Bob Dylan Performed This Forgotten Song Early in His Career — It Took 30 Years to Officially Release

Perfection cannot be rushed, and Bob Dylan is a prime example of that. In 1963, when he started working on his third studio album, The Times They Are a-Changin’, Dylan began writing "Eternal Circle", a song he had performed in his early live sets but never released. Dylan was never truly satisfied with how the song sounded, and it was shelved for three decades.

Bob Dylan Wrote "Eternal Circle" in 1963

It was the early 60s, and Dylan’s career was just taking off. His self-titled debut album, released in 1962, was just the start. His sophomore album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, home to the iconic single “Blowin’ in the Wind,” earned him more accolades and fans. His listeners were waiting for the third album, The Times They Are a-Changin’, and that was where “Eternal Circle” was born.

“Eternal Circle” was one of his most unique, underrated, and under-heard pieces. It is a love song, addressed to a female character whom he is watching as she watches him on stage, and he is eager to talk to her once he finishes his set. However, at the end of the song, he realised that she was into the music, and not him. It can be considered as one of his earliest heartbreaking songs because of his realisation that the female character may not be into him at all, a heartbreaking song that came before hits such as “Tangled Up In Blue”.

“Eternal Circle” was written during the summer. This was one of the songs that was performed during Dylan’s sets, while he still covered the influential folk singers that came before him. With his rising success, only a few could recollect hearing him perform “Eternal Circle,” particularly before audiences who might have resembled the song's female character.

“Eternal Circle” was one of the songs recorded during The Times They Are a-Changin' sessions. Months later, in 1964, the album was released, with songs such as “North Country Blues” making their way out of the recording studio. Unfortunately, the album did not land as well with the critics and the fans as his previous album due to the serious themes and lack of humor. Another unfortunate issue that came with the album release was that “Eternal Circle” was nowhere to be found on the album – and for 30 more years.

Why Did Bob Dylan Not Release "Eternal Circle"?

During the recording of The Times They Are a-Changin', Dylan tried and failed to nail the recording of "Eternal Circle". Dylan was one of the artists who had a set idea of how a song should sound long before he entered the studio. However, something did not quite land with “Eternal Circle,” and he was less than happy with how it sounded and the song’s direction.

Dylan would leave it for months until he felt ready to revisit the song. It was not until the lead-up to the release of The Times They Are a-Changin’ that he believed that the song was nowhere near ready for the world to hear on the record, and he began working on other songs and albums instead. As beautiful as "Eternal Circle" is, the song was not very suitable for the album; The Times They Are a-Changin’ was an album that addressed the political injustices that Dylan wanted to bring awareness to in his music. “Eternal Circle,” a love song that ends in heartache, did not fit what the album wanted to communicate.

“Eternal Circle” was not the only song left off the album. “Percy’s Song” and “Lay Down Your Weary Tune” failed to “fit within the narrow bounds Dylan had decided to impose on himself,” according to Clinton Heylin, Dylan’s biographer. It was also not the only song that took years to release, as “Abandoned Love,” another song that tugged at the heartstrings, was released a decade after it was first written.

Bob Dylan Released "Eternal Circle" 30 Years Later

One thing that people can give Dylan credit for is not letting all outtakes languish forever; he later released many on his Bootleg compilations. However, knowing him, there still might be a masterpiece or two waiting for its release date. Although it took 30 years, the outtakes of “Eternal Circle” were finally released as part of his most-appreciated Bootleg compilations in 1991, and gave his fans insight into his writing and recording process. Despite the song now being over 60 years old, it is still an underrated gem in his discography, as it did not gain mainstream success. However, with the song’s release, Dylan finally let the world hear the lost art.