My Back Pages - wikipedia My Back Pages For the album by The Tambourines, see My Back Pages ( album ). `` My Back Pages '' Song by Bob Dylan from the album Another Side of Bob Dylan Released August 8, 1964 Recorded June 9, 1964 Genre Folk Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Bob Dylan Producer ( s ) Tom Wilson Another Side of Bob Dylan track listing 11 tracks Side one `` All I Really Want to Do '' `` Black Crow Blues '' `` Spanish Harlem Incident '' `` Chimes of Freedom '' `` I Shall Be Free No. 10 '' `` To Ramona '' Side two `` Motorpsycho Nitemare '' `` My Back Pages '' `` I Do n't Believe You ( She Acts Like We Never Have Met ) '' `` Ballad in Plain D '' `` It Ai n't Me Babe '' Audio sample file help `` My Back Pages '' is a song written by Bob Dylan and included on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan. It is stylistically similar to his earlier folk protest songs and features Dylan 's voice with an acoustic guitar accompaniment. However, its lyrics -- in particular the refrain `` Ah, but I was so much older then / I 'm younger than that now '' -- have been interpreted as a rejection of Dylan 's earlier personal and political idealism, illustrating his growing disillusionment with the 1960s ' folk protest movement with which he was associated, and his desire to move in a new direction. Although Dylan wrote the song in 1964, he did not perform it live until 1988. `` My Back Pages '' has been covered by artists as diverse as Keith Jarrett, the Byrds, the Ramones, the Nice, Steve Earle, and the Hollies. The Byrds ' version, initially released on their 1967 album Younger Than Yesterday, was also issued as a single in 1967 and proved to be the band 's last Top 40 hit in the U.S. Contents 1 Writing, recording and performance 2 Cover versions 2.1 The Byrds ' version 2.2 Other covers 3 References 4 External links Writing, recording and performance Bob Dylan wrote `` My Back Pages '' in 1964 as one of the last songs -- perhaps the last song -- composed for his Another Side of Bob Dylan album. He recorded it on June 9, 1964, under the working title of `` Ancient Memories '', the last song committed to tape for the album. The song was partly based on the traditional folk song `` Young But Growing '' and has a mournful melody similar to that of `` The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll '' from Dylan 's previous album, The Times They Are a-Changin '. As with the other songs on Another Side, Dylan is the sole musician on `` My Back Pages '' and plays in a style similar to his previous protest songs, with a sneering, rough - edged voice and a hard - strumming acoustic guitar accompaniment. In the song 's lyrics, Dylan criticizes himself for having been certain that he knew everything and apologizes for his previous political preaching, noting that he has become his own enemy `` in the instant that I preach. '' Dylan questions whether one can really distinguish between right and wrong, and even questions the desirability of the principle of equality. The lyrics also signal Dylan 's disillusionment with the 1960s protest movement and his intention to abandon protest songwriting. The song effectively analogizes the protest movement to the establishment it is trying to overturn, concluding with the refrain : Ah, but I was so much older then I 'm younger than that now Music critic Robert Shelton has interpreted this refrain as `` an internal dialogue between what he ( Dylan ) once accepted and now doubts. '' Shelton also notes that the refrain maps a path from Blakean experience to the innocence of William Wordsworth. The refrain has also been interpreted as Dylan celebrating his `` bright, new post-protest future. '' Dylan 's disenchantment with the protest movement had previously surfaced in a speech he had given in December 1963 when accepting an award from the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee ( ECLC ) in New York. Author Mike Marqusee has commented that `` No song on Another Side distressed Dylan 's friends in the movement more than ' My Back Pages ' in which he transmutes the rude incoherence of his ECLC rant into the organized density of art. The lilting refrain... must be one of the most lyrical expressions of political apostasy ever penned. It is a recantation, in every sense of the word. '' In an interview with the Sheffield University Paper in May 1965, Dylan explained the change that had occurred in his songwriting over the previous twelve months, noting `` The big difference is that the songs I was writing last year... they were what I call one - dimensional songs, but my new songs I 'm trying to make more three - dimensional, you know, there 's more symbolism, they 're written on more than one level. '' In late 1965, Dylan commented on the writing of `` My Back Pages '' specifically during an interview with Margaret Steen for The Toronto Star : `` I was in my New York phase then, or at least, I was just coming out of it. I was still keeping the things that are really really real out of my songs, for fear they 'd be misunderstood. Now I do n't care if they are. '' As Dylan stated to Nat Hentoff at the time that `` My Back Pages '' and the other songs on Another Side of Bob Dylan were written, `` There are n't any finger pointing songs ( here )... Now a lot of people are doing finger pointing songs. You know, pointing to all the things that are wrong. Me, I do n't want to write for people anymore. You know, be a spokesman. '' Dylan did not play `` My Back Pages '' in concert until June 11, 1988, during a performance in Mountain View, California. The arrangement he used eliminated some of the song 's verses and included an electric guitar part performed by session musician G.E. Smith. Since 1988, Dylan has played the song in concert many times in both electric and semi-acoustic versions, and sometimes as an acoustic encore. At the 30th Anniversary Tribute Concert to Dylan at Madison Square Garden in 1992, Dylan performed `` My Back Pages '', in the Byrds ' arrangement, with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Neil Young, and Roger McGuinn. This performance, which featured vocals from all six musicians, along with guitar solos by Clapton and Young, was released on The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration album in 1993. In addition to its initial appearance on Another Side of Bob Dylan, `` My Back Pages '' has appeared on a number of Dylan compilation albums. In the United States and Europe, it appeared on the 1971 album Bob Dylan 's Greatest Hits Vol. II ( a.k.a. More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits ) and on the 2007 album Dylan. In Australia, the song was included on the 1994 compilation album Greatest Hits Vol. 3. Cover versions The Byrds ' version `` My Back Pages '' 1967 Dutch picture sleeve Single by The Byrds from the album Younger Than Yesterday B - side `` Renaissance Fair '' Released March 13, 1967 Format 7 - inch single Recorded December 5 -- 8, 1966 Studio Columbia Studios, Hollywood, California Genre Folk rock Length 3 : 08, 2 : 31 ( Single edit ) Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Bob Dylan Producer ( s ) Gary Usher The Byrds singles chronology `` So You Want to Be a Rock ' n ' Roll Star '' ( 1967 ) `` My Back Pages '' ( 1967 ) `` Have You Seen Her Face '' ( 1967 ) `` So You Want to Be a Rock ' n ' Roll Star '' ( 1967 ) `` My Back Pages '' ( 1967 ) `` Have You Seen Her Face '' ( 1967 ) Audio sample file help The American rock band The Byrds released a recording of `` My Back Pages '' on February 6, 1967, as part of their fourth album, Younger Than Yesterday. The title of Younger Than Yesterday was itself directly inspired by the song 's refrain of `` Ah, but I was so much older then / I 'm younger than that now. '' `` My Back Pages '' was subsequently issued as a single by The Byrds on March 13, 1967, with the version included on the single being a radio edit that omitted the song 's second verse, in order to reduce the playing time from 3 : 08 to 2 : 31. The single reached # 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 but failed to chart in the United Kingdom. `` My Back Pages '' was the last single by The Byrds to reach the Top 40 of the U.S. charts. The song was initially suggested as a suitable vehicle for the band by their manager Jim Dickson. Lead guitarist Jim McGuinn felt that it would make an effective cover version, but David Crosby, the band 's rhythm guitarist, felt that covering another Dylan song was formulaic. The Byrds had already released a total of six Dylan covers on their first two albums, Mr. Tambourine Man and Turn ! Turn ! Turn !, enjoying particular success with their recordings of `` Mr. Tambourine Man '' and `` All I Really Want to Do ''. In spite of Crosby 's objections, the band recorded `` My Back Pages '' between December 5 and December 8, 1966, during the recording sessions for their fourth album. Upon its release, this cover was received well by the critics and is today regarded as one of The Byrds ' strongest Dylan interpretations. Following its release on Younger Than Yesterday, the song would go on to become a staple of The Byrds ' live concert repertoire, until their final disbandment in 1973. On December 4, 1968, a later line - up of The Byrds re-recorded an excerpt of `` My Back Pages '' as part of a medley that was included on their 1969 album, Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde. The song was also performed live by a reformed line - up of The Byrds featuring Roger McGuinn, David Crosby, and Chris Hillman in January 1989. In addition to its appearance on the Younger Than Yesterday album, The Byrds ' original version of `` My Back Pages '' appears on several of the band 's compilations, including The Byrds ' Greatest Hits, History of The Byrds, The Byrds Play Dylan, The Original Singles : 1967 -- 1969, Volume 2, The Byrds, The Very Best of The Byrds, The Essential Byrds, and There Is a Season. In 1996, a previously unreleased alternate version of `` My Back Pages '' ( which had been considered for release as a single in 1967 ) was included as a bonus track on the Columbia / Legacy reissue of Younger Than Yesterday. Other covers The song has been covered by numerous artists, including The Ramones, Po !, The Hollies, The Nice, Eric Johnson, The Box Tops, Carl Verheyen, Jackson Browne & Joan Osborne, Marshall Crenshaw, Keith Jarrett, Steve Earle, La Mancha de Rolando, and the Scottish folksinger Dick Gaughan. Austrian singer - songwriter Wolfgang Ambros recorded a version of the song named `` Alt und Jung '' ( `` Old and Young '' ). In 1995, the German rock musician Wolfgang Niedecken recorded a German - language ( Kölsch language ) cover of the song with the title `` Vill Passiert Sickher '' for his album Leopardefell. In addition, a Japanese - language cover by The Magokoro Brothers is included in the soundtrack of the Dylan film Masked and Anonymous. References ^ Jump up to : Heylin, Clinton ( 2009 ). Revolution in the Air : The Songs of Bob Dylan 1957 - 1973. Chicago Review Press. pp. 206 -- 208. ISBN 1 - 55652 - 843 - 4. ^ Jump up to : Shelton, Robert ( 1986 ). No Direction Home. Da Capo Press. p. 221. ISBN 0 - 306 - 80782 - 3. Jump up ^ Heylin, Clinton ( 1995 ). Bob Dylan : The Recording Sessions 1960 -- 1994. St. Martin 's Griffin. pp. 28 -- 32. ISBN 0 - 312 - 15067 - 9. ^ Jump up to : Rogovoy, S. ( 2009 ). Bob Dylan : Prophet, Mystic, Poet. Scribner. p. 70. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4165 - 5915 - 3. ^ Jump up to : Trager, Oliver ( 2004 ). Keys to the Rain. Billboard Books. pp. 444 -- 445. ISBN 0 - 8230 - 7974 - 0. ^ Jump up to : Williamson, Nigel ( 2006 ). The Rough Guide to Bob Dylan ( 2nd ed. ). Rough Guides, Ltd. pp. 39, 171, 220. ISBN 1 - 84353 - 718 - 4. Jump up ^ Rocheleau, J. ( 2006 ). `` '' Far Between Sundown 's Finish and Midnight 's Broken Toll `` : Enlightenment and Postmodernism in Dylan 's Social Criticism ''. In Vernezze, P. ; Porter, C. Bob Dylan and Philosophy. Open Court. pp. 69 -- 70. ISBN 0 - 8126 - 9592 - 5. Jump up ^ Gray, Michael ( 2000 ). Song & Dance Man III : The Art of Bob Dylan. Continuum. pp. 4, 119. ISBN 0 - 8264 - 5150 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Bob Dylan and the NECLC ''. Corliss Lamont Website. Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 29. Jump up ^ Marquesee, Mike ( 2003 ). Chimes of Freedom : The Politics of Bob Dylan 's Art. New Press. pp. 105 -- 106. ISBN 1 - 56584 - 825 - X. Jump up ^ De Yong, Jenny ; Roche, Peter ( May 1965 ). `` Bob Dylan ''. Sheffield University Paper. Sheffield. Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 29. Jump up ^ `` The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2010 - 03 - 14. ^ Jump up to : `` My Back Pages cover versions ''. Allmusic. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 09. ^ Jump up to : Rogan, Johnny ( 1998 ). The Byrds : Timeless Flight Revisited ( 2nd ed. ). Rogan House. pp. 544 -- 546. ISBN 0 - 9529540 - 1 - X. Jump up ^ Hjort, Christopher ( 2008 ). So You Want To Be A Rock ' n ' Roll Star : The Byrds Day - By - Day ( 1965 - 1973 ). Jawbone Press. p. 119. ISBN 1 - 906002 - 15 - 0. Jump up ^ Rogan, Johnny ( 1998 ). The Byrds : Timeless Flight Revisited ( 2nd ed. ). Rogan House. p. 207. ISBN 0 - 9529540 - 1 - X. ^ Jump up to : Whitburn, Joel ( 2008 ). Top Pop Singles 1955 - 2006. Record Research Inc. p. 130. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 172 - 1. Jump up ^ Brown, Tony ( 2000 ). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. p. 130. ISBN 0 - 7119 - 7670 - 8. Jump up ^ Hjort, Christopher ( 2008 ). So You Want To Be A Rock ' n ' Roll Star : The Byrds Day - By - Day ( 1965 - 1973 ). Jawbone Press. p. 125. ISBN 1 - 906002 - 15 - 0. Jump up ^ `` Younger Than Yesterday ''. ByrdWatcher : A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2009 - 04 - 28. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Mr. Tambourine Man album review ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Turn ! Turn ! Turn ! album review ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 30. ^ Jump up to : Rogan, Johnny ( 1998 ). The Byrds : Timeless Flight Revisited ( 2nd ed. ). Rogan House. pp. 622 -- 626. ISBN 0 - 9529540 - 1 - X. Jump up ^ Rogan, Johnny ( 1998 ). The Byrds : Timeless Flight Revisited ( 2nd ed. ). Rogan House. p. 201. ISBN 0 - 9529540 - 1 - X. Jump up ^ `` Younger Than Yesterday album review ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2009 - 12 - 30. ^ Jump up to : Rogan, Johnny ( 1998 ). The Byrds : Timeless Flight Revisited ( 2nd ed. ). Rogan House. pp. 591 -- 615. ISBN 0 - 9529540 - 1 - X. Jump up ^ `` Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde ''. ByrdWatcher : A Field Guide to the Byrds of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2010 - 10 - 28. Retrieved 2009 - 09 - 15. Jump up ^ `` My Back Pages album appearances ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2009 - 08 - 09. Jump up ^ Rogan, Johnny ( 1996 ). Younger Than Yesterday ( booklet ). The Byrds. Legacy Recordings. Jump up ^ `` Leopardefell ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2010 - 03 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Soundtracks for Masked and Anonymous ''. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010 - 03 - 14. External links My Back Pages lyrics from Dylan 's website Bob Dylan Discography Awards Bibliography Songs written by Dylan Studio albums Bob Dylan The Freewheelin ' Bob Dylan The Times They Are a-Changin ' Another Side of Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home Highway 61 Revisited Blonde on Blonde John Wesley Harding Nashville Skyline Self Portrait New Morning Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid Dylan Planet Waves Blood on the Tracks The Basement Tapes Desire Street - Legal Slow Train Coming Saved Shot of Love Infidels Empire Burlesque Knocked Out Loaded Down in the Groove Oh Mercy Under the Red Sky Good as I Been to You World Gone Wrong Time Out of Mind Love and Theft Modern Times Together Through Life Christmas in the Heart Tempest Shadows in the Night Fallen Angels Triplicate Live albums Before the Flood Hard Rain Bob Dylan at Budokan Real Live Dylan & the Dead The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration MTV Unplugged Live 1961 -- 2000 : Thirty - Nine Years of Great Concert Performances Live at The Gaslight 1962 Live at Carnegie Hall 1963 In Concert -- Brandeis University 1963 The 1966 Live Recordings Compilations Bob Dylan 's Greatest Hits Bob Dylan 's Greatest Hits Vol. II Masterpieces Biograph Bob Dylan 's Greatest Hits Volume 3 The Best of Bob Dylan ( 1997 ) The Best of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2 The Essential Bob Dylan Bob Dylan : The Collection The Best of Bob Dylan ( 2005 ) Blues Dylan The Original Mono Recordings The 50th Anniversary Collection Bob Dylan : The Complete Album Collection Vol. One The 50th Anniversary Collection 1963 The 50th Anniversary Collection 1964 Bootlegs Great White Wonder List of Basement Tapes songs ( 1967, 1975 ) The Bootleg Series Volumes 1 -- 3 ( Rare & Unreleased ) 1961 -- 1991 Volume 4 : The Royal Albert Hall concert Vol. 5 : Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue Vol. 6 : Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall Vol. 7 : No Direction Home : The Soundtrack Vol. 8 : Tell Tale Signs : Rare and Unreleased 1989 -- 2006 Vol. 9 : The Witmark Demos : 1962 -- 1964 Vol. 10 : Another Self Portrait ( 1969 -- 1971 ) Vol. 11 : The Basement Tapes Complete Vol. 12 : The Cutting Edge 1965 -- 1966 Vol. 13 : Trouble No More 1979 -- 1981 Concert tours England Tour ( 1965 ) World Tour ( 1966 ) Tour with The Band ( 1974 ) Rolling Thunder Revue ( 1975 -- 1976 ) World Tour ( 1978 ) Gospel Tour ( 1979 -- 1980 ) World Tour ( 1981 ) European Tour ( 1984 ) True Confessions Tour ( 1986 ) Tour with the Grateful Dead ( 1987 ) Temples in Flames Tour ( 1987 ) Never Ending Tour 2017 2018 Films Dont Look Back Eat the Document Renaldo and Clara Masked and Anonymous No Direction Home I 'm Not There 65 Revisited The Other Side of the Mirror : Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963 -- 1965 Writings Tarantula Writings and Drawings Chronicles : Volume One Books about Dylan The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia Bob Dylan, Performing Artist Invisible Republic The Cambridge Companion to Bob Dylan Related The Band Electric Dylan controversy Theme Time Radio Hour Traveling Wilburys Artists who have covered Dylan songs Chimes of Freedom ( album ) The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams Lost on the River : The New Basement Tapes Suze Rotolo The Telegraph magazine Sara Dylan ( first wife ) Carolyn Dennis ( second wife ) Jesse Dylan ( son ) Jakob Dylan ( son ) Book Portal The Byrds Roger McGuinn Gene Clark David Crosby Chris Hillman Michael Clarke Kevin Kelley Gram Parsons Clarence White Gene Parsons John York Skip Battin Studio albums Mr. Tambourine Man Turn ! Turn ! Turn ! Fifth Dimension Younger Than Yesterday The Notorious Byrd Brothers Sweetheart of the Rodeo Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde Ballad of Easy Rider ( Untitled ) Byrdmaniax Farther Along Byrds Live albums ( Untitled ) Live at the Fillmore - February 1969 Live at Royal Albert Hall 1971 Compilations The Byrds ' Greatest Hits Preflyte The Byrds ' Greatest Hits Volume II The Best of The Byrds : Greatest Hits, Volume II History of The Byrds The Byrds Play Dylan The Original Singles : 1965 -- 1967, Volume 1 The Original Singles : 1967 -- 1969, Volume 2 Never Before In the Beginning 20 Essential Tracks from the Byrds Box Set ( 1965 - 1990 ) The Very Best of The Byrds The Preflyte Sessions The Essential Byrds Box sets The Byrds There Is a Season Tribute albums Time Between -- A Tribute to The Byrds Singles `` Mr. Tambourine Man '' / `` I Knew I 'd Want You '' `` All I Really Want to Do '' / `` I 'll Feel a Whole Lot Better '' `` Turn ! Turn ! Turn ! '' / `` She Do n't Care About Time '' `` Set You Free This Time '' `` It Wo n't Be Wrong '' `` Eight Miles High '' / `` Why '' `` 5D ( Fifth Dimension ) '' `` Mr. Spaceman '' `` So You Want to Be a Rock ' n ' Roll Star '' `` My Back Pages '' `` Have You Seen Her Face '' `` Lady Friend '' / `` Old John Robertson '' `` Goin ' Back '' `` You Ai n't Goin ' Nowhere '' `` Lay Lady Lay '' `` Was n't Born to Follow '' `` Ballad of Easy Rider '' `` Jesus Is Just Alright '' / `` It 's All Over Now, Baby Blue '' `` Chestnut Mare '' `` Full Circle '' Other notable songs `` You Showed Me '' `` Spanish Harlem Incident '' `` Here Without You '' `` The Bells of Rhymney '' `` Chimes of Freedom '' `` Lay Down Your Weary Tune '' `` He Was a Friend of Mine '' `` The World Turns All Around Her '' `` If You 're Gone '' `` The Times They Are a-Changin ' '' `` Triad '' `` Hickory Wind '' `` Nothing Was Delivered '' Associated people Bob Dylan Jimmi Seiter John Guerin Terry Melcher Gary Usher Jacques Levy Kim Fowley Derek Taylor Johnny Rogan See also : Discography Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=My_Back_Pages&oldid=821274414 '' Categories : Songs written by Bob Dylan Bob Dylan songs 1964 songs 1967 singles The Byrds songs Ramones songs Eric Johnson songs Song recordings produced by Tom Wilson ( record producer ) Song recordings produced by Gary Usher Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Good articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Español Français Italiano 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Polski Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 19 January 2018, at 13 : 13. 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Question: who wrote i was so much older then
Answer: Bob Dylan