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The New Basement Tapes
Kansas City is the third track on Lost On The River, a collaborative project built around unreleased Bob Dylan lyrics. Elvis Costello was not present for the recording but overdubbed his mellotron part, and Johnny Depp played guitar in his place. Producer T-Bone Burnett said the song reflects on how Dylan's career had changed by 1967, when he had moved from an obscure folk singer to an international rock icon and some of his original supporters turned against him.
The song asks how long an artist can keep singing the same old song, reflecting on Dylan's shift in public image and the reaction of his early fans.