Rare Bob Dylan Song Draft Discovered in Bookstore to Be Auctioned

A rare draft of a Bob Dylan song has been discovered in a bookstore and will soon be auctioned off. This significant find was reported by the British publication The Independent.

According to the information, a page containing the lyrics of the song "I'm Not There" was found in the first edition of poet Allen Ginsberg's book titled "Ankor Wat." This book previously belonged to Sally Grossman, the wife of Bob Dylan's first manager, Albert Grossman, and was also a close friend of the singer himself. It is noteworthy that Sally Grossman also appeared on the cover of Dylan's album "Bringing It All Back Home," which was released in 1965.

The auction house Omega Auctions, which has put this unique page of song lyrics up for bidding, noted that it has likely been preserved within the book since Ginsberg gifted it to Grossman in 1969. This fact underscores the importance of the discovery, as it holds historical value.

Following the death of Albert Grossman in 2021, the book along with other editions from his collection was sold to a bookseller in the United States. This indicates that such artifacts related to music history may surface on the market and attract the attention of collectors and fans.

Dylan, known for his unique compositions, wrote and recorded over 100 songs during the summer of 1967, including "I'm Not There," along with his then-backing band The Band. The draft that was discovered is a lined sheet of paper, torn along the bottom edge, containing the song's lyrics and several edits, indicating the author's creative process.

The auction house's lot description states: "After consultations with well-known collectors of Dylan's works, it is considered that this is an extremely rare working version of the song's lyrics, which belongs to the singer's best works." This emphasizes the uniqueness and value of the draft for music fans and art history enthusiasts.

It is worth noting that recently a rare copy of a Superman comic, which was once stolen from the home of Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage, was sold for a record $15 million. This confirms the growing interest in collectible items related to culture and art.

Photo: Rowland Scherman. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

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