| Mozambique | |
| Cover: | Mozambique single cover.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Bob Dylan |
| Album: | Desire |
| B-Side: | Oh, Sister |
| Released: | February 17, 1976 |
| Recorded: | July 30, 1975 |
| Studio: | Columbia Studios, New York City |
| Genre: | Folk rock |
| Length: | 3:00 |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | Don DeVito |
| Prev Title: | Hurricane |
| Prev Year: | 1975 |
| Next Title: | Rita May |
| Next Year: | 1976 |
"Mozambique" is a song written by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy that was originally released on Dylan's 1976 album Desire. It was also released as a single and reached number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.
At the time of the song's release, the titular country of Mozambique had just emerged from a ten-year insurgency war against Portugal which led to Mozambique's independence.[1] [2] Mozambique had gained independence on June 25, 1975, only about a month before the song was recorded.[3] As a result, some supporters wanted to see the song as lending support to the newly independent country.[1] However, the lyrics of the song don't support such an interpretation, being slight and treating the country as merely a place for a romantic getaway in the sun, apart from a fleeting reference to "people living free".[1] This amused some of Dylan's fans, who did understand the satire.[2]
The melody received more praise than the lyrics. Robert Shelton describes the tune as "playful."[4] Oliver Trager and John Nogowski both describe the melody as "great" and particularly praise the violin playing of Scarlet Rivera.[1] [5]
Record World said that "The sound is different with Emmylou Harris singing along over a twisting beat, but the story is pure Dylan and that's enough to make it worth a listen."[6] Trager describes "Mozambique" as "a light love song with lighter political overtones."[1] Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls it "effervescent" and "Dylan at his breeziest."[7] Paul Williams considers "Mozambique" to be one of several songs on Desire with "wonderful, inventive, pleasure-giving" music which nonetheless fails to reach the intensity and unity of the other songs because the lyrics are "a little too vague, too clever" and "too distanced."[8] Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin considers the song to be a "ditty dredged up from the bottom of the barrel," "ghastly" and "the weakest song on Desire."[2] [9]
"Mozambique" was also released as a single as a follow-up to the Top 40 hit "Hurricane" and it reached #54 on the Billboard Hot 100.[10] Heylin suggests that Dylan may have released it as a single over songs fans might have preferred - particularly "Sara" - to spite fans who criticized the song for its slight lyrics trivializing the conflict in Mozambique.[2] Cash Box said of it that it is "an exotic, lush and exciting tune to hear" and that "Dylan is in fine form, spinning out his tale of 'magic in a magical land,' and playing superb rhythm guitar."[11]
The song also appeared on the compilation album Masterpieces.[12] A live performance was included in the television special Hard Rain but not on the associated album.[1] [8]
Jimmy Buffett recorded a cover version that was released on his posthumous album Equal Strain on All Parts on November 3, 2023. A video for the song, featuring footage of Buffett and Emmylou Harris singing live in the studio, was released in advance of the album on YouTube on October 13, 2023.[13]