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
900 Miles
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a shirt upon my back
I will sail to you this sailing that I own
Yes, I'll feed the ?? I took
But ??
Lord, I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
If my own lady she says so
Sidetrack this engine ?? to roam.
Yes, I'm giving it my coal
I'll gladly giving it all
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
If I get down by the ??
And the river still does run
Yes, and everything I see turns to foam
Even down on the ocean side
'Cause he don't wait just to pay my bribe
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
Oh, Mary don't you moan
Don't you weep all about
Oh, Mary don't you weep and don't you moan
If I get myself in line
I will be there in due time
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
"900 Miles" is a beautiful folk song by the legendary Bob Dylan, who is famous for his amazing ability to create lyrical masterpieces that often convey a sense of loneliness and displacement. This song portrays the story of a man who is far away from his loved ones, perhaps traveling for work or struggling to make his way in the world. The singer is on a track, with no shirt on his back, and is traveling to see the one he cherishes the most. However, he is 900 miles away and has to face various challenges and obstacles to reach his destination.
As the song progresses, the singer continues his journey, sailing on a ship and working hard to earn money to survive. He talks about how he will do anything to reach his loved one, even if it means staying away from his job or working in adverse conditions. The lyrics convey a strong sense of longing that many people can relate to - the feeling of being separated from someone you care deeply about.
The song's chorus talks about how the singer is willing to endure everything - the hard work, the loneliness, the distance - to reach his home again. There's a sense of hope in the lines, suggesting that the singer will eventually be reunited with his loved one. The song is simple, yet beautifully written, and captures the essence of the human experience - the desire to be with the ones we love.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm down here on this track
I find myself stranded on this train track with no clear path ahead.
Not a shirt upon my back
I have nothing to my name.
I will sail to you this sailing that I own
I'll use the only boat I have to reach you.
Yes, I'll feed the ?? I took But ??
I'll make do with the fish I catch, even if it's not my first choice.
Lord, I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
I'm far away from my loved ones and my heart aches to be with them.
If my own lady she says so
If my significant other prefers it.
I'll railroad no more
I'll abandon the only job I've ever known.
Sidetrack this engine ?? to roam.
I'll derail this train and take a different path in life.
Yes, I'm giving it my coal
I'm doing everything in my power.
I'll gladly giving it all
I'll do it joyfully and without hesitation.
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
Because I'm feeling so homesick and far away.
If I get down by the ??
If I fall to the ground.
And the river still does run
And the river keeps flowing.
Yes, and everything I see turns to foam
My vision blurs and my surroundings distort.
Even down on the ocean side
Even by the sea.
'Cause he don't wait just to pay my bribe
Because the authorities won't excuse me from wrongdoing, even if I bribe them.
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
Because I feel so distant and alone.
Oh, Mary don't you moan
Don't despair, Mary.
Don't you weep all about
Don't cry and be miserable.
Oh, Mary don't you weep and don't you moan
Stay strong and don't let sadness consume you.
If I get myself in line
If I follow the right path.
I will be there in due time
I'll arrive where I need to be eventually.
'Cause I'm nine hundred miles from my home.
Because being so far away makes everything harder.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRADITIONAL, BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
But I'm down here on this track
Not a shirt upon my back
I will sell to you this island that I own
Yes I feed the mouths I took
But as down winds on the brook
Lord I'm 900 miles from my home
If my old lady she says so
I'll railroad no more
Sidetrack this engine but I still roam
Yes I've given in my call
I've gladly given it all
'Cause I'm 900 miles from my home
If I get down by the bank And the river still does run
Yes and everything I see turns to foam
Even down on the ocean side
No she don't wade in just to bang my pride
'Cause I'm 900 miles from my home
Oh Mary don't you moan
Don't you weep on the ground Oh Mary don't you weep and don't you moan
If I get myself in line
I will be there in due time
'Cause I'm 900 miles from my home
@astral2151
Legendary album. Every music fan should own a copy of The Basement Tapes: Complete
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
But I'm down here on this track
Not a shirt upon my back
I will sell to you this island that I own
Yes I feed the mouths I took
But as down winds on the brook
Lord I'm 900 miles from my home
If my old lady she says so
I'll railroad no more
Sidetrack this engine but I still roam
Yes I've given in my call
I've gladly given it all
'Cause I'm 900 miles from my home
If I get down by the bank And the river still does run
Yes and everything I see turns to foam
Even down on the ocean side
No she don't wade in just to bang my pride
'Cause I'm 900 miles from my home
Oh Mary don't you moan
Don't you weep on the ground Oh Mary don't you weep and don't you moan
If I get myself in line
I will be there in due time
'Cause I'm 900 miles from my home
@aidanh5215
Excellent work Bryan :)
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@ferdinandthecrow
"As dawn wears on the brook"?
@danielkelly1274
@@ferdinandthecrow i hear something different on last but one verse,,,'i'm waiting to bang my bride!!! lol
@JorgeLMarquezsM
Qué emoción en esto! Oh!
@mortimerzilch2608
my GOSH! first time I've heard this !!!! fantastic, tune sounds a little ike John Wesley Harding...what a gem of a song ! great performance.
@dailyhealthmotivation7079
Very touchy I am exactly 1450Km away from my Native home which is 900 miles....