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
4. Seven Days
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be waiting at the station for her to arrive
Seven more days, all I gotta do is survive.
She been gone ever since I been a child
Ever since I seen her smile, I ain't forgotten her eyes.
She had a face that could outshine the sun in the skies.
Maybe guilty of hesitatin', I just been holdin' on
Seven more days, all that'll be gone.
There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
Seven days, seven more days that are connected
Just like I expected, she'll be comin' on forth,
My beautiful comrade from the north.
There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
The song "Seven Days" by Bob Dylan showcases the feelings of a man who has been waiting for the love of his life for seven days. He eagerly awaits her arrival at the station and is convinced that his perseverance will be rewarded. The first verse describes his anticipation, stating that he has survived just to see her once again. He reminisces about her beauty, recalling how her face could outshine the sun in the skies. As the second verse begins, he confesses that he may have been hesitant to pursue her, but he has been good and held on. He acknowledges that all of that will fade away when she arrives.
The third verse describes a vivid scene of "kissing in the valley, thieving in the alley and fighting every inch of the way." The man is trying to be tender with somebody he remembers from a brighter than the day. The lyrics are poetic, and the imagery is powerful, conveying the feeling of a world that is both dark and light. The song is a commentary on time, love and the hope for a better future. As the lyrics conclude, the man expresses his gratitude and the feeling that everything is going to be all right when he sees his "beautiful comrade from the north."
Line by Line Meaning
Seven days, seven more days she'll be comin'
In seven days, my loved one will return and I can't wait to see her.
I'll be waiting at the station for her to arrive
I'll be waiting patiently for her arrival at the train station.
Seven more days, all I gotta do is survive.
I just have to survive for another week without her, and then she'll be back.
She been gone ever since I been a child
She's been gone for a long time, since I was a child.
Ever since I seen her smile, I ain't forgotten her eyes.
Even though I haven't seen her for a long time, I still remember her smile and her beautiful eyes.
She had a face that could outshine the sun in the skies.
Her face was so beautiful and radiant, it could outshine the sun.
I been good, I been good while I been waitin'
I've been patient and trying to stay positive while waiting for her return.
Maybe guilty of hesitatin', I just been holdin' on
Sometimes, I feel like I should have acted sooner, but I've been holding on to hope that she'll come back.
Seven more days, all that'll be gone.
Once she's back, all the waiting and worrying will be gone.
There's kissing in the valley, Thieving in the alley, Fighting every inch of the way.
There's a lot of chaos and struggle happening in life, but I'm holding on to the love I have for her.
Trying to be tender With somebody I remember In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
I'm trying to be gentle towards the person I remember, even though things are tough. The love we have for each other makes every night brighter than day.
Seven more days that are connected Just like I expected, she'll be comin' on forth, My beautiful comrade from the north.
The next seven days will pass quickly, and my beautiful partner from the north will be arriving soon, just like I expected.
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arturogil3653
Seven days, seven more days she'll be comin'
I'll be waiting at the station for her to arrive
Seven more days, all I gotta do is survive.
She been gone ever since I been a child
Ever since I seen her smile, I ain't forgotten her eyes.
She had a face that could outshine the sun in the skies.
I been good, I been good while I been waitin'
Maybe guilty of hesitatin', I just been holdin' on
Seven more days, all that'll be gone.
There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
Seven days, seven more days that are connected
Just like I expected, she'll be comin' on forth,
My beautiful comrade from the north.
There's kissing in the valley,
Thieving in the alley,
Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day.
😊😊
@MondEtFramboise
I do not hear :
"Fighting every inch of the way.
Trying to be tender
With somebody I remember
In a night that's always brighter'n the day."
But I do not understand what Dylan sing (I am french, sorry).
Idem about this part :
"Seven days, seven more days that are connected
Just like I expected, she'll be comin' on forth,"
I hear something like " she’ll be going, I can hear the whistle blowing" but i am not sure.
Is somebody can hep me with this two part of the song ?
Thanks
@jiehhsiang
I miss my girl friend of 30 years ago. I used to listen to this song over and over and over again when I waited for her.
@robincarter6537
Woke up with this as an earworm. Listened to Ronnie Woods' version first which is excellent, but this blows Ronnies' out of the water. Excellent.
@nancymatro8029
Dylan's rendition of his own song doesn't begin to compare with Ronnie Wood's version from the Dylan 30th Anniversary tribute. And, if you can find the DVD, his physical performance is as enjoyable to watch as the listen. With Steve Cropper also contributing a guitar solo, that version is incomparable.
@everly-shadystudios9900
According to you, in case you didn't know.. music is about individuality, about your ears your emotion what moves you, not anybody else, that works with me as well, so you can't say this is a better version, because I think the other version is better, but it doesn't mean either one of us are wrong that's the magic of music
@johnpaterson4680
Nope......ron wood the best
@dylanmyers3082
This is the best version no question
@RobertTheNag
Please try the one by Joe Cocker from "Sheffield Steel"!
@KOSMICKEN09
.. the guitar is better to me on Ronnie's version but I like this too - oddly one of the John Mellencamp shows I went to be opened with this Song 😳
@janepiepes2243
Wow Wow Wow...This is Fantastic Music !! The vocals..instrumentation ~ 1976 Stuff...But new to my EARS..I love this...
@rajsuss
Finally I find this on YouTube! I'm glad I tried again! Thanks for adding this!