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| "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Cover of the Portuguese EP (1968) | |
| Song by Bob Dylan | |
| from the album John Wesley Harding | |
| Released | December 27, 1967 |
| Recorded | October 17, 1967 |
| Studio | Columbia Studio A (Nashville, Tennessee)[1] |
| Length | 5:35[2] |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Dylan |
| Producer(s) | Bob Johnston |
| Official audio | |
| "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" on YouTube | |
"The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released as the fifth track on his eighth studio album John Wesley Harding (1967). The track was written by Dylan and produced by Bob Johnston. It was recorded in one take on October 17, 1967, at Columbia Studio A in Nashville. The song's lyrics refer to two friends, Frankie Lee and Judas Priest. Lee asks Priest for a loan of money and Priest offers it freely. Lee spends it in a brothel over 16 days, then dies of thirst in Priest's arms. It has been suggested by commentators that the song refers to Dylan's relationship with his manager Albert Grossman or to his contractual negotiations with his record company. The song received a mixed critical reception. Dylan performed the song live in concert 20 times, from 1987 to 2000.
- ^ Kosser, Michael (2006). How Nashville Became Music City, U.S.A.: A History Of Music Row. Lanham, Maryland, US: Backbeat Books. pp. 149–150. ISBN 978-1-49306-512-7.
- ^ Margotin & Guesdon 2022, p. 290.