Bob Dylan sings his own name with live cover of Ricky Nelson's 'Garden Party'

Farm Aid 2023 Gary Miller/Getty Images (Gary Miller/Getty Images)

By Josh Johnson

May 16, 2025 at 6:30 am CDT

Bob Dylan continues to surprise with his sets on Willie Nelson's ongoing Outlaw Music Festival tour.

After bringing back the classic "Mr. Tambourine Man" for the first time in 15 years at the tour's launch on Tuesday, Dylan debuted a surprising cover of the 1972 Ricky Nelson hit "Garden Party" during a stop in Chula Vista, California, on Thursday.

Beyond the sheer randomness of it, Dylan covering "Garden Party" is notable since it actually name-checks the folk legend. In the lyrics, the late Nelson sang, "Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes wearing his disguise," a reference to both Bob and George Harrison's pseudonym.

In fan-shot footage of the performance, you can hear Dylan sing the line featuring his own name.

Dylan will be touring on the Outlaw Music Festival into September.