Decades Before Their New Duet, Bob Dylan Wrote a Song for This Iconic Singer That She Still Hasn't Releasedoriginally appeared onParade. Bob DylanandBarbra Streisandare makingheadlineswith their recently released duet on the standard "The Very Thought of You," which is featured on Streisand's new duets album,The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume 2. With the release of the duet, an interesting bit of trivia involving the two iconic performers has resurfaced. In a 1971 interview with Dylan that was not made public until 2020, the legendary songwriter revealed that he wrote his classic 1969 hit "Lay Lady Lay" for Streisand, perCNN. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 Prior to that interview resurfacing, there were a few theories about the song's inspiration. One suggested that Dylan wrote the song for the soundtrack of the filmMidnight Cowboy, but it wasn't submitted in time to be included in the movie. Another theory, shared by Billboard chart historianJoel Whitburn, suggested that Dylan wrote the song for his then-wifeSara Lownds. However, transcripts from the 1971 interview conducted by Dylan's friendTony GloverforEsquire, but never published, revealed that Streisand was the true inspiration. The interview transcripts became public when they were auctioned off in 2020 following Glover's death. "You said 'Father of Night' was written for a play, and 'Lay Lady Lay' was done forMidnight Cowboy," Glover said in the interview with Dylan. "Actually, it was written for Barbra Streisand," he replied. Related: Bob Dylan-Machine Gun Kelly Bromance Has Gone to 'Insane' Next Level Streisand, however, didn't know that Dylan wrote the song for her until the interview surfaced in 2020. "I'm very flattered to find out that Bob Dylan wrote 'Lay Lady Lay' for me," Streisand said in astatement to NBC Newsat the time. "What I remember is getting flowers from him with a handwritten note asking me to sing a duet with him, but I just couldn't imagine it then. Guess what, Bob, I can imagine doing it now!" Decades later, that imagined duet has finally become a reality, just on a different tune. Decades Before Their New Duet, Bob Dylan Wrote a Song for This Iconic Singer That She Still Hasn't Releasedfirst appeared on Parade on Jun 30, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.