Bob Dylan said he wished he'd written the Allman Brothers' 'Ramblin' Man'

Bob Dylan told fellow musician Dickey Betts he wished he had written The Allman Brothers Band’s 1973 hit “Ramblin’ Man,” Collider reported Feb. 2, 2026.

Betts recounted the exchange in an interview, saying Dylan told him, “I know all the words to ‘Ramblin’ Man.’ I shoulda wrote that song myself.” Betts added that when they checked, Dylan “sang every word exactly the way I wrote it.”

“Ramblin’ Man” was written by Betts and released in 1973; the song, which tells the story of a wandering figure, was inspired by a 1951 Hank Williams tune of the same name, the article noted.

The Collider piece placed the remark in the context of Dylan’s long career — noting he’s 84, has won ten Grammys and was ranked by Rolling Stone as the best songwriter of all time — and that he continues releasing work, most recently the 2023 studio album Shadow Kingdom.

The report attributes the anecdote to Betts’ interview but does not specify when or where Betts made the remark, nor does it say Dylan recorded or formally performed The Allman Brothers’ song.

bob dylan, dickey betts, ramblin' man, the allman brothers band, hank williams, dickey betts interview, collider report, rolling stone best songwriter, shadow kingdom album, ballad in plain d, another side of bob dylan, 1973 ramblin' man