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
AHardRainsAGonnaFall
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And where have you been, my darling young one
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son
And what did you see, my darling young one
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder that roared out a warnin'
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin'
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin'
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin'
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
Oh, what did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I met one man who was wounded in love
I met another man who was wounded with hatred
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
And what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
And what'll you do now, my darling young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
And the executioner's face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
But I'll know my song well before I start singin'
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is Bob Dylan's powerful protest song, released in 1963. Written in the midst of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, the song is a series of questions and answers between the singer and his son. It's a commentary on the state of the world and a warning of impending disaster.
The first verse sets the tone for the song, with the singer asking his son where he's been and the son answering with imagery of wandering through treacherous terrain. The second verse is an answer to the question of what he has seen, with the son describing scenes of violence, suffering, and destruction. The third verse is about what he has heard, with the son describing the chaos and devastation that he has witnessed. The final verse is about what he will do, with the son indicating that he will continue to speak out against the injustice he has witnessed.
The song is notable for its repetition of the phrase "a hard rain's a-gonna fall," which suggests an impending disaster. The phrase also references the biblical story of Noah's ark and the great flood, which wiped out humanity due to their wickedness.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son
Father is asking his son where he has been and what he has seen
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
The son has travelled through treacherous terrain
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
The son has endured many hardships on his journey
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
The son has encountered desolation and isolation, leading to sadness
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
The son has come across oceans which have died due to pollution
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
The son has faced death and despair every step of his journey
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
The son's journey has been incredibly difficult
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
There is a storm brewing, which metaphorically represents difficult times ahead
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
The son has witnessed innocent beings in danger and exposed to the harshness of the world
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
The son has seen empty and meaningless pursuits of wealth
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
The son has encountered macabre imagery which symbolizes death and despair
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
The son has witnessed individuals suffering due to their labour and exploitation
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
The son has seen the corruption of spiritual entities and institutions
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
The son has encountered those without a voice, silenced by oppressive systems and societies
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
The son has witnessed an alarming loss of innocence, where children have become symbols of violence
I heard the sound of a thunder that roared out a warnin'
The son has heard messages of warning, of turbulent times to come
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
The son has perceived a threat to the world, which can be as catastrophic as a tsunami
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin'
The son has witnessed fervent and passionate declarations, possibly of rebellion or war
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin'
The son has encountered those who are unheard, ignored and marginalized by the world
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin'
The son has observed people afflicted by hunger and misery, while others are indifferent and apathetic
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
The son has perceived the suffering of artists and intellectuals who can be forgotten and cast aside
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
The son has seen those who are meant to entertain and spread joy, experiencing tremendous sorrow and hardship
I met a young child beside a dead pony
The son has encountered situations where innocence and purity is tainted by death and loss
I met a white man who walked a black dog
The son has witnessed power dynamics, where the traditionally powerful now walk alongside the powerless
I met a young woman whose body was burning
The son has seen the oppression and violation of women's bodies in society
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
The son has encountered beauty and hope in the world, amidst all the tragedy and chaos
I met one man who was wounded in love
The son has witnessed the damage that love and heartbreak can cause
I met another man who was wounded with hatred
The son has seen the impact of hate and anger on individuals' lives
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
The son is ready to brave the hardships that lie ahead, even in anticipation of difficult times to come
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
The son is prepared to go to the darkest corners of the world, where evil and despair lurks
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
The son is going to a place where people might exist in large numbers, but without purpose or hope
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
The son is headed to a place where corruption and poison has seeped into the natural order
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
The son is arriving at a place where the boundaries between freedom and imprisonment are blurrier than ever
And the executioner's face is always well hidden
The son is encountering authoritarian control, where the identity of those perpetrating oppression is obscured
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
The son has found a space where hunger and starvation is not only physical, but also something that eats up the soul and identity of those affected by it
Where black is the color, where none is the number
The son is going to a place where darkness and absence are the dominant forces
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
The son decides to communicate his experiences and insights to the world with all his faculties
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
The son aims to draw attention to the injustice and hardship in the world by projecting it from a significant vantage point
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
The son is ready to endure incredible hardships and struggle, even until he starts to fail
But I'll know my song well before I start singin'
The son will have a purpose and mission to communicate to the world with his voice
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
The son acknowledges that the challenges he faces are immense and difficult
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
The son implies that there is a storm coming, bringing hardship and difficulty in its wake
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Lowgun5
Bob Dylan was 21 when he wrote this. It sounds like he was a thousand.
@andrewlewis9467
Hahaa man it’s so true though
@mitzidumaresque2144
sounds like .... it was a thousand years ago
@williamfarley3794
This song is relevant for thousands of years
@Aththadha
An old soul in awkward blue jeans
@Tom-nw3rt
Is it good or bad?
@100Neopunk
He turns 80 tomorrow. Blessed be he for he is still among us
@zackzallie8735
A legend among us as always.
@mschiller1661
Neil Young asked him how he wrote the songs from his youth. Bob said he didn't know who that man was.....
@ryanpruner1853
Sus