"Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" (also listed as "Memphis Blues Again") is a song written by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

that appears on his 1966 album ''

Blonde on Blonde ''Blonde on Blonde'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released as a double album on June 20, 1966, by Columbia Records. Recording sessions began in New York in October 1965 with numerous backing musicians, in ...

''. The album version also appears on 1971's ''

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II ''Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II'', also known as ''More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits'', is the second compilation album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on November 17, 1971 by Columbia Records. With Dylan not expected to releas ...

''. An early studio take, done in a faster tempo, was released on '' The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack'' in 2005. As the recording indicates, Dylan had difficulty fitting the words to the tempo, and evidently this led to its rearrangement, as heard on ''Blonde on Blonde'', in a more "rock"-oriented 4/4 time. The song's refrain likely refers to the Memphis Blues of

W.C. Handy William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. Handy was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musici ...

. A live version of this song appears on the 1976 album '' Hard Rain'', and was also released as a single with " Rita May" as the B-side.

Recording

All twenty takes of "Stuck Inside of Mobile" were recorded in the early hours of February 17, 1966, in Columbia's Music Row Studios in Nashville. Dylan continuously reworked the song in the studio, revising lyrics and changing the song's structure as he recorded different takes. Eventually, after recording for three hours, a master take, the twentieth and final take, was chosen. Take five would eventually be released on ''The Bootleg Series Vol. 7''. The entire recording session was released on the 18-disc Collector's Edition of '' The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966'' in 2015, with highlights from the outtakes appearing on the six-disc and two-disc versions of that album.

Live performances

According to his website, Dylan played the song 748 times in concert between its live debut in 1976 and its last performance in 2010.

Cover versions

The song has been covered by over a dozen artists, notably

Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

for the '' I'm Not There (soundtrack)'' in 2007 and

Old Crow Medicine Show Old Crow Medicine Show is an Americana string band based in Nashville, Tennessee, that has been recording since 1998. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on September 17, 2013. Their ninth album, '' Remedy'', released in 2014, won the ...

on their 2017 album ''

50 Years of Blonde on Blonde ''50 Years of Blonde on Blonde'' is a live album by Old Crow Medicine Show. It is a track-for-track tribute to Bob Dylan's landmark 1966 double album ''Blonde on Blonde''. Production ''50 Years of Blonde on Blonde'' was recorded live at the CMA ...

''. The

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...

performed the song more than 70 times in concert, beginning in 1987 and ending in 1995. Since the breakup of the Dead,

Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...

continues to perform the song in his concerts.

Notes

{{Navboxes , title = Bob Dylan related articles , titlestyle = background: khaki , list1 = {{Bob Dylan {{Bob Dylan songs (1960s) {{Bob Dylan singles Songs written by Bob Dylan Bob Dylan songs 1966 songs 1976 singles Song recordings produced by Bob Johnston Columbia Records singles