Introducing Endless Mode: A New Games & Anime Site from Paste
Three weeks after the release of Bob Dylan’s new single “Murder Most Foul,” the folk legend chose to share a second surprise song titled “I Contain Multitudes.” The name a reference to Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” the track contains multiple allusions to the American Romantics (“Got a tell-tale heart like Mr. Poe”) and various other historical and literary references, from William Blake to Indiana Jones.
In contrast to the sweeping 17-minute epic that is “Murder Most Foul,” “I Contain Multitudes” is an easy ballad that showcases Dylan’s sly humor. There’s a shocking element to it, such as comparing himself to Anne Frank or saying he paints both landscapes and nudes, that feels quintessentially Dylan.