Fans of the legendary musician Bob Dylan believe he has forgotten about writing one of his greatest songs.
The veteran performer has written hundreds of songs, with many classics included in his discography. Dylan’s prolific songwriting has since led to fans suggesting he may not remember writing some of his best-known pieces.
One of the songs Dylan may have forgotten has never been recorded in the studio, and fans taking to Reddit are wondering why this is the case.
Fellow musician Joan Baez has since shed a light on why Dylan may not have recorded the song in the studio, as she, along with fans, believe the music legend has forgotten he is the man who wrote the song.
Dylan, who is currently touring the Rough and Rowdy Ways album for the fourth year running, is set to be on the road until mid-September.
A user of the r/BobDylan subreddit asked: “Why hasn’t Bob recorded Love is Just a Four Letter Word?” The song, written by Dylan around 1965, became a hit when covered by Joan Baez.
Her cover was released in December 1968 after Baez told Dylan she would put it on one of her records if he finished it in time. Dylan had at that point been playing the unfinished song as part of his live shows.
It is one of many songs Dylan would never record, with fans still hunting down songs like Take It or Leave It and You Can Change Your Name, two songs written by Dylan which were never recorded by the veteran songwriter.
One fan has suggested the reason for not recording it may have been the very act of forgetting he had penned the song.
A user of the Bob Dylan Reddit page wrote: “He forgot he wrote it, so he probably didn’t feel super connected to the song in a way where he wanted to sing it.”
Another user recalled a story from Baez recalled on the No Direction Home documentary, where she recounts talking to Dylan about Love is Just a Four Letter Word.
The user wrote: “Joan Baez tells a story in No Direction Home where she was driving with Bob and this song came on the radio and Bob was like ‘hey this is a good song,’ because he had forgotten he’d written it.
“So probably because he was writing so many great songs at the time that he accidentally tossed off some.” Another user suggested he may not have liked the song after finishing it.
They wrote: “He didn’t like the vibe.” A third agreed, suggesting it “seems like such a non-Dylan song.”