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Doe! Singing Bob Dylan for Christian Bale

John Doe, the critically acclaimed solo artist, unlikely Hollywood actor and occasional X frontman, is just one of the many leftfield contributors taking on a pair of Bob Dylan songs for the soundtrack of the new Todd Haynes’ biopic, I’m Not There. We called Doe up last week and asked what it was like stepping behind the folk-rock icon’s shades.

Were you always a Dylan fan, or was it only something you could admit to after the whole punk thing died down?
No, I’m old enough to have Bob Dylan as the signpost. I grew up in the ’60s. He had long hair and was taking amphetamines. What’s wrong with that?

Was he much of an influence on X?
Definitely. With punk rock you had to put aside all the lessons you learned, but it helped subconsciously to have some big dictionary or encyclopedia like him to draw from after you had the first rush of creativity.

So, how did you get involved with I’m Not There?
I was just sitting around one day and got the call. Like anybody, I was really enthusiastic to be part of this project. Everybody wants to be associated with Uncle Bob. And I got to be the voice for Christian Bale, who is certainly in my top ten actors that’s working right now. The only thing is, I was a little disconcerted that the song we did, “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine,” was religious.
You didn’t get to pick the songs you covered?
No. I honestly didn’t know that song prior to this. We did a good version and a little bit of acting since I’m an atheist.

Did recording it give you a new appreciation for his born-again period?
Yeah, it’s a good song.

Have you heard the rest of the soundtrack?
Just by watching the movie. I don’t have a copy of the soundtrack.

The movie has been getting mixed reactions. What’s your take?
I think the movie is amazing. I’m not sure the people that are hardcore Dylan fans would feel the same way. But the beauty of it is that it doesn’t distinguish between fact or myth. Dylan created his own mythology and encouraged it over the years. There’s only one person a movie like this could be made of. source