"Girl from the North Country" is a song written by Bob Dylan. It was recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in New York City in April 1963, and released the following month as the second track on Dylan's second studio album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Dylan re-recorded the song as a duet with Johnny Cash in February 1969. That recording became the opening track on Nashville Skyline, Dylan's ninth studio album. Live performances by Dylan appear on the albums Real Live, The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, ' , Live 1962-1966: Rare Performances From The Copyright Collections, and ' . A February 1964 performance for Canadian television was included on the DVD release of Martin Scorsese's PBStelevision documentary on Dylan, No Direction Home in 2005.
Origin of the song
The song was written following his first trip to England in December, 1962, upon what he thought to be the completion of his second album. It is debated as to whom this song is a tribute; some claim former girlfriend, Echo Helstrom, and some Bonnie Beecher, both of whom Dylan knew before leaving for New York. However, it is suspected that this song could have been inspired by his then girlfriend, Suze Rotolo. Dylan left England for Italy to search for Suze, whose continuation of studies there had caused a serious rift in their relationship. Unbeknownst to Dylan, Rotolo had already returned to the United States, leaving about the same time that Dylan arrived in Italy. It was here that he finished the song, ostensibly inspired by the apparent end of his relationship with Rotolo. Upon his return to New York in mid-January, he persuaded Rotolo to get back together, and to move back into his apartment on 4th Street. Suze Rotolo is the woman featured on the album cover, walking arm in arm with Dylan down Jones Street, not far from their apartment. While in London, Dylan met several figures in the local folk scene, including English folksinger Martin Carthy. "I ran into some people in England who really knew those songs," Dylan recalled in 1984. "Martin Carthy, another guy named Bob Davenport | Davenport. Martin Carthy's incredible. I learned a lot of stuff from Martin." Carthy exposed Dylan to a repertoire of traditional English ballads, including Carthy's own arrangement of "Scarborough Fair," which Dylan drew upon for aspects of the melody and lyrics of "Girl from the North Country," including the line from the refrain "Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine". Musically, this song is nearly identical to his composition "Boots of Spanish Leather", composed and recorded one year later for the album The Times They Are a-Changin'.
Cash also recorded a duet with Dylan himself during their February, 1969 recording session while Dylan was in Nashville for Nashville Skyline. This version appears in the 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
Tom Northcott's 1968 single charted in Canada.
Joe Cocker and Leon Russell performed the song on the 1970 live album Mad Dogs and Englishmen.
Leon Russell performed the song on his 1970 live album at the Fillmore East.
The Clancy Brothers released their version on their 1972 album Save The Land.
Roy Harper recorded his version of the song on his 1974 album Valentine.
Rod Stewart also covered this song on his 1974 album Smiler.
Eels perform a slowed down, live, acoustic version on ' as well as The Myspace Transmissions Session 2009.
Altan performed this song on their album Another Sky
Link Wray & his Ray Men released a version in 1965.
Rosanne Cash included the song on her 2009 album The List, which is based on a list of 100 country songs Johnny Cash recommended to her as "essential."
