Synopsis

Bob Dylan stands in a London alley, facing the camera while flipping through handwritten cue cards timed to the rapid-fire lyrics of "Subterranean Homesick Blues." The cards display selected words and phrases rather than the complete lyrics, with Dylan dropping each one out of frame as the song progresses. Poet Allen Ginsberg and musician Bob Neuwirth appear in the background, engaged in conversation. The deliberately simple performance turns Dylan's restless verbal collage into a striking visual sequence.

Factoids & Trivia

• The sequence was filmed in an alley near London's Savoy Hotel during Dylan's 1965 British tour and later became the opening of the documentary *Dont Look Back*, released in 1967.

• Dylan came up with the cue-card concept. The cards were prepared by Dylan, Donovan, Allen Ginsberg, and Bob Neuwirth.

• The cards do not always reproduce the lyrics exactly. Deliberate misspellings, omissions, jokes, and substitutions include "20 dollar bills" where the song sings "eleven dollar bills."

• Several versions of the sequence were filmed. An alternate take is preserved in later home-video and archival releases, allowing viewers to compare different card movements and performances.

• Although it was made for a documentary rather than as a conventional standalone promo, the sequence is widely regarded as an early landmark of the modern music video.

• The cue-card format became one of the most recognizable visual templates in pop-video history. INXS used a similar approach for "Mediate," while "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Bob" closely parodied the original setup.