This song about the NYC mobster Joey Gallo was surely one of Bob Dylan’s most controversial.

I have been working on a Substack article about my 50 favorite Bob Dylan songs, and despite the debate about this song, it definitely makes my list. Was Joey Gallo a Saint or a Sinner? Many felt that he was a vicious mobster who should not have been made into the hero of this song. Of course Bob Dylan has always reserved the right to re-write history. In the title track of his 1967 album John Wesley Harding, he totally rewrote the history of one of the most vicious killers of the Old West. This song was on the Desire album that came out in 1976. here is a link to the original audio:    • Bob Dylan - Joey (Official Audio)