All I Really Want to Do [Single Version]
The Byrds · Other Songs - The Byrds
I don't want to compete with you
Beat or cheat or mistreat you
Classify you, simplify you
Deny, defy or crucify you
All I really want to do
Is baby be friends with you
No, I ain't lookin' to fight with you
Frighten you or up-tighten you
Bring you down or chain you down
Drag you down or bring you down
All I really want to do
Is baby be friends with you
I don't want to fake you out
Shake or take or forsake you out
I ain't lookin' for you to feel like me
See like me or be like me
I don't want to meet your kin
Make you spin or do you in
Or select you or dissect you
Or inspect you or reject you
All I really want to do
Is baby be friends with you
Baby be friends with you
Baby be friends with you
Beat or cheat or mistreat you
Classify you, simplify you
Deny, defy or crucify you
All I really want to do
Is baby be friends with you
No, I ain't lookin' to fight with you
Frighten you or up-tighten you
Bring you down or chain you down
Drag you down or bring you down
All I really want to do
Is baby be friends with you
I don't want to fake you out
Shake or take or forsake you out
I ain't lookin' for you to feel like me
See like me or be like me
I don't want to meet your kin
Make you spin or do you in
Or select you or dissect you
Or inspect you or reject you
All I really want to do
Is baby be friends with you
Baby be friends with you
Baby be friends with you
All I Really Want to Do [Single Version]
Released by The Byrds, this single version of Bob Dylan's classic song captures the band's signature folk-rock sound while honoring the original material. The track exemplifies the group's ability to reinterpret Dylan's lyrics and melodies, blending acoustic textures with the electric energy that defined their transition in the late 1960s. As a staple of their discography, the recording reflects the era's shift toward psychedelic influences and remains a significant song in the band's catalog of covers. It stands as a testament to The Byrds' role in popularizing the folk-rock genre and their deep engagement with contemporary American songwriting.