“False Prophet” by Bob Dylan

This is another deep, indeed we can even say esoteric song from Bob Dylan. For example, it is obvious at certain points that he is speaking to the concept of the afterlife. Also he delves into the ever-touchy subject of morality. And as with other tunes he has dropped of late, the lyrics are not only lengthy but also quite profound – weighty even. Indeed in his advanced age Mr. Dylan is not making an effort to appeal to a younger crowd, so to speak. But instead he is fully willing to display the depth of his notable experiences via his lyrics.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Bob Dylan's False Prophet at Lyrics.org.

And that brings us to trying to figure out exactly what he is talking about. First of all there is no actual “false prophet” in this song. Rather what Dylan is saying is that he personally is “no false prophet”. In other words, he is asserting that what he is saying is indeed true. And overall what that assertion would be is that at this point he is someone akin to an angel of truth in the music game.

That is to say that musically he has kept it real. He didn’t pursue a life of riches and sumptuous living, as have some of his peers. Rather his journey centered on “search(ing) the world over for the Holy Grail”, with said object likely being synonymous with the concept of righteousness.

So now, once again in his age, he is able to see the endgame, so to speak. Those who rather focused on “silver and gold” are now looking forward to damnation. And “the city of God” is a place they can only behold from afar but never actually enter. Meanwhile Dylan himself, once again as the title suggests, is a true prophet. So even though he depicts his life as one that has been challenging and to this day remains unpredictable, it can be said that he chose such a path for himself, once again in the name of the greater good. So the overall implication is that he does not anticipate sharing in the same perdition as those who rather chose pleasure over piety and the inherent discomforts that come with the latter.

Writing Credits

Bob Dylan is the sole writer of “False Prophet”, and he produced the track also.

When was “False Prophet” released?

This song was released by Columbia Records on the 8th of May 2020. And it is third single from what is actually his 39th studio album, which is entitled “Rough and Rowdy Ways”. The album’s first two singles were: “Murder Most Foul” and “I Contain Multitudes“.

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