Bob Dylan performs "The Times They Are A-Changin'" live for the first time since 2010

The Outlaw Music Festival in Tennessee witnessed a historic moment recently when Bob Dylan brought back "The Times They Are A-Changin'" to the stage for the first time in more than a decade. As the singer broke into the familiar notes of the 1964 classic track, it took the crowd a while to get going initially. But as he eased into the song while being seated behind his piano, the crowd was left gasping towards the end of the performance.

The outdoor settings of the FirstBank Amphitheater only added to the premium feel of the event as the fans gradually found their voice. Clips from the event have now gone viral on social media and have been received positively by fans.

History of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'"

Bob Dylan has also developed a pattern of revisiting his classic songs from the past on this tour - on the tour's opening day, he also performed “Mr. Tambourine Man,” another classic he hadn’t publicly performed in about 15 years. He had last played "The Times They Are A-Changin'" at the White House in 2010, in front of Barack Obama, who was the President of the USA at the time.

The said mercurial nature of Bob Dylan was exposed later the same year as President Obama did a Rolling Stone interview, in which he recalled the incident that had happened at the White House.

"He was exactly as you’d expect he would be. He wouldn’t come to the rehearsal. Usually, all these guys are practicing before the set in the evening. He didn’t want to take a picture with me; usually all the talent is dying to take a picture with me and Michelle before the show, but he didn’t show up to that.”

He then went on to add:

"He came in and played ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’.’ A beautiful rendition. The guy is so steeped in this stuff that he can just come up with some new arrangement, and the song sounds completely different. Finishes the song, steps off the stage – I’m sitting right in the front row – comes up, shakes my hand, sort of tips his head, gives me just a little grin, and then leaves. And that was it – then he left. That was our only interaction with him. And I thought: That’s how you want Bob Dylan, right? You don’t want him to be all cheesin’ and grinnin’ with you. You want him to be a little skeptical about the whole enterprise. So that was a real treat."

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The song itself has been played more than 600 times during Bob Dylan's career and has retained the connection with civil rights/social justice initiatives since its release. Other than "The Times They Are A-Changin'", Bob Dylan also performed other renditions of his popular hits, including "All Along the Watchtower", "Desolation Row", "Don't Think Twice", and "It's All Right."

There was also an exciting lineup at the Outlaw Music Festival in Tennessee, consisting of Willie Nelson, Trampled by Turtles, Nathaniel Rateliff, and The Night Sweats. Bob Dylan is scheduled to appear on several occasions during the music festival, with the next performance coming up on June 27.

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