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
10.000 Men
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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Ten thousand men on a hill,
Some of 'm goin' down, some of 'm gonna get killed.
Ten thousand men dressed in oxford blue,
Ten thousand men dressed in oxford blue,
Drummin' in the morning, in the evening they'll be coming for you.
Ten thousand men on the move,
None of them doing nothin' that your mama wouldn't disapprove.
Ten thousand men digging for silver and gold,
Ten thousand men digging for silver and gold,
All clean shaven, all coming in from the cold.
Hey! Who could your lover be?
Hey! Who could your lover be?
Let me eat off his head so you can really see!
Ten thousand women all dressed in white,
Ten thousand women all dressed in white,
Standin' at my window wishing me goodnight.
Ten thousand men looking so lean and frail,
Ten thousand men looking so lean and frail,
Each one of 'em got seven wives, each one of 'em just out of jail.
Ten thousand women all sweepin' my room,
Ten thousand women all sweepin' my room,
Spilling my buttermilk, sweeping it up with a broom.
Ooh, baby, thank you for my tea!
Baby, thank you for my tea!
It's so sweet of you to be so nice to me.
Bob Dylan's song "10,000 Men" is a reflective commentary on the experiences and emotions of soldiers as they prepare to go to battle. The opening lines set the scene, describing the masses of soldiers on a hill, and the ominous foreshadowing of violence and potential death looming over them. The repetition of the line "some of 'em goin' down, some of 'em gonna get killed" drives home the uncertainty and life-threatening nature of war.
The next verse paints a picture of well-equipped and well-dressed soldiers, with their drumming creating an air of anticipation and inevitability - the soldiers will be coming to fight soon enough. The phrase "None of them doing nothin' that your mama wouldn't disapprove" nods to the sense of duty and honor felt by many soldiers, who feel compelled to serve their country and do what is considered "right," even if it puts them in harm's way.
The following verses introduce us to other characters, including women and convicts, and offer a glimpse into the inner world of the soldiers, including their sexual frustrations and fatigue. However, the final lines, with the thankfulness of the singer to the person who gave them tea, suggest that despite the bleakness of the situation, there are still moments of human connection and kindness to be found.
Overall, "10,000 Men" serves as a poignant and insightful commentary on the experiences of those who are sent to war, highlighting the complex emotions and realities of those who put their lives on the line for their country.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten thousand men on a hill,
There are ten thousand men standing on a hill
Some of 'm goin' down, some of 'm gonna get killed.
Some of them will lose the battle and some of them will die
Ten thousand men dressed in oxford blue,
All the men are wearing uniforms of the same color - oxford blue
Drummin' in the morning, in the evening they'll be coming for you.
They are making noise by beating drums in the morning, and will come for you in the evening
Ten thousand men on the move,
Ten thousand men are on the move, traveling from one place to another
None of them doing nothin' that your mama wouldn't disapprove.
None of them are doing anything that your mother wouldn't object to
Ten thousand men digging for silver and gold,
Ten thousand men are engaged in the business of mining for precious metals
All clean shaven, all coming in from the cold.
All of them are clean-shaven and coming in from the cold weather
Hey! Who could your lover be?
Asking who your lover is
Let me eat off his head so you can really see!
Suggests murdering the person to get a better view and understanding of the situation
Ten thousand women all dressed in white,
Ten thousand women are wearing white dresses
Standin' at my window wishing me goodnight.
They are standing outside my window, wishing me goodnight
Ten thousand men looking so lean and frail,
Ten thousand men are appearing thin and weak
Each one of 'em got seven wives, each one of 'em just out of jail.
Each man has seven wives, and each one of them has recently been released from jail
Ten thousand women all sweepin' my room,
Ten thousand women are sweeping and cleaning my room
Spilling my buttermilk, sweeping it up with a broom.
They are spilling my buttermilk, and cleaning it up using a broom
Ooh, baby, thank you for my tea!
Expressing gratitude for the tea received
Baby, thank you for my tea!
Expressing gratitude for the tea received
It's so sweet of you to be so nice to me.
It is very kind of you to be so nice to me
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC OBO SPECIAL RIDER MUSIC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind