Best Songs of 2013 – #11
Another Self Portrait, the latest installment of Bob Dylan’s great Bootleg Series, goes a long way toward redeeming Self Portrait, widely considered Dylan’s worst album.
Or at least it makes you wonder about the album Dylan might have released had he gone in a different direction.
I mean, why on earth did he not include ‘Pretty Saro’ on the official release? This is a simple and lovely song and performance that would have been the highlight of the album, but Dylan — oddball that he is — chose to keep it in the vault.
Well, it’s our gain now. After decades of Dylan’s ragged vocals, how strange and sweet to hear this delicate delivery.
In a sad lonesome place
Where the wild birds do all
Their notes to increase
Farewell pretty Saro
I bid you Adieu
But I dream of pretty Saro
Wherever I go
Well my love she won’t have me
So I understand
She wants a freeholder
Who owns a house and land
I cannot maintain her
With silver and gold
And all of the fine things
That a big house can hold
If I was a poet
And could write a fine hand
I’d write my love a letter
That she’d understand
And write it by the river
Where the waters overflow
But I dream of pretty Saro
Wherever I go
Meet Me In Montauk 
Pretty enough song, but nothing spectacular, certainly not as compared to other great Dylan songs. And I just so disliked this frog guy voice time of his career. Give me gravelly limited range Dylan over this any day.
Frog guy = froggy, though I like the notion of a frog guy as well.😄
Funny because I was just thinking how nice and melodic Dylan’s voice is here. I am a big fan I know but still, he sounds so good to me. Same sounding voice as in Lay Lady Lay…beautiful!