Bob Dylan’s Oh Mercy

Released in 1989, Oh Mercy is a central subject for understanding Bob Dylan’s late-1980s return to focused, critically valued songwriting.

The album’s identity is shaped by Daniel Lanois’s production, the atmosphere of its recording sessions, and songs including “Political World,” “Everything Is Broken,” “Most of the Time,” and “Man in the Long Black Coat.” Retrospectives also consider discarded material and how the album’s stark sound, lyrical concerns, and studio craft helped distinguish it from Dylan’s surrounding work.