Overnight, Bob Dylan released “Murder Most Foul,” a ballad about the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy that runs just under 17 minutes.
“Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty over the years,” read a message from Dylan on social media. “This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.”
“Murder Most Foul” is the first new song Dylan has released since Tempest, his 2012 album. (In recent years he has put out several collections of standards as well as reissues.) It also beats 1997’s “Highlands” as the longest song he has released.
Dylan, 78, references Kennedy’s death (“They blew off his head while he was still in the car”) from the perspectives of onlookers, the president himself and his killer – or killers. There are also dozens of pop culture references from the time, including the Beatles, Tommy and Woodstock.
At one point, Dylan gives a shout-out to Canadian jazz icon Oscar Peterson.
Listen to “Murder Most Foul” below: