Like a Rolling Stone

song by Dylan

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June 30, 2026

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"Like a Rolling Stone" is a seminal song by Bob Dylan, released in 1965. It marked a significant shift in Dylan's career, as he controversially "went electric" at the Newport Folk Festival, performing the song with amplified instruments. This move alienated some folk music purists but is considered a pivotal moment in the history of rock music.1

The song's lyrics explore themes of social displacement and the harsh realities faced by a privileged individual cast out of society, famously asking, "How does it feel / To be on your own / With no direction home, / Like a rolling stone". The phrase "rolling stone" itself has a long history, originating from ancient proverbs suggesting that a person who is constantly moving does not accumulate responsibilities or "moss". Dylan's use of the phrase captured a spirit of wanderlust and rebellion prevalent in the youth culture of the 1960s. The song became one of the most acclaimed rock songs of all time.2

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Tom Wilson
Work at Columbia Records
When Dylan was recording “Like a Rolling Stone” for his next album, Wilson invited his friend Al Kooper, a guitar player, to observe the session. Kooper, to Wilson’s initial chagrin, sat himself at the organ, an instrument that Kooper did not play. But Wilson, in his typical facilitating production…
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When Dylan was recording “Like a Rolling Stone” for his next album, Wilson invited his friend Al Kooper, a guitar player, to observe the session. Kooper, to Wilson’s initial chagrin, sat himself at the organ, an instrument that Kooper did not play. But Wilson, in his typical facilitating production…
Read More

Bob Dylan
The king of folk music
…most ascendant song yet, “Like a Rolling Stone.” Devoid of obvious protest references, set against a rough-hewn, twangy rock underpinning, and fronted by a snarling vocal that lashed out at all those who questioned his legitimacy, “Like a Rolling Stone” spoke to yet a new set of listeners and…
Read More
…most ascendant song yet, “Like a Rolling Stone.” Devoid of obvious protest references, set against a rough-hewn, twangy rock underpinning, and fronted by a snarling vocal that lashed out at all those who questioned his legitimacy, “Like a Rolling Stone” spoke to yet a new set of listeners and…
Read More

When Dylan “Went Electric”
…through the next song, “Like a Rolling Stone.” Dylan biographer Anthony Scaduto described the audience’s initial reaction as a mixture of scattered booing and applause but mostly bewildered silence. According to Scaduto, booing and heckling then spread throughout the audience during “Rolling Stone,” driving Dylan and the band offstage…
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…through the next song, “Like a Rolling Stone.” Dylan biographer Anthony Scaduto described the audience’s initial reaction as a mixture of scattered booing and applause but mostly bewildered silence. According to Scaduto, booing and heckling then spread throughout the audience during “Rolling Stone,” driving Dylan and the band offstage…
Read More