Music / ↳ 7 Deadly Sins

7 Deadly Sins

Written by: The full band Lead vocals: Bob Dylan Length: 3:17 to 3:18 Album: Vol. 3, track 5

Of all the genre detours on Vol. 3, "7 Deadly Sins" is the one nobody sees coming: a full-on doo-wop number, built around a countdown structure that critics have compared to the classic vocal-group hit "The Book of Love." It's a genuinely odd fit on paper, a band of veteran rock and folk legends trying on 1950s street-corner harmony, and it works largely because Dylan commits so completely to the bit, delivering the lead in a raspy, theatrical register that's a long way from his usual register.

The song leans into its own novelty rather than fighting it, treating the seven deadly sins as a checklist to work through with the same wry humor the band brought to "Dirty World" two years earlier. It's less a serious meditation on morality than an excuse to try out a vocal style none of the five men had any real business attempting, and largely getting away with it anyway.

It's exactly the kind of genre-hopping curiosity that makes Vol. 3 worth a real listen rather than a footnote to the debut, even for fans who agree the sequel never quite matched it.

Previous track: The Devil's Been Busy. Next track: Poor House. Or see the full Vol. 3 tracklist.