LYRICS, by Bob Dylan

    What is more simple to do than gather all Bob Dylan's songs lyrics in a single book, complete at the date of publication? Actually, it was not so easy. WRITINGS AND DRAWINGS BY BOB DYLAN did it, but stopped in 1971... then there was a huge 15 years gap till the mid 80s.

    From projects to cancellations, here are the official publications.

    Through the years and so far, books presenting translations of Dylan lyrics were published in Albanian, Arabic, Basque, Bulgarian, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish...

    Starting late 1960s and especially during the 1970s, many editions of Bob Dylan's lyrics were produced by bootleggers: you can see them here.

LYRICS 1962-1985:
MY BACK PAGES, UK,  flyer	Same, other flyer

USA, uncorrected proof copy of the 1st (unrevised) edition of the book; the cover is powder blue with publisher's information label taped on. Label states: "Tentative Publication Date: October 28, 1985 Tentative Price 21.95 paper on boards."	USA, INCLUDES ALL OF WRITINGS AND DRAWINGS PLUS 120 NEW WRITINGS, Alfred A.Knopf 1985, 528 pages hardback. ISBN 9780394542782	UK, Jonathan Cape 1987, 528 pages hardback. ISBN 0224024876
UK, Jonathan Cape Ltd 1987, paperback. ISBN 0224028588	Paladin/Grafton, 1988, 719 pages, softcover ISBN 0586086471	Grafton/Harper Collins, 1993, 719 pages, softcover ISBN 0586086471

THE CANCELLED EDITIONS: "Any Day Now, I Shall Be Released..."

LYRICS 1962-1996 (pre publication cover) after being delayed for a long time, was finally cancelled. This is the first of three cancelled publications of this book

LYRICS 1962-1999, Jonathan Cape Ltd 2006, paperback, 544 pages. ISBN 9780224051163. This only exists as a card book cover slick – promo mock up – for a UK edition of LYRICS that was never published. This book was scheduled for publication on December 31, 2001 then cancelled (it got so far as being advertised on Amazon.co.uk). The back cover states £15.00 and gives an ISBN. A new edition was scheduled for December 2019

LYRICS 1962-2001 (pre-publication cover), cancelled

LYRICS 1962-2001:
USA, Simon & Schuster (Trade Division) 2004, hardcover with dust jacket, 624 pages ISBN 0743228278	UK, Simon & Schuster 2006, London, hardcover with dustjacket, 610 pages. ISBN 074323944X	UK, Simon & Schuster 2006, London, softcover, 610 pages. ISBN 0743231015

SÅNGTEXTER - 1962-2001, Bokforlaget Prisma 2004, Stockholm, Sweden. Hardcover with dustjacket, 618 pages. This is a Swedish book (also listed on the Swedish page), but the lyrics are in English only. ISBN 9789151842011

LYRICS, Reclam Philipp June 2008, softcover, 155 pages.This is a German book; 45 songs in English language with a small comment in German by Heinrich Detering. ISBN 9783150197417

same, alternate cover 'Fremdsprachentexte' means 'Foreign language texts'

THE LYRICS. SINCE 1962:

        

UK, Simon & Schuster Ltd., November 2014, hardback with transparent sleeve, 960 pages. Edited by Christopher Ricks, Lisa Nemrow and Julie Nemrow. 'SINCE 1962' appears on the front cover
in very small letters under the laurel wreath.
ISBN 9781471137099. The Big Dylan Book: 7 kg, this is not the one to read in bed!...

        
   A limited edition of 50 copies only, in a slipcase, signed by Bob Dylan, could by ordered by telephone through Simon & Schuster's: the cost was $5000 (plus taxes of course). It came with a letter of authenticity.
(Collection Mani Endtner)

THE LYRICS 1961-2012

USA, Simon & Schuster November 2016, hardback, 768 pages. Same as above, much cheaper edition. ISBN 978145164876

UK, Simon & Schuster, November 2016. ISBN 97814711524431

Denmark, THE LYRICS 1961-2012 - TEKSTERNE, Gyldendal 2016, 679 pages, hardcover with dustjacket. Danish book (also listed on the Danish page), with lyrics in English only. ISBN 9788702234060

Finland, SANAT - THE LYRICS 1961-2010. Finnish book with the lyrics in English only. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, 2016. 679 pages, hardcover with dustjacket. ISBN 9789510425572

Sweden, SÅNGTEXTER 1961-2012, Norstedts 2016, 682 pages, foreword by Fredrik Virtanen (11 pages). Hardcover with dustjacket, mention of the Nobel Prize. Swedish book with the lyrics in English only ISBN 9789113079431