"AIN'T TALKIN'" was recorded early in 2006 for 'Modern Times', released in August of 2006. I believe since first hearing it that this majestic song is the best album closer in a quarter of a century. And exactly like "EVERY GRAIN OF SAND" in 1981, this gem of a song found its way into Dylan's concert performance not earlier than during the last show of the year it was recorded in. That live debut of "AIN'T TALKIN'" in New York City was the eighth song from 'Modern Times' performed on stage during the fall tour of 2006.

The two repeated lines of the refrain "Ain't talkin', just walkin' .... Heart burnin', still yearnin'" were borrowed from the refrain of the Stanley Brothers song "Highway Of Regret" (recorded in summer 1959, and available as track 5 on the second disc of the four CD set "The Stanley Brothers - The Early Starday/King Years"). Below you will find an mp3 of the last 17 seconds of that track, with the last refrain of "Highway Of Regret".

Ain't talkin', just walkin'
Down this highway of regret
Heart burnin', still yearnin'
For the best girl this poor boy ever met

~ MP3 ~ the last 17 seconds of "Highway Of Regret" ~


During the fine European tour in the spring of 2007 "AIN'T TALKIN'" appeared in six of the 28 shows. Descriptions would not do justice to the beauty of those European live performances of this gem, so I refer to the mp3 links below. Listen for yourself. During the North American summer tour of 2007 "AIN'T TALKIN'" was performed only once, during the very last show, in Kelseyville, California; and during the New Zealand and Australia tour in August 2007 "AIN'T TALKIN'" appeared in five of the 12 shows. During the USA fall tour of 2007 "AIN'T TALKIN'" was performed in 17 of the 30 shows.

During the Latin American tour of 2008 "AIN'T TALKIN'" appeared three times, in Mexico, in Brazil, and in Argentina; and during the (mainly European) tour from May to July 2008 "AIN'T TALKIN'" was performed sixteen times. Two of the last three renditions in Europe, in Jaén and in Mérida, I had the privilege to witness from the rail, and especially the first of the two, in Jaén, was an absolutely jaw dropping version. Having listened to most previous versions on sometimes stellar field recordings I expected the experience to be like that, only live. But no, standing there looking at the greatest living artist performing this wonderful masterpiece was an altogether different thing. The deliverance by Bob Dylan and his band was nothing short of commanding, captivating, simply awesome. Performing art delivered from any stage, experienced live in concert, does not get any better than this. From August 2008 to November 2008 "AIN'T TALKIN'" was performed 23 more times in North America, and in October 2008 a studio outtake of "AIN'T TALKIN'" was released on "The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs".

In 2009 "AIN'T TALKIN'" was performed nine times during the European tour in the spring, the last two shows of which (both featuring this magnificent song) I had the pleasure to attend in Dublin. [Both shows also featured the first two appearances of "If You Ever Go To Houston".] During the summer minor league baseball stadium tour in the US "AIN'T TALKIN'" appeared seven more times; and during the fall tour of 2009 it was performed in thirteen of the 33 shows.

In 2010 "AIN'T TALKIN'" was not perfomed at all in Japan, but it appeared twice in June during the European tour, both times in France. In the US "AIN'T TALKIN'" was performed seven times from August to November 2010. In 2011 there was no appearance of "AIN'T TALKIN'", and in 2012 it was not until the North American fall tour that Bob Dylan chose to include this gem five times into his live repertoire, sitting at his grand piano.

The only two appearances of "AIN'T TALKIN'" during the "static set list year" 2013 were during the two "mix up" shows in Rome in November, in the middle of Dylan's fine European autumn tour. [for mp3 links to both of them see below]



























~ MP3 ~ AIN'T TALKIN' ~ NEW YORK ~ NOVEMBER 20, 2006 ~





~ MP3 ~ AIN'T TALKIN' ~ GLASGOW ~ APRIL 11, 2007 ~





~ MP3 ~ AIN'T TALKIN' ~ HERNING ~ MAY 5, 2007 ~





~ MP3 ~ AIN'T TALKIN' ~ CORDOBA, ARGENTINA ~ MARCH 13, 2008 ~





~ MP3 ~ AIN'T TALKIN' ~ SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN ~ OCTOBER 8, 2012 ~





~ MP3 ~ AIN'T TALKIN' ~ ROME, ITALY ~ NOVEMBER 6, 2013 ~





~ MP3 ~ AIN'T TALKIN' ~ ROME, ITALY ~ NOVEMBER 7, 2013 ~

Biblical references:


~ James 2:8 ~

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.


~ Matthew 7:12 ~

Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.


~ 1 Samuel 26:5-12 ~

David rose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Saul was lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him. Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Joab's brother Abishai the son of Zeruiah, “Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. Then said Abishai to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless?” And David said, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.” So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.


~ John 20:1-18 ~

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.