This 1965 Beatles Song Inspired Bob Dylan's Diss Track “4th Time Around”

Published Mar 5, 2026, 5:30 PM EST

How “Norwegian Wood” Showed Bob Dylan’s Influence on The Beatles

By the time 1965 rolled around, The Beatles were moving away from their established rock-and-roll sound toward a more pensive, introspective approach to songwriting. Rubber Soul, their sixth studio album, was certainly a monumental record for the band in the evolution of their sophistication, perfectly displaying The Beatles’s first experimentations with folk. Folk had become a significant influence across the industry because of the impact of Bob Dylan and his narrative-driven tone, which is evident in some hits from Rubber Soul.

Dylan’s influence on The Beatles is hardly a surprise. John Lennon admitted Rubber Soul altered how he wrote songs, stating that “Up till then, it had all been sort of glib and throwaway. And that was the first time I consciously put [the] literary part of myself into the lyric. Inspired by Kenneth Allsop, the British journalist, and Bob Dylan." Lennon also particularly admired the elusive nature of Dylan’s writing, which he described in his last interview as “the trick of never saying what you mean but giving the impression of something more. Where more or less can be read into it. It's a good game." The inspiration is clear, with "Norwegian Wood” being an early example of The Beatles telling a story in depth, rather than a simpler pop phrase.

If Lennon hadn’t made his influences clear enough, critics have long pointed out similarities between “Norwegian Wood” and Dylan’s songwriting style. Music writer Richie Unterberger’s take on “Norwegian Wood” was that there was "more than enough ambiguity and ingenious innuendo to satisfy even a Dylan fan." The quote rather hilariously implies that any form of elusive narrative had become inextricable from Dylan, with him sitting as the gatekeeper of the approach he had so successfully popularized.

Despite undeniable similarities between “Norwegian Wood” and Dylan’s style—the 6/8 time signature, pensive story, and acoustic instrumentation—the song still used ideas that were unmistakably Beatles. George Harrison added the distinctive sitar, and the lyrical twist ending and subtle, warm humor felt uniquely Lennon. So, influenced or not, The Beatles still showed they had original and transformative attributes of their own.

Bob Dylan Hit Back At The Beatles With “4th Time Around”

When Bob Dylan heard “Norwegian Wood,” the similarities he noticed to his own style were immediate. Dylan’s reported response to hearing the song was, "What is this? It’s me Bob. He’s doing me! Even Sonny and Cher are doing me, but, f**—ing hell, I invented it." It’s difficult to know with how much severity the comment was made, but one thing is for sure: Dylan did convey territorial pride over folk.

A year after the release of “Norwegian Wood,” Dylan put out “4th Time Around” on Blonde on Blonde. The song quickly caught the attention of critics and fans alike due to its uncanny sonic resemblance to “Norwegian Wood.” Many listeners interpret Dylan’s recording as a playful response to The Beatles. Even if it was done in total seriousness, that level of effort would perhaps have been even more hilarious.

If you’re unfamiliar, the similarities between “Norwegian Wood” and “4th Time Around” are striking. Dylan’s take uses similar chords, an even more similar melody, and kindred parallels in the storyline, really leaning into the “She said, I said” motif. Dylan took “Norwegian Wood” and totally raised it. He identified his own style and emphasized it in “4th Time Around,” taking the concept in a darker and more surreal direction. Dylan also concluded his song with a trademark harmonica solo, reinforcing his own musical identity.

In “4th Time Around,” Dylan reclaimed ownership of the sound he made so popular. Although the fact that there were opportunities for Dylan to impose his style on “Norwegian Wood” shows that perhaps Lennon hadn’t completely “done” Dylan after all. I’ll leave it to you, reader, whether it’s fair to brand “Norwegian Wood” as an overly Dylan-dependent song, and whether Dylan had the right to be so protective of an entire genre he was at the head of. Either way, two great songs were born from the debate.