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
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
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 a powerful protest song by Bob Dylan, released in 1963. The song is structured as a series of questions from a concerned father to his son, and the son’s responses. The song touches on a wide range of topics, from environmental destruction to war, poverty, and social injustice. Dylan stated that he wrote this song after reading works by the Beat poets, such as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. It is a highly evocative piece of writing that uses vivid and surreal images to paint a bleak vision of the future.
The first verse is a description of the son's journey, through mountains, forests, and oceans. It creates a sense of foreboding, and the refrain that it is a "hard rain's a-gonna fall" suggests that there are dark and difficult times ahead. The second verse describes a series of disturbing images that suggest a world out of balance - a newborn baby surrounded by wolves, people with broken tongues, and weapons in the hands of children. The third verse is an aural description of the son's journey. He hears the sound of a thunderstorm, the roar of a wave, drums, and whispers. The final verse is a call to action. The son declares that he will go back out into the world, into what sounds like an apocalyptic wasteland. He will use his voice to tell the truth and stand up for what is right.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son
Where have you been all this time, my son with blue eyes?
And where have you been, my darling young one
And where have you been, my dear young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I have been struggling and meandering near a dozen mountains that are surrounded by mist.
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I have journeyed on six twisted roads on foot, and at times slowly due to hardships.
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I have been standing amidst seven somber forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I have been looking out towards the sight of a dozen lifeless oceans.
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
I have been in the area surrounding a graveyard that extends for miles.
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
And it is a difficult, an exceedingly difficult, an arduous, and an apparently insurmountable task.
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
A miserable downpour is imminent.
Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son
What did you witness, my son with blue eyes?
And what did you see, my darling young one
And what did you experience, my beloved young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw an infant child surrounded by wolves in the wilderness.
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I observed a glittering road filled with diamonds that was completely empty of people.
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a dark and bloody branch with drops falling down.
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I witnessed a chamber filled with men whose hammers were dripping with blood.
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I beheld a white-colored ladder that was soon engulfed in water
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I witnessed an enormous multitude of orators whose tongues were unable to speak.
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
I observed that young children were wielding firearms and sharp swords.
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it is a difficult, an exceedingly difficult, an arduous, and an apparently insurmountable task.
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
A miserable downpour is imminent.
And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
What did you listen to, my son with blue eyes?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
And what did you hear, my beloved young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder that roared out a warnin'
I heard a warning from a thunderous sound that was calling out.
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
I heard a mighty wave that could submerge the whole planet.
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin'
I heard an intense rhythm from a hundred drummers whose hands were burning.
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin'
I heard a multitude of individuals whispering, but not one person gave them any attention.
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin'
I overheard someone die of hunger, while there were others laughing in delight.
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
I listened to the work of a poet who perished on the side of a street.
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
I heard the cry of a clown who was upset in a narrow passageway.
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it is a difficult, an exceedingly difficult, an arduous, and an apparently insurmountable task.
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
A miserable downpour is imminent.
Oh, what did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you encounter, my son with blue eyes?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
Whom did you come across, my beloved young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I came across a young child who was near a deceased pony.
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I encountered a pale-skinned man who was walking a black dog.
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I met a young girl whose body was on fire.
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I came across a young girl who gave me a multicolored bow of light.
I met one man who was wounded in love
I came across a man who had been emotionally hurt.
I met another man who was wounded with hatred
I encountered another man who had been injured by feelings of hatred.
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it is a difficult, an exceedingly difficult, an arduous, and an apparently insurmountable task.
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
A miserable downpour is imminent.
And what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
What will you do next, my son with blue eyes?
And what'll you do now, my darling young one?
What will you do henceforth, my beloved young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'
I'm about to move out before the deluge begins to occur.
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest
I will traverse down into the depths of the darkest forest.
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Where there are numerous people with empty hands.
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where toxic pellets are polluting their waters.
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
Where a home situated in the valley collides with a wet and filthy prison.
And the executioner's face is always well hidden
And the face of the executioner is always concealed.
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where a despicable and abominable hunger reigns, and where souls are irrelevant.
Where black is the color, where none is the number
Where the color of darkness dominates everything, and no one counts for anything.
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it
And I will narrate, ponder, articulate, and inhale this reality.
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
And I will cast this image from the mountaintop so that all of humanity can see it.
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
Then I will be standing on the surface of the ocean until the point that I start drowning.
But I'll know my song well before I start singin'
But I will understand my tune quite well before I start singing it aloud.
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it is a difficult, an exceedingly difficult, an arduous, and an apparently insurmountable task.
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
A miserable downpour is imminent.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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