Bill Callahan Joins Meshell Ndegeocello to Cover Bob Dylan’s “With God on Our Side”

Meshell Ndegeocello invites Bill Callahan and Chris Thile to join her on the latest cut from her new collaborative album, Synonym. The trio’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “With God on Our Side” comes with a Damani Baker-directed video shot on a park bench. Check it out below.

“Bill Callahan’s voice to me is enchanting and just draws you in,” Ndegeocello says in a press release. “And then my other angel is Chris Thile. He’s a very grounded human being; I just love the earthiness of his voice.” This arrangement of the Dylan track gives the lyrics “a lot more aggression,” Ndegeocello adds. “So, I was challenged to take this folk song and make it feel like I hear it. It’s like putting together a puzzle with all these little pieces. Rearranging allows me to give more respect to the song.”

Other collaborators on Synonym, out October 2, include Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, Moses Sumney, Anohni, and—on last month’s Human League cover—Cat Power.

Jazz Monroe is a music and culture writer based in London. His work also appears in The Guardian, The Independent, and elsewhere. ... Read More