Song of the Day 3/23: Bob Dylan, “Everything Is Broken”

Yet another song from a generation ago that fits the current moment all too well. From the 1989 album “Oh Mercy,” viewed at the time as a comeback for Dylan from a decade of subpar efforts, including his trio of Christian albums and the overproduced “Infidels.” The LP was recorded in New Orleans with producer Daniel Lanois, and the song captures the vibe of the city’s soul strut, in contrast to its sardonic lyrics.

Lanois, who also played dobro on the track, told an interviewer about Dylan’s writing method.

Bob overwrites. He keeps chipping away at his verses. He has a place for all his favorite couplets, and those couplets can be interchangeable. I’ve seen the same lyrics show up in two or three different songs as he cuts and pastes them around.

Sure enough, the alternate version released on Bootleg Series Vol. 8 includes a lot of lyrics that didn’t make the final cut.