This song serves as a tribute to a late, great blues’ musician by the name of Jimmy Reed.  But the way Bob Dylan goes about doing so is not by talking about the man himself, at least not directly. Rather it seems as if remembering Jimmy, who passed away in the mid-1970s, also makes him look back at his own life, including his career path. Indeed it has been noted that even in sound, “Goodbye Jimmy Reed” is reminiscent of Dylan days long past. And putting all of the lyrics together, what Bob ultimately seems to be expressing is a great admiration for the titular singer.

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Bob Dylan is the sole writer and sole producer of “Goodbye Jimmy Reed”. And the song can be found on his 39^th studio album, which is called “Rough and Rowdy Ways”.