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 Satisfied Mind
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I had his money I'd do things my way
Hmm, but little they know
Hmm, it's so hard to find
One man in ten with a satisfied mind.
Hmm, once I was wading in fortune and fame
Everything that I dreamed of to get a start in lifes game
Hmm, I lost every dime
But I'm richer by far with a satisfied mind.
Hmm, when my life is over and my time has run out
My friends and my loved ones I'll leave there ain't no doubt
But one things for certain
When it comes my time
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind.
Bob Dylan's A Satisfied Mind is a reflective, introspective song about the meaning of true happiness and contentment. The song challenges the societal notion that happiness lies in material possessions. It highlights how the greed for money and success hinders people from finding true satisfaction. The lyrics talk about how people often envy the wealthy, assuming that if they had the same material comforts, they would be happier, but they fail to recognize that money cannot buy inner peace.
Dylan then narrates his personal experience of once having fame and fortune, but losing it all. He states that while he may have lost all his material possessions, he is now richer with a satisfied mind. The loss made him realize that true riches lie in the intangibles, like having a sense of purpose, meaning, and contentment in life. The song concludes with the singer reflecting on death and being at peace with the fact that he will leave this world with a satisfied mind and not regret.
Overall, the song encourages people to shift their focus from material success to spiritual/nurturing aspects of life. It urges individuals to re-evaluate their priorities and seek contentment not in material possessions but in life's simple pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times have you heard someone say
How often have you heard someone proclaim
If I had his money I'd do things my way
If I had his wealth, I would live as I please
Hmm, but little they know
But they don't understand the truth
Hmm, it's so hard to find
It can be challenging to discover
One man in ten with a satisfied mind.
A tenth of men with peace at heart.
Hmm, once I was wading in fortune and fame
I had wealth and popularity before,
Everything that I dreamed of to get a start in lifes game
All of the things I thought were necessary to succeed in life
But suddenly it happened
But a sudden event occurred
Hmm, I lost every dime
I lost all my money
But I'm richer by far with a satisfied mind.
Despite my financial loss, I am wealthier with a content mind.
Hmm, when my life is over and my time has run out
When my life is complete and my time is up
My friends and my loved ones I'll leave there ain't no doubt
Without a doubt, I will leave behind my friends and family
But one thing's for certain
But one thing is guaranteed
When it comes my time
When my time comes
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind.
I will depart this world content with my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Red Hays, Jack Rhodes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jack Wendigo
I was skeptical on many listens of this album, but - as is true across all three of the evangelical albums - Dylan's powerful delivery made a convert out of me.
Fyloeu
Love this song! Beautiful signing, sparse arrangement, backing vocals, lyrics... Thank you.
Hatmatter
A terrific, truthful songs by Red Hayes and Jack Rhodes. Dylan and The Band also played a version during the Basement Tapes era. This gospel arrangement is wonderful.
Gilly Gil
I had never realized this is Gospel.
Gilly Gil
Go Bobby! Go! I love this song. Porter Wagoner was all that. However, this is so very soulful! This gives me something to shoot for. I Love You, Bobby. The almost call and response is kicking arse!
tod hursen
Of all the versions of this classic I've heard , this is by far the best.
Art Redoubt
So many ironies here, but thanks, Bob, for always speaking your truth. This may be my least favorite version of this Red Hayes classic, but all of them are good. May all of us come to this idea and to this feeling that what is important is if we accept the true riches of life are to be found in a loving and accepting spirit. God bless all faiths and all humans. May we stop war and thinking God is on our side, when God is only on the side of the peacemakers and the planet, not the corporations and governments. Man is a two-legged two year old still learning to walk, but may everyone be blessed with God's spirit, and maybe we will get through this. So mister Zimmerman, thanks for chiming in, and always keeping it real.
Brian McDonald
I'am not a god fearing person by any stretch of the imagination, but this album is just so good.Got to be played LOUD......sure I've heard that somewhere before !!!
Jari Kuukasjärvi
Wonderful tonight, all three gospel albums are brilliant
MA Jones
...give "Street Legal" another listen.