Timothée Chalamet’s selection of Bob Dylan songs for his musical segment on Saturday Night Live caught many viewers by surprise, as his choices were relatively obscure to most of the audience.
While the actor’s picks delighted dedicated Dylan fans, they defied expectations that he would perform songs he had previously sung as Dylan in A Complete Unknown. In fact, Chalamet had entirely different songs in mind for his appearance.
During his opening monologue, Chalamet hinted that his musical selections would be unexpected. “You might not know the Bob Dylan songs I’m performing, but they’re my personal favorites,” he told the audience.
“I’m so grateful ‘Saturday Night Live’ is still doing weird stuff like this 50 years in. They’re either really nice for letting me do this or incredibly mean and this is all a big prank.”
In an unannounced cameo, Chalamet was joined by acclaimed singer-songwriter James Blake, who played keyboards for the musical numbers, much to the delight of music enthusiasts watching the show.
It quickly became clear that Chalamet was planning to perform in his own voice, making it clear that he was not attempting to mimic Dylan’s vocal style, and he seemed to have fun with the material.
For his first musical spot, he wore sunglasses and a winter coat with a hood over his head as he energetically performed a medley of “Outlaw Blues” and “Three Angels.”
These songs, while familiar to serious Dylan fans, are not typically included in greatest-hits compilations. “Outlaw Blues” dates back to the 1965 Bringing It All Back Home album, which fits into the era depicted in the movie.
As the medley transitioned, Chalamet slowed things down for his next pick, “Three Angels,” a track from Dylan’s 1970 New Morning album. This song reflects Dylan’s transition into a mellower style after the intense period of the mid-‘60s.
Chalamet returned later in the show with a more subdued approach, picking up an acoustic guitar to perform another deep cut, “Tomorrow Is a Long Time.”
Although Dylan first performed the song in 1962 and recorded a demo, it wasn’t officially released until the 1970s. The track has been covered by numerous artists, including Elvis Presley, Judy Collins, and the Kingston Trio.
Ironically, Chalamet has now performed “Outlaw Blues” live more times than Dylan himself. Despite the song’s popularity on one of Dylan’s most acclaimed albums, he has never performed it in concert. The track appeared on Dylan’s setlist only once, in 2007 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, when Jack White led the performance.
“Tomorrow Is a Long Time” has a similarly complicated history. Although it became a folk standard in the 1960s thanks to covers by other artists, Dylan did not release a live version of it until the 1970s and only released a studio version in the 1990s.
A live version from 1963 was eventually included as a bonus on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II in 1971, and a studio demo was included in the 2010 Bootleg Series.
Chalamet appeared to enjoy the performance, particularly the first segment, which seemed like an opportunity to let loose and celebrate his recent Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The film, which garnered a total of eight nominations, likely contributed to the actor’s energized appearance.
During his monologue, Chalamet added to the legendary lore surrounding Dylan, humorously suggesting that Bob Dylan and Willy Wonka shared common traits, stating that both were “eccentric, both innovators, and they both captured and enslaved hundreds of Oompa Loompas.”
In a playful moment, Chalamet claimed to be the first actor to host Saturday Night Live and also perform as the musical guest.
He quickly corrected himself, admitting that Gary Busey had been the first to achieve this feat back in 1979 during the show’s fourth season.
Busey performed alongside Rick Danko of The Band and Paul Butterfield, though he only performed one of the two songs scheduled for his episode.
Over the years, nearly 50 hosts have pulled double duty as both host and musical guest, including Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Paul Simon, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and many more.