Bob Dylan Plays Rare Song After 34 Years in Ireland

Bob Dylan surprised fans with a rare performance of the traditional folk ballad "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" during his concert at the Gleneagle INEC Arena in Killarney, Ireland, on Sunday, marking the first time he has played the song live in 34 years.

The 84-year-old singer-songwriter delivered the tune as the encore to close out the show, part of his ongoing Rough and Rowdy Ways tour. Dylan last performed "The Lakes of Pontchartrain" on July 6, 1991, at Holman Stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire. He had debuted it in 1988 during the early days of his Never Ending Tour, incorporating it frequently into setlists until the early 1990s. A fan managed to capture audio of the rendition despite Dylan's tour policy prohibiting the use of phones and recording devices.

The ballad, which originated in the United States in the 1830s, tells a story set in the Louisiana bayou near New Orleans, a region Dylan has long admired. Its melody draws from the earlier Irish-influenced tune "Lily of the West." The song gained prominence in Ireland through a 1974 recording by the folk group Planxty on their album Cold Blow and the Rainy Night, which helped establish it as an Irish standard. Planxty...