A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL

A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL




Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?

Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?

I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains,

I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways,

I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests,

I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans,

I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard,

And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard,

And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?

Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?

I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it

I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it,

I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin',

I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin',

I saw a white ladder all covered with water,

I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,

I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,

And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,

And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?

And what did you hear, my darling young one?

I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin',

Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world,

Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin',

Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin',

Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin',

Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter,

Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,

And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,

And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?

Who did you meet, my darling young one?

I met a young child beside a dead pony,

I met a white man who walked a black dog,

I met a young woman whose body was burning,

I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow,

I met one man who was wounded in love,

I met another man who was wounded with hatred,

And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,

It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?

Oh, what'll you do now, my darling young one?

I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin',

I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest,

Where the people are many and their hands are all empty,

Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters,

Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison,

Where the executioner's face is always well hidden,

Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten,

Where black is the color, where none is the number,

And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,

And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,

Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin',

But I'll know my song well before I start singin',

And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,

It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.




And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it























PERFORMANCES SINCE 1998



1998.01.20, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

1998.01.24, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

1998.06.02, LEIPZIG, GERMANY

1998.06.20, NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND

1998.06.27, LONDON, ENGLAND

1998.07.01, DIJON, FRANCE

1998.07.06, LUCCA, ITALY

1998.11.02, SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

1999.01.30, TAMPA, FLORIDA

1999.04.21, ZARAGOZA, SPAIN

1999.04.25, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

1999.04.28, LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA

1999.04.30, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

1999.06.14, EUGENE, OREGON

1999.07.06, DETROIT, MICHIGAN

1999.07.27, NEW YORK CITY

1999.11.03, COLUMBUS, OHIO

1999.11.14, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

1999.11.19, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY

2000.04.05, SALINA, KANSAS

2000.05.21, HORSENS, DENMARK

2000.07.11, CINCINNATI, OHIO

2000.09.25, PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND

2001.03.02, YOKOHAMA, JAPAN

2001.03.13, HAMAMATSU, JAPAN

2001.03.21, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

2001.03.25, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

2001.04.25, CAPE GIRADEAU, MISSOURI

2001.06.28, LANGESUND, NORWAY

2001.07.05, BRAUNSCHWEIG, GERMANY

2001.07.18, BAD REICHENHALL, GERMANY

2001.08.15, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

2001.08.20, TELLURIDE, COLORADO

2001.08.25, LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA

2001.10.06, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

2001.10.12, SAN JOSÉ, CALIFORNIA

2001.10.13, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

2001.10.14, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

2001.10.23, SIOUX CITY, IOWA

2001.10.25, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

2001.10.31, MADISON, WISCONSIN

2001.11.08, TORONTO, CANADA

2001.11.09, DETROIT, MICHIGAN

2001.11.15, WASHINGTON, D.C.

2001.11.17, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

2001.11.19, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

2001.11.24, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

2002.02.08, WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

2002.02.11, CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA

2002.02.15, AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

2002.02.17, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

2002.02.23, BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA

2002.04.09, HAMBURG, GERMANY

2002.04.16, STUTTGART, GERMANY

2002.04.21, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

2002.04.25, STRASBOURG, FRANCE

2002.04.29, PARIS, FRANCE

2002.05.05, BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND

2002.05.08, NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND

2002.05.12, LONDON, ENGLAND

2002.08.12, MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC, CANADA

2002.10.07, RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA

2002.10.11, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

2003.04.25, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

2003.07.19, LAKE TAHOE, NEVADA

2003.08.02, JOLIET, ILLINOIS

2003.08.09, HOLMDEL, NEW JERSEY

2003.08.17, WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT

2003.11.25, LONDON, ENGLAND

2004.03.31, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

2004.04.03, WASHINGTON, D.C

2004.07.03, COMO, ITALY

2004.07.10, MOTRIL, SPAIN

2004.07.15, LEÓN, SPAIN

2004.08.12, ABERDEEN, MARYLAND

2004.08.28, DES MOINES, IOWA

2004.10.21, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

2004.10.30, KENOSHA, WISCONSIN

2004.11.03, WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA

2004.11.17, KINGSTON, RHODE ISLAND

2005.04.03, CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS

2005.04.17, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

2005.04.24, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY

2005.04.28, NEW YORK, NEW YORK

2005.06.01, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

2005.06.16, CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY

2005.07.24, CALGARY, ALBERTA

2005.07.27, BOZEMAN, MONTANA

2005.10.30, WETZLAR, GERMANY

2005.11.03, PARIS, FRANCE

2005.11.06, ERFURT, GERMANY

2005.11.10, BOLOGNA, ITALY

2005.11.16, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

2005.11.23, LONDON, ENGLAND

2006.04.24, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

2006.07.12, PERPIGNAN, FRANCE

2006.07.19, FOGGIA, ITALY

2006.08.18, WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

2006.08.24, PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND

2006.08.27, MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

2006.10.13, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

2006.10.25, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

2007.03.27, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

2007.03.28, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

2007.03.30, OSLO, NORWAY

2007.04.04, HAMBURG, GERMANY

2007.04.11, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

2007.04.21, FRANKFURT, GERMANY

2007.07.10, INTERLOCHEN, MICHIGAN

2007.08.15, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

2007.08.23, PERTH, AUSTRALIA

2007.09.27, CHARLOTTSVILLE, VIRGINIA

2008.03.02, GUADALAJARA, MEXICO

2008.03.06, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

2008.03.20, PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY

2008.06.05, VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

2008.06.16, BERGAMO, ITALY

2008.06.19, GRENOBLE, FRANCE

2008.06.23, ZARAGOZA, SPAIN

2008.07.10, MÉRIDA , SPAIN

2008.08.24, EVANSVILLE , INDIANA

2008.08.28, KANSAS CITY , MISSOURI

2008.09.04, TEMECULA , CALIFORNIA

2008.09.07, SANTA BARBARA , CALIFORNIA

2008.10.23, VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA , CANADA

2008.10.30, LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA , CANADA

2008.11.06, MILWAUKEE , WISCONSIN

2008.11.09, SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO , CANADA

2008.11.13, SUDBURY, ONTARIO , CANADA

2009.03.25, OSLO, NORWAY

2009.04.02, ERFURT, GERMANY

2009.04.15, MILANO, ITALY

2009.07.08, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

2009.07.23, LAKEWOOD, NEW JERSEY

2009.07.30, ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA

2009.10.11, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

2009.11.02, BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

2009.11.05, CANTON, OHIO

2009.11.17, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

2010.03.11, OSAKA, JAPAN

2010.03.18, NAGOYA, JAPAN

2010.03.25, TOKYO, JAPAN

2010.05.31, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

2010.06.01, SOFIA, BULGARIA

2010.10.07, TAMPA, FLORIDA

2010.10.14, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

2010.10.21, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

2010.10.26, EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN

2010.11.04, COLUMBUS, OHIO

2010.11.14, WEST LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY

2010.11.19, AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

2010.11.23, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

2011.04.06, BEIJING, CHINA

2011.04.10, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

2011.04.13, KOWLOON BAY, HONG KONG

2011.04.15, SINGAPORE

2011.04.17, FREMANTLE, AUSTRALIA

2011.04.19, ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA

2011.04.21, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

2011.04.25, BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA

2011.04.27, DARLING HARBOUR, AUSTRALIA

2011.06.18, LONDON, ENGLAND

2011.06.20, TEL AVIV, ISRAEL

2011.06.24, SURSEE, SWITZERLAND

2011.06.27, ODENSE, DENMARK

2011.06.30, OSLO, NORWAY

2011.07.02, BORLÄNGE, SWEDEN

2011.07.14, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

2011.07.15, COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA

2011.07.28, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

2011.10.08, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

2011.10.10, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

2011.10.13, CARDIFF, WALES

2011.10.16, LILLE, FRANCE

2011.10.19, ANTWERP, BELGIUM

2011.10.20, ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

2011.10.23, OBERHAUSEN, GERMANY

2011.10.26, MUNICH, GERMANY

2011.10.27, LEIPZIG, GERMANY

2011.11.03, MALMO, SWEDEN

2011.11.16, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND

2011.11.19, LONDON, ENGLAND

2012.04.17, BRASILIA, BRAZIL

2012.04.21, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

2012.04.26, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

2012.04.28, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

2012.05.05, HEREDIA, COSTA RICA

2012.05.09, GUADALAJARA, MEXICO

2012.05.12, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO

2012.06.30, PADDOCK WOOD, ENGLAND

2012.07.04, BONN, GERMANY

2012.07.11, BILBAO, SPAIN

2012.07.16, BAROLO, ITALY

2012.07.22, CARHAIX, FRANCE

2012.08.11, LETHBRIDGE, CANADA

2012.08.18, SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA

2012.08.30, SALISBURY, MARYLAND

2012.09.06, LEWISTON, NEW YORK

2012.10.06, REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN

2012.10.18, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNA

2012.10.22, SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNA

2012.10.29, BROOMFIELD, COLORADO

2012.11.01, GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS

2012.11.05, MADISON, WISCONSIN

2012.11.07, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

2012.11.13, DETROIT, MADISON

2012.11.20, WASHINGTON, DC

2013.06.27, TAMPA, FLORIDA

2013.06.29, ATLANTA, GEORGIA

2013.06.30, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

2013.07.02, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

2013.07.03, TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA

2013.07.05, NOBLESVILLE, INDIANA

2013.07.06, CINCINNATI, OHIO

2013.07.09, DULUTH, MINNESOTA

2013.07.10, ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

2013.07.11, PEORIA, ILLINOIS

2013.07.12, CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS

2013.07.14, CLARKSTON, MICHIGAN

2013.07.15, TORONTO, CANADA

2013.07.18, DARIEN CENTER, NEW YORK

2013.07.19, BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT

2013.07.21, SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK

2013.07.23, COLUMBIA, MARYLAND

2013.07.24, VIRGINA BEACH, VIRGINA

2013.07.26, HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY

2013.07.27, WANTAGH, NEW YORK

2013.07.28, CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY

2013.08.03, IRVINE, CALIFORNIA

2013.11.04, MILANO, ITALY

2013.11.08, PADOVA, ITALY

2014.06.22, THESSALONIKI, GREECE

2014.07.05, SLUPSK, POLAND

2014.07.11, STAVERN, NORWAY

2014.07.15, KRISTIANSAND, NORWAY

2014.07.15, GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN

2014.07.17, PORI, FINLAND

2015.06.20, MAINZ, GERMANY

2017.06.17, DOVER, DELAWARE

2024.08.04, WHEATLAND, CALIFORNIA

2024.08.07, NAMPA, IDAHO

2024.08.09, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

2024.08.10, GEORGE, WASHINGTON

2024.09.06, SOMERSET, WISCONSIN

2024.09.07, TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS

2024.09.08, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

2024.09.11, CINCINNATI, OHIO

2024.09.12, CUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO

2024.09.14, BURGETTSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

2024.09.15, CLARKSTON, MICHIGAN

2024.09.17, BUFFALO, NEW YORK







I do think Bob Dylan is conveying a very grave warning when singing "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL". This brilliant song does paint a vivid picture of a very desolate "world gone wrong", which "can't stand long", and which "will be destroyed" by its maker, "because it is too full of sin". I had not seen a performance of this song since my first Bod Dylan concert in November 1981, when in April 1999 I witnessed Bob Dylan perform "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" masterfully in Zurich, Switzerland. In September 2000 I got to see him singing it again, at the second show in Portsmouth, England. It had been the fourth and last performance of this song in 2000.

In 2001 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" has been performed twice in Japan; and twice in Australia. In April in Cape Giradeau, Missouri, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" has been performed in the same concert as "IN THE GARDEN", like so many times before back in the fall of 1981. The first European appearance of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in 2001 was in Norway, the second and the third one were in Germany. In August 2001 it was performed in Oklahoma, in Colorado, and in California. During the fall 2001 tour Bob sang "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in Seattle, and on three consecutive days in San José, San Francisco and Santa Barbara. The song appeared next in Sioux City and St.Paul. And in Madison, halfway through the tour, Bob actually chose for the first time to follow up "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" with "THIS WORLD CAN'T STAND LONG". Eight days later in Toronto both songs appeared in the same setlist again; and one day after that in Detroit "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared in the same show as the rare "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND". The next performances of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" were again at three consecutive shows; in Washington D.C., the capital of the United States; two days later in Philadelphia; and another two days later at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Also the last Bob Dylan concert of 2001 in Boston included this song.

In February 2002 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared in North Carolina and Louisiana in a concert starting with "I AM THE MAN THOMAS"; and in West Virgina and Georgia in the same show as "THIS WORLD CAN'T STAND LONG". Once more it was performed in Louisiana in February, making it five appearances in 15 days. In April it appeared twice in Germany, in Hamburg and Stuttgart, one week apart; and in Zurich, Switzerland, where I had seen it three years before. The next two performances were in France, in Strasbourg and Paris, four days apart. In England I had the pleasure to see Bob performing "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" three times in May 2002, at first in Bournemouth (where it appeared in the same show as "NOT DARK YET"), then in Newcastle, and also during the second show in London. In August Bob Dylan performed it in Montréal, Canada. In October in California "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed twice by Bob while playing piano. More than half a year later, at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, during the last verse of his first performance of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in 2003, Bob was standing at his piano and delivered one of the finest vocal performances in recent years. In July, almost three months after that, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed in Lake Tahoe, Nevada; and in August it appeared in Joliet, Illinois, in Holmdel, New Jersey, and in Wallingford, Connecticut. Another three months later, in London, in November 2003, Bob Dylan performed "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" during the last show of his mighty fine European tour.

The first appearance of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in 2004 was on the last day of March, in Philadelphia. Only three days later it was performed again, in Washington, in the same show as the rare "RING THEM BELLS". Exactly three months after this, in July 2004, in Como, Italy, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared as the first encore of a show, which also included "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND". One week later, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed at the south coast of Spain, in Motril, once more (as numerous times before over the years) in the same set as "NOT DARK YET". Five days later Dylan performed "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in León. In August 2004, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed during an extremely rainy show in Aberdeen, Maryland, and then sixteen days later in Des Moines, Iowa. During the fall tour "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared at first in Santa Barbara, California, in the same show as "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN"; and then in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where it shared another setlist with "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND". Four days later, on the day after the US election, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed in Lafayette, Indiana, in a show which also included "SHOOTING STAR"; and two weeks after that, in Kingston, Rhode Island, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared in the same concert as "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN".

During the first Sunday show of 2005, in Chicago, Bob Dylan chose to sing his first "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" of the year, in the same set as "SEÑOR", "GOD KNOWS", "SHOOTING STAR", "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN", and "I SHALL BE RELEASED", creating a very strong and thought provocing juxtopostion of some fine songs. Two weeks later, during the third Boston show, another fine juxtoposition of great songs was to be heard, including "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL", "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN", "GOD KNOWS", "I BELIEVE IN YOU", and "RING THEM BELLS". On the following Sunday, in Atlantic City, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared in an even finer setlist, together with "GOD KNOWS", "RING THEM BELLS", "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN", "I BELIEVE IN YOU", and "MISSISSIPPI". Four days after that, in New York City, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed in the same show as "SEÑOR", "BLIND WILLIE MCTELL", and "MISSISSIPPI". During the May to July stadium tour of 2005, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed only twice in June, both times in the same set as "FOREVER YOUNG". Toward the end of July 2005 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared two more times, in Calgary, sharing a fine Sunday set list, which also included "GOD KNOWS", "SHOOTING STAR", and "TRYIN' TO GET TO HEAVEN"; and then in Bozeman, Montana.

During the European fall tour of 2005, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed six times, in Wetzlar, in Paris, in Erfurt, in Bologna, in Manchester, and during the fourth of his five London shows. Two of the six appearances (in Wetzlar and in Erfurt) were on consecutive Sundays, thus both times they were sharing a set list with "GOD KNOWS" and "SEÑOR"; and in Wetzlar also with the only "SHOOTING STAR" of the tour; and in Erfurt also with the only "RING THEM BELLS" of the tour. Powerful combinations indeed, these songs. I was standing at the rail in both Wetzlar and Erfurt, seeing both times a very focused vocal performance of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL", which were only the 7th and 8th German "never ending tour" appearances of this gem, and a very fitting addition to those two brilliant Sunday set lists.

The first appearance of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in 2006 was in Memphis, Tennessee, and the second one was during the summer tour in Europe, in Perpignan, France. One week later, in Foggia, Italy, "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed again, this time in the same set as "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND". During the US summer tour "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared first in North Carolina; then six days later in Rhode Island, in a show which had started with "CAT'S IN THE WELL". This combination was repeated three days later, in New Hampshire. During the fall tour of 2006 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed in two of the 29 shows, and during the fine European spring tour of 2007 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared in six of the 28 shows. The last of those six performances was in Frankfurt, where once more I was a part of the audience. During the North American summer tour of 2007 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed only once, in Michigan; and during the New Zealand and Australia tour in August 2007 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared in two of the 12 shows. In the fall tour of 2007 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed only once, in Virginia. In November of 2007 a new studio version of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" surfaced, which was recorded by Bob and his band for the "EXPO ZARAGOZA 2008".

During his Latin America tour in 2008 Dylan chose to perform "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" three times, in Mexico, in Brazil, and in Uruguay; and during his European summer tour in 2008 it appeared five times, in Lithuania, in Italy, in France, and then twice in Spain, at first in Zaragoza, and finally in Mérida, where I had the privilege to witness this very focused version from the center of the rail. Nine more times in 2008 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed in North America from August to November. In 2009 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared three times in Europe in the spring, in Norway, in Germany, and in Italy; and then three times in the USA in the summer, in Kentucky, in New Jersey, and in Georgia. During the fall tour of 2009 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed four times.

The first three appearances of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in 2010 were in Japan, on three consecutive Thursdays in March; and the next two were in Turkey in May and in Bulgaria in June. During the US fall tour 2010 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed four times in October and four times in November. In April 2011 Dylan chose to perform "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in China, in Vietnam, in Hong Kong, in Singapore, and five times in Australia. In the summer of 2011 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed in England, in Israel, in Switzerland, in Denmark, in Norway, in Sweden, twice in California, and in Georgia. In the fall of 2011 it appeared in another 12 concerts in Europe.

In April and May of 2012 Bob Dylan chose to perform "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" seven times during his Latin America tour; and during the his European summer tour of 2012 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared five times, in England, in Germany, in Spain, in Italy, and in France. During the North American summer tour of 2012 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed four times; and during the North American fall tour of 2012 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared another nine times. In 2013 a very nice intense version of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was performed from June to August in 22 of 27 shows of Bob Dylan's North American summer tour, each time followed by "BLIND WILLIE MCTELL". During Dylan's fine European autumn tour of 2013 "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" appeared twice, both times in Italy. The next six performances of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" were in the summer of 2014, in Europe, during most of the open air festival sets of the tour. The only performance of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in 2015 was during the opening show of the European summer tour, in Mainz, Germany, in June 2015. The next appearance of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" was two years later, in June 2017, during a festival set in Dover, Delaware.

After that the song was not performed at all for more than seven years, before in August 2024 Bob Dylan chose to sing "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL" in Wheatland, California, during his fourth show of the second leg of the 'Outlaw Music Festival Tour 2024'. It was also performed during the three remaining Bob Dylan sets of this second leg in August 2024. In September 2024, during the first show of the third leg of the 'Outlaw Music Festival Tour 2024', in Somerset, Wisconsin, in an Amphitheater located less than 3 miles east of Minnesota, Bob Dylan decided to sing a very different and quiet version of "A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL". That amazing version stayed in the set during all seven remaining dates of the tour.





























































~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ OSLO ~ MARCH 30, 2007 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ FRANKFURT ~ APRIL 21, 2007 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~
~ STUDIO VERSION FROM 2007 ~ FOR EXPO ZARAGOZA 2008 ~



~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ MÉRIDA, SPAIN ~ JULY 10, 2008 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ TEL AVIV, ISRAEL ~ JUNE 20, 2011 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ MILANO, ITALY ~ NOVEMBER 4, 2013 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ PADOVA, ITALY ~ NOVEMBER 8, 2013 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ KRISTIANSAND, NORWAY ~ JULY 12, 2014 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN ~ JULY 15, 2014 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ PORI, FINLAND ~ JULY 17, 2014 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ MAINZ, GERMANY ~ JUNE 20, 2015 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ DOVER, DELAWARE ~ JUNE 17, 2017 ~





~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ WHEATLAND, CALIFORNIA ~ AUGUST 4, 2024 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ GEORGE, WASHINGTON ~ AUGUST 10, 2024 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ SOMERSET, WISCONSIN ~ SEPTEMBER 6, 2024 ~


~ MP3 ~ A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL ~ CINCINNATI, OHIO ~ SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 ~







Biblical references:


~ Luke 21 ~


"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken."


~ Ecclesiastes 11 ~

If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth.