This Heartbreaking Bob Dylan Song Was Recorded in 1975 — But It Was Not Released Until 10 Years Later

Bob Dylan has released classics such as “Blowin' in the Wind” and “Forever Young”. However, perhaps his finest works are the songs that took years to write or release, such as “Tangled Up In Blue,” or songs that may never see the light of day. “Abandoned Love,” which was released over 40 years ago, is a largely unheard hit that had been hiding in Dylan’s music vault for a decade, and is easily considered one of his best and yet underrated tracks.

Bob Dylan Recorded "Abandoned Love" In 1975

One of Dylan’s most critically acclaimed albums, Blood on the Tracks, was still reaping its awards as Dylan began recording the album’s follow-up, Desire, which also became another bestseller. While recording songs for Desire, he began working on “Abandoned Love”, which was one of the final songs he recorded during the sessions. Ultimately, “Abandoned Love” was left off the album for a variety of unknown reasons, and hits such as “Isis” became the standout for the album.

Many theories suggest why “Abandoned Love” was left out of Desire. One reason was concerns that “Abandoned Love” would sound too similar to Blood on the Tracks, as it was a song as personal as the album. Another similar reason is that the song itself was believed to be written about his ex-wife, Sara Lownds. Dylan never addressed why “Abandoned Love” was not included in the Desire album, and as it has been released a decade later, a reason is not needed.

“Abandoned Love,” like any other Dylan song, underwent a lot of changes. The song’s working title was “Sara Part II Abandoned Love,” and it was also known as “Saint John the Evangelist” because of a line in the lyrics. In 1976, Desire was released and topped the pop album charts for five weeks, with “Abandoned Love” abandoned in the unreleased vault for a decade.

Bob Dylan Released "Abandoned Love" In 1985

“Abandoned Love” was released in the compilation album, Biograph, and fans and critics quickly praised the track for its heartbreaking and poetic lyrics. As it was not released as a new single, “Abandoned Love” is not considered one of his greatest hits. It is, however, an underrated classic which deserves a lot more recognition.

Dylan also did not pay too much attention to “Abandoned Love,” as he only performed this song once, which was a decade before the song’s official release. On July 3 1975, Dylan performed “Abandoned Love” live at The Bitter End cafe on Bleecker Street, during a show with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Since then, Dylan never performed “Abandoned Love” again, and he has repeatedly performed some of his most performed songs, such as “Like a Rolling Stone” and “All Along The Watchtower” (Jimi Hendrix’s version).

Despite “Abandoned Love” not being as well-known as the rest of his songs, it did inspire some covers from iconic artists and rising stars. The Beatles’ George Harrison recorded a demo of “Abandoned Love” in the 80s, though this demo remains unreleased. The Everly Brothers recorded a cover of the song for their album, Born Yesterday, in 1985, which peaked at 83 on the Billboard 200. Its most recent cover was from 2020, with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings releasing their cover for their album, All the Good Times Are Past & Gone.

"Abandoned Love" is One of Bob Dylan's Most Poetic and Heartbreaking Songs

Billboard added “Abandoned Love” to their list of beautiful Dylan songs, and the reasons why are clear. The poetic rhyming scheme AABB and imagery alongside the metaphors add to the misery and desolation Dylan echoes throughout the song, especially in the first few lines of the song, which depict a breakup and Dylan feeling blindsided. The heartache can be felt in the song, as Dylan sang about his heart still loving the song’s recipient and not being able to break free as long as he loved her.

The personal aspects of this song make the song even more heartbreaking. In “Abandoned Love,” it is clear that Dylan is mournful and regretful about the breakdown of his marriage to Lowndes and is mourning the love and marriage he once had. The heartbreak and breakup haunted Dylan and are echoed throughout “Abandoned Love”.

Dylan had released beautiful songs before “Abandoned Love”, such as “Desolation Row” and “Tangled Up In Blue.” However, it would have been a disservice if “Abandoned Love” went unheard, as the heartbreak and devastation seep through the lyrics and the composition. Then again, with over 30 albums under his belt, more moving and poetic songs may be locked away in a vault. Thankfully, “Abandoned Love” made its way out of it.