Dylan started his musical odyssey in 1959 when he began playing in Dinkytown, Minneapolis while attending the University of Minnesota. Shortly after starting to play he changed his stage name to Bob Dylan, after being influenced by the poetry of Dylan Thomas before legally changing his name in 1962.
Much of his best known work is from the 1960s, when he became an informal documentarian and reluctant figurehead of American unrest, promoted by Joan Baez. Some of his songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'", became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements, with Joan Baez and Dylan singing together at the March on Washington in 1963. However he later became disenchanted with the civil liberty protest scene, feeling that he had been used by them.
His album Bringing It All Back Home marked a move away from the folk scene and a move towards rock and roll and Dylan began to consciously distance himself from his early association with civil rights. He also started to become irritated when being interviewed, often given facetious or irreverent answers to questions. Bringing It All Back Home was a controversial album as it the first on which he played electric guitar. This was seen by some of his fans as a betrayal of this folk roots, with some saying that it obscured his meaningful and poetic lyrics.
The second half of the 1960s was marked by a string of well received releases, with his song "Like a Rolling Stone", released in July of 1965, later being named "The Greatest Song of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine in 2004, placing #1 in a list of 500 titles. It also marked the formation of Dylan's backing band The Hawks (who would later call themselves simply The Band). Dylan embarked on a world tour of Australia and Europe in 1966, during which he seemed to be under a lot of strain and pressure by both his fans, the music press and his own promoters. Dylan himself admitted that he began taking drugs seriously whilst on this tour, and found it immensely hard work. On returning to New York he crashed his motorbike, sustaining serious injuries in the process, and went into a period of withdrawal while he recuperated. During the late 1960s, Dylan again changed stylistic tradition, moving away from the psychedelic culture of the time. It was then that he recorded All Along the Watchtower, perhaps more famously recorded by Jimi Hendrix.
The 1970s were a period during which Dylan was more sporadic in his output, releasing some poorly received LPs. He rarely appeared in person until 1974, when he began touring again with his backing band The Band. He also wrote one of his most extensively covered songs, Knockin' On Heaven's Door, as well as what is now recognised as one of his best albums Blood On The Tracks. Towards the end of the 1970s, Dylan discovered Christ, and released some albums of gospel music. He started to talk to the crowd about his faith during his performances, and wouldn't play any of his early work, which alienated some of his previous fans.
Dylan today still remains an influential and popular artist; despite a period of little note between 1980-2000, his 2006 album Modern Times reached the US chart at #1, as did his 2009 album Together Through Life, in the US, Britain, France and several other countries. His 2012 album Tempest was also critically acclaimed. Since 1988, Dylan has been on the so-called Never Ending Tour, during which his performances have provoked controversy, with some critics claiming that his lyrics have become incomprehensible, an experience which is not helped by his tendency to change his set-list and vocals almost every performance.
Bob Dylan's strong influence over the past few years is becoming even more prominent amongst a growing group of younger emerging artists such as George Ellias and Devendra Banhart. Dylan's early lyrics incorporated politics, social commentary, philosophy and literary influences, defying existing pop music conventions and appealing widely to the counterculture of the time. While expanding and personalizing musical styles, Dylan has shown steadfast devotion to traditions of American song, from folk and country/blues to rock and roll and rockabilly, to Gaelic balladry, even jazz, swing and Broadway.
Dylan performs with the guitar, keyboard and harmonica. Backed by a changing lineup of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s. He has also recently performed alongside other iconic artists, such as Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty and Eric Clapton. Although his contributions as a performer and recording artist have been central to his career, his songwriting is generally held as his highest accomplishment.
Nobel Prize for Literature (2016) - On October 13, 2016, Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. The prestigious award has been given annually since 1901 and previous Nobel Laureates for Literature include Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett. Here is the speech written by Dylan, although unable to attend:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/10/arts/bob-dylan-nobel-prize-acceptance-speech.html?_r=0
08 I Threw It All Away
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said she would always stay
But I was cruel
I treated her like a fool
I threw it all away
Once I had mountains in the palm of my hand
And rivers that ran through every day
I never knew what I had
Until I threw it all away
Love is all there is, it makes the world go 'round
Love and only love, it can't be denied
No matter what you think about it
You just won't be able to do without it
Take a tip from one who's tried
So if you find someone that gives you all of her love
Take it to your heart, don't let it stray
For one thing that's certain
You will surely be a-hurtin'
If you throw it all away
If you throw it all away
Bob Dylan's song "I Threw It All Away" is a song about love, loss, and regret. It's a timeless lament about the consequences of carelessness and not appreciating what we have until it's gone. The singer admits to treating his lover cruelly and throwing away the love they once shared. The song begins with him reminiscing about holding his lover in his arms, telling her that she would always be with him, but he ultimately fails to keep his promise.
He then compares his former life to having "mountains in the palm of his hands" and "rivers that ran through every day." But, "he must have been mad" to throw it all away without recognizing the good he had. The chorus then reveals that love is the most valuable thing in the world, an emotion that can't be denied, and so essential that you just can't do without it.
The final verse offers a warning to the listener not to make the same mistake if they find someone that gives them all their love, telling them to hold on to it tightly and never let it go. The entire song is dressed in a soft, gentle arrangement consisting primarily of acoustic guitar, piano, bass, and drums, making it one of Dylan's most poignant and heartfelt songs.
Line by Line Meaning
I once held her in my arms
I used to be in a relationship with someone and held her lovingly
She said she would always stay
She promised to stay committed to me forever
But I was cruel
I was not kind to her
I treated her like a fool
I made her feel like she was not smart or worthy
I threw it all away
I ended the relationship even though it was good
Once I had mountains in the palm of my hand
I used to have everything I could ever want
And rivers that ran through every day
My life was very fulfilling and I had plenty of options
I must have been mad
I must have been insane to let it all slip away
I never knew what I had
I never realized how lucky I was
Until I threw it all away
Until I made the mistake of ending everything
Love is all there is, it makes the world go 'round
Love is the most important thing in the world, and without it, life can feel empty
Love and only love, it can't be denied
Love is an undeniable force that we all need
No matter what you think about it
Even if you don't believe in love, it still exists
You just won't be able to do without it
You cannot live without love, it is essential for human life
Take a tip from one who's tried
Learn from my mistakes
So if you find someone that gives you all of her love
If you find someone who is willing to give you their heart
Take it to your heart, don't let it stray
Cherish it, hold it close, and don't let it go
For one thing that's certain
One thing is definite
You will surely be a-hurtin'
If you let it go, you will inevitably feel pain
If you throw it all away
If you let go of love, you will regret it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN, DYLAN BOB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@spilidis
I once held her in my arms
She said she would always stay
But I was cruel
I treated her like a fool
I threw it all away
Once I had mountains in the palm of my hand
And rivers that ran through every day
I must have been mad
I never knew what I had
Until I threw it all away
Love is all there is, it makes the world go 'round
Love and only love, it can't be denied
No matter what you think about it
You just won't be able to do without it
Take a tip from one who's tried
So if you find someone that gives you all of her love
Take it to your heart, don't let it stray
For one thing that's certain
You will surely be a-hurtin'
If you throw it all away
If you throw it all away
@marvinthiessen3454
Every man who's loved a woman and let her slip away understands this powerful song.
@RHR-221b
Agreed, M. Also: 'Every woman who's loved a man and let him slip away understands this powerful song.' Stay free. R 🍻 😎 💚
@catherinemontoya3203
Amen
@jaxgray3310
Beautiful song 🎵 ❤ 😍
@benkleschinsky
Ain't that the truth.
@bojorgensen4844
True!
@classicalmusic1175
This is one of Dylan's masterpieces. It's far and away my favourite track on Nashville Skyline, and indeed one of my favourites in his whole catalog. Sure, it's not one of his lyrical titans with verse after verse of poetry and imagery, but the song doesn't call for that. It's just a man singing from the heart. I feel it's a song which shows a different, more intimate side to Dylan.
@bullettube9863
This is the song I always play for people who claim they can't understand what Dylan is saying. It's not only clear what he is saying, it's also clear what he is thinking and why.
@charliewhitehair6224
I’m only 20 but I still feel like Dylan and 60s music are a huge part of my life. This song means so much to me. Whenever I’m a little unsure of where my life is I listen to this and it brings me back down to Earth. Hold on to the things that make you happy. By the way I covered this on my channel if anyone would like to listen :)
@markmartel1738
It gives some of us a little faith in the world to know there’s a 20-year old who feels like that