Bob Dylan has surprise-released a new single called ‘I Contain Multitudes’.
The music legend recently returned with his first original piece of music in eight years, in the form of 17-minute long ‘Murder Most Foul’, and now he’s back with another reference-heavy track, which mentions Anne Frank, Indiana Jones, Chopin and Beethoven.
He also sings about life and death, fast cars, painting nudes and fast food.
One line goes: "I paint landscapes and I paint nudes. I contain multitudes."
Dylan had teased the track by posting the references in a series of hashtags on his Twitter profile.
He wrote: "#today and #tomorrow, #skeletons and #nudes, #sparkle and #flash,
"#AnneFrank and #IndianaJones,#fastcars and #fastfood, #bluejeans and #queens, #Beethoven and #Chopin, #life and #death.(sic)"
‘I Contain Multitudes’ comes in at just over four minutes long, considerably shorter than ‘Murder Most Foul’.
The latter track earned Dylan his first-ever number one on a Billboard Chart
Last week, the song – which is about the 1963 assassination of late former US President John F. Kennedy – topped Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart, after being downloaded 10,000 times.
The 78-year-old singer/songwriter had only ever reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ in 1965 and ‘Rainy Day Women #12 and #35’ in 1966.
Whilst on the Adult Alternative Songs chart, 2000’s ‘Things Have Changed’ placed at No2.
As part of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys, Dylan had three number two tracks on the Mainstream Rock Songs list with ‘Handle With Care’, ‘End of the Line’ and ‘She’s My Baby’.
His songwriting on ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ saw Peter Paul & Mary top the Adult Contemporary chart with his song, whilst The Byrds’ version of ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ topped the Hot 100.
The track also features references to The Beatles, The Who, Nat King Cole and the famous Woodstock festival.
Nick Cave hailed ‘Murder Most Foul’ for being "extraordinarily comforting, especially at this moment" amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Dylan’s last album of new material was 2012’s ‘Tempest’.
Meanwhile, Timothee Chalamet is set to star as Dylan in a new biopic.
The ‘Little Women’ star will portray the pop culture icon in the tentatively titled feature, ‘Going Electric’, which is to be helmed by ‘Le Mans ’66’ director James Mangold.
Bob Dylan surprise-releases new song I Contain Multitudes
