The version of the song on
Highway 61 Revisited is an acoustic/electric blues song, one of three blues songs on the album (the others being "
From a Buick 6" and "
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues"). It is made up of lines taken from older blues songs combined with Dylan's own lyrics. Rather than the aggression of some of the other songs Dylan wrote during this time, "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" reflects world-weary resignation. Musically, the song has a lazy tempo driven by lazy-slap drumming with a shuffling beat and slight emphasis on the offbeat from session drummer Bobby Gregg. There is also a barrelhouse piano part played by
Paul Griffin, a raunchy
bass part played by
Harvey Brooks, an electric guitar part played by
Mike Bloomfield and an unusual
harmonica part. This version has a more upbeat tempo and four lines of different lyrics. It was recorded on June 15, 1965, the same day that recording of "
Like a Rolling Stone" began. Different takes of the June 15 version may be heard on
The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991,
The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: No Direction Home, and the 2-disc version of
The Bootleg Series Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965–1966. Take 1 of the song, released on
The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 and on Dylan's
Vevo channel, is played in a more moderately paced, brooding arrangement, before Dylan and the musicians settled on a more upbeat version. On
The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 and
The Bootleg Series Vol. 12, the version is a speedy bouncing blues with a signature guitar riff being played on each bar and a fast clicking organ. (The 6-disc and 18-disc editions of
The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 include outtakes from both the June 15 and July 29 sessions.) ==Live performances==