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
32‐20 Blues
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
Send for my baby, man, and she don't come
All the doctors in Hot Springs sure ain't gonna help her none
If she gets unruly, thinks she don't want you
If she gets unruly and thinks she don't want you
Take my 32-20 now and break her half in two
She got a .38 special, but I believe it's much too light
She got a .38 special, but I believe it's much too light
I got a 32-30, makes the camp all right
[Chorus]
If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
Send for my baby, man, and she don't come
All the doctors in Hot Springs sure ain't gonna help her none
Gonna shoot my pistol, shoot my Gatling gun
Gonna shoot my pistol, got to shoot my Gatling gun
You made me love you, now your man has come
Aw baby, where'd you stay last night?
Aw baby, where'd you stay last night?
You got your hair all tangled and you ain't talking right
Her .38 special, boys, it do very well
Her .38 special, boys, it do very well
I got a 32-20 now it's a burning hell
[Chorus]
If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
Send for my baby, man, and she don't come
All the doctors in, sure ain't gonna help her none
Hey hey baby, where'd you stay last night?
Hey hey baby, where'd you stay last night?
Didn't come home till the sun was shining bright
Oh boys, I just can't take my rest
Oh boys, I just can't take my rest
With this 32-20 laying up and down my breast
"32-20 Blues" is a song written by Robert Johnson but covered by Bob Dylan on his 1964 album, "Bob Dylan." The song has been interpreted in various ways, but at its core, it is a song about a man who is in love with a woman who is not reciprocating his feelings. The song's chorus emphasizes his frustration when the woman doesn't respond to his attempts to contact her. The singer of the song is not just upset but is also angry and even threatening. He talks about gun violence, possibly as a way to cope with his emotions, and even suggests using violence against the woman if she continues to be unresponsive to him.
In the verses, the man describes his arsenal and indicates that he believes his gun is superior to the woman's. In the last verse, the man seems to be restless and unable to sleep, once again emphasizing his emotional instability. The song's use of guns as metaphors for love and frustration reflects a violent and dangerous world in which people are willing to use violence in response to rejection.
Overall, "32-20 Blues" is a complicated song that explores themes of love and violence, and the ways those two concepts intertwine in human relationships. The song is a testament to the often-violent world that many people live in, where love and violence can be inextricably linked.
Line by Line Meaning
When I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
When I call for my lover to come to me, and she doesn't appear.
Send for my baby, man, and she don't come
Asking someone else to bring my lover to me but she still doesn't come.
All the doctors in Hot Springs sure ain't gonna help her none
No medical help or advice can cure my lover's absence.
If she gets unruly, thinks she don't want you
If she becomes difficult and doesn't show affection.
Take my 32-20 now and break her half in two
I will use my gun to threaten and harm her if she doesn't behave as I want.
She got a .38 special, but I believe it's much too light
Her gun might be powerful, but I doubt if she has the courage to use it.
I got a 32-30, makes the camp all right
My gun is appropriate and adequate to protect myself and my surroundings.
If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
Expressing distress as I call for my lover yet again.
Gonna shoot my pistol, shoot my Gatling gun
I'll use my gun(s) to express anger, frustration, or violence towards her.
You made me love you, now your man has come
You caused me to fall in love with you, now as a man, I'm here looking for you.
Aw baby, where'd you stay last night?
Asking my lover about her whereabouts and what she did last night.
You got your hair all tangled and you ain't talking right
Indicating suspicion or accusation of infidelity or substance abuse based on physical appearance and behavior.
Her .38 special, boys, it do very well
Praising my lover's gun for being effective and deadly.
I got a 32-20 now it's a burning hell
I have a gun too, and it's as powerful and menacing as hers.
Hey hey baby, where'd you stay last night?
I'm still curious and suspicious about where my lover was last night.
Didn't come home till the sun was shining bright
My lover came home very late, likely after spending the night somewhere else.
Oh boys, I just can't take my rest
Lamenting about the lack of peace of mind and inability to sleep due to emotional turmoil and distress.
With this 32-20 laying up and down my breast
Having my gun close to me day and night, as a symbol of my protection and readiness to defend myself.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ROBERT JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind