn Hitchcock.

Clinton Heylin places the writing of "Visions of Johanna" in the fall of 1965, when Dylan was living in the Chelsea Hotel with his pregnant wife Sara. Heylin notes that "in this déclassé hotel…the heat pipes still cough", referring to a line from the song.Greil Marcus reports that when the song was first released, "the story was that the song had been written during the great east coast blackout of November 9, 1965."

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