Studio Album · No. 16
Slow Train Coming Songwriting Credits by Bob Dylan
Holds writing credit on 9 of 9 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 9 / 9 documented
Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether Bob Dylan carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 1
All ten songs on Slow Train Coming were written by Bob Dylan, the first album of his Christian period. The record paired Dylan with producers Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett at Muscle Shoals and featured Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits on lead guitar. Its lyrics turned openly toward Dylan's newfound Christian faith.
Released August 20, 1979, Slow Train Coming marked Dylan's first studio album after his conversion to Christianity in November 1978, signaling one of the most dramatic public transformations in his career. Produced by Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett, with Wexler bringing his celebrated experience producing Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett, the album was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama and drew on that studio's funk and R&B traditions. Dylan wrote all tracks, and the sessions featured Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits on lead guitar, alongside drummer Pick Withers and bassist Tim Drummond. The album was a full departure into Christian rock and gospel, with Wexler describing a tailored, big funk sound built on precision arrangements rather than the looseness of Dylan's earlier records. Despite alienating many longtime fans with its explicitly evangelical content, it reached No. 3 in the US and No. 2 in the UK, and "Gotta Serve Somebody" won Dylan his first Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Track Listing & Credits 9 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Gotta Serve Somebody
#24
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 2 |
Precious Angel
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 3 |
I Believe in You
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 4 |
Slow Train
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 5 |
Gonna Change My Way of Thinking
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 6 |
Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others)
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 7 |
When You Gonna Wake Up
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 8 |
Man Gave Names to All the Animals
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |
| 9 |
When He Returns
|
Robert Allen Zimmermann | Robert Allen Zimmermann | Jerry WexlerBarry Beckett | Bob Dylan (Lead Vocals, Guitar) |