# What's the origin of the album title "Blonde on Blonde?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-album-title-blonde-on-blonde/398160>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 30, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-album-title-blonde-on-blonde/398160 "2007-03-30T21:13:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-album-title-blonde-on-blonde/398160/1 "2007-03-30T21:13:01Z")

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Do any of you have any idea where Dylan got the idea to name his album _Blonde on Blonde?_ I’ve wondered about this for years. Wikipedia offers no help. Anyone?

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-album-title-blonde-on-blonde/398160/2 "2007-03-30T21:15:50Z")

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[Wiki’s discussion page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Blonde_on_Blonde)says only Bob knows. And he ain’t talking.

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**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-album-title-blonde-on-blonde/398160/3 "2007-03-30T21:29:06Z")

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I’ve always assumed that “Blonde on Blonde” was a takeoff of “white on white,” a term for a subtly patterned fabric. “White on white” dress shirts were very popular in the 1960s.

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**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-album-title-blonde-on-blonde/398160/4 "2007-03-30T21:33:22Z")

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I think Bob Dylan was a visionary who not only knew that the Internet was coming, but also knew what sort of site that would become popular. 😃

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-album-title-blonde-on-blonde/398160/5 "2007-03-30T21:37:49Z")

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I would have guessed that it’s a takeoff on “black on black”, a descriptor for a particular class of urban violence (i.e., that where both the victim(s) and perpetrator(s) are black).

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**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-album-title-blonde-on-blonde/398160/6 "2007-03-30T21:56:15Z")

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I wonder if the album’s initials are significant.