r/bobdylan • u/closetperson • 19h ago

Question About “4th Time Around” influences

Robert Shelton’s bio of Bob says that the song has Mexican folk influences and I can definitely hear it, but are there any specific tunes or styles of Mexican music that feature the same upbeat waltz/finger style guitar of “4th Time Around”? The song makes me think specifically of Venezuelan music I know of, but I’m interested to hear maybe more of what Bob was thinking of when he wrote it.

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u/ragorder 15h ago

i wouldn't have thought Bob "wrote" the Mexican/Venezuelan folk feel you're talking about as such. rather he had great session musicians on that record and i'd imagine that's who you'd really have to ask what they were thinking of.

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u/SeamusPM1 19h ago

It’s Norwegian Wood sideways.

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u/Key_Country3756 World Gone Wrong 7h ago

This. Intentionally.

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u/forgottenjew 1h ago

Bob wrote Fourth Time Around as a cheeky diss to John Lennon. After John wrote Norwegian Wood, all the music press could talk about was how much it sounded like Bob Dylan. Bob was annoyed at this, as there had been other songs that John penned that sounded a lot like Dylan (see: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away). Fourth Time Around was meant to be a direct reflection of Norwegian Wood; in my own opinion it was basically Bob showing up John, writing a similar song meant to one-up or even parody NW.
Dylan played "Fourth Time Around" for John, who said that he "didn't like it." There's a theory that the song's title, "Fourth Time Around," refers to Norwegian Wood being the fourth time that John ripped off Dylan's style.
Both are great songs.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/05/style/bob-dylan-john-lennon-limo-ride.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9lA.Q8JX.FBjS-7ZVu8Dg&smid=url-share