Here's Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash being pals and singing an early demo of "Wanted Man"

By Sam Barsanti | October 22, 2019 | 12:34am

Aux Features Music

Here's Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash being pals and singing an early demo of "Wanted Man"

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Photo: Michael Ochs Archives

At his San Quentin live show in 1969 (as immortalized on the appropriately named At San Quentin live album), Johnny Cash debuted a new song that Bob Dylan wrote for him called “Wanted Man,” and now Bob Dylan has released the original demo version of that song that he and Cash recorded together just a week before Cash performed the song for prisoners. This comes from Rolling Stone, which notes that the demo is going to be included on an upcoming box set with an extremely long name: Bob Dylan (Featuring Johnny Cash)—Travelin’ Thru, 1967-1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15.

There’s also a video for the track, featuring an opening reminder from June Carter Cash to not forget the melody and a little bit of footage of Dylan and Cash being buddies and having a good time playing a tune together. The real star, though, is Cash’s noble attempt to stumble through some lyrics that he absolutely has not memorized, offering up a three-syllable city or state to fit the meter even if it’s not the correct three-syllable city or state that Dylan is singing. Apparently this Johnny Cash fellow is some kind of relatable man-of-the-people type. Who knew?