“Mr. Tambourine Man” has been covered by many artists over the years, including at least 13 versions recorded in 1965 alone. The Byrds released it as their debut single on April 12, 1965. The single, along with the album of the same name, was influential in originating the musical style known as folk rock, with the single becoming the first folk rock smash hit.
Bob Dylan started writing the song in February 1964 after attending Mardi Gras in New Orleans during a cross-country road trip with several friends, and completed it sometime between mid-March and late April after returning to New York.
The song has a bright, expansive melody and has become famous in particular for its surrealistic imagery, influenced by artists as diverse as French poet Arthur Rimbaud and Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. The lyrics call on the title character to play a song and the narrator will follow. Interpretations of the lyrics have included a paean to drugs such as LSD, a call to the singer’s muse, a reflection of the audience’s demands on the singer, and religious interpretations.
and here is the original