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
Acne/Teenager In Love
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I just want to let you know
I got my finger on the trigger
Love is in control
I got my finger on the trigger
I ain't letting go
Girl you better load your gun up right
She said yeah, you gotta come out smoking
Hit it with your best shot every time
Well I, I didn't understand her
'Til you walked right in to Ray
I saw, you love the twenty paces
And I knew, I'd won the game
You better raise your heart up high
Or love will blow you right away
I got my finger on the trigger
Love is in control
I got my finger on the trigger
I ain't letting go
In this Bob Dylan song, "Acne/Teenager in Love," the singer is expressing his newfound sense of control and empowerment in a romantic relationship. He declares that he has "got his finger on the trigger" and that "love is in control," indicating that he is ready to take charge and pursue what he wants. The metaphor of a gun and trigger implies a sense of danger and risk involved in the pursuit of love, but the singer seems eager and unafraid.
The second half of the first verse introduces a parental figure, likely the singer's mother, who instilled in him the importance of being prepared and proactive in romantic relationships. The lines "Girl you better load your gun up right / She said yeah, you gotta come out smoking / Hit it with your best shot every time" suggest that the mother wanted her son to be confident and unafraid to pursue what he wanted.
The second verse references a specific person, Ray, who the singer has been able to win over in some sort of romantic competition. The line "I saw, you love the twenty paces" suggests that Ray was someone who was previously difficult to win over, but the singer was able to do so through some sort of competition. The final lines of the song caution that the pursuit of love can be dangerous and unpredictable, but the singer is determined to hold onto his newfound sense of control.
Line by Line Meaning
There's been a change inside my life
Something significant has happened in my life, and I feel the need to share it with someone.
And I just want to let you know
I am reaching out to someone in particular to inform them of the change in my life.
I got my finger on the trigger
I am in control of my own fate.
Love is in control
My love for someone is the driving force behind the actions I am taking.
I got my finger on the trigger
I am fully committed to staying in control of my own fate.
I ain't letting go
I am determined to maintain control of the situation no matter what obstacles arise.
Mama used to tell me
I am reflecting on past advice given to me by my mother.
Girl you better load your gun up right
My mother would instruct me to prepare myself well for any situation I may face.
She said yeah, you gotta come out smoking
My mother would encourage me to put forth my best effort right from the start.
Hit it with your best shot every time
I was taught to always give something my all, no matter what the outcome may be.
Well I, I didn't understand her
As a child, I did not fully comprehend the meaning behind my mother's words of advice.
'Til you walked right in to Ray
But upon meeting someone named Ray, everything my mother had taught me suddenly clicked.
I saw, you love the twenty paces
I realized that the person I am addressing is someone who appreciates a challenge.
And I knew, I'd won the game
In meeting this person, I felt as though I had already achieved a level of success.
You better raise your heart up high
The person I am addressing needs to have confidence in themselves and their abilities.
Or love will blow you right away
Without a strong sense of self, the challenges and obstacles presented by love can quickly become overwhelming and devastating.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MERRIA A. ROSS, QUINCY D. JONES, RODNEY LYNN TEMPERTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ItsDanielMendez
Imagine receiving a call from a random doctor:
“Hello?”
”Dawg you got cancer”
@user-ky1vv2nv9g
Here before it blows up
@SPUDS1
@L I am in the line too XD
@user-ky1vv2nv9g
@SPUDS lol we will be remembered
@redwine.4570
I laughed after 6 days. Thank you.
@amzytheking
@*Batuhan * The joke was only posted 2 days ago, how did it take you 6 days to get the joke? ;) /s
@erictaylor5462
I had a shocking, "You saved my life" moment around the year 2000.
I lost my leg when I was 3 years old and graduated high school in 1988. I moved out of my home town about that time, but I was stilling living in the same county in the year 2000 when I was 30.
I was in my old home town when I got behind a woman who also had a fake leg. I wasn't going to say anything, but she turned around and asked if I had gone to that school in 1987 and 1988. I said I had and she said, "Wow, you literally saved my life."
As far as I knew I'd never met this woman. I'm pretty sure I would have known if another amputee was at my school. But then she wasn't an amputee when she was in high school. She was a couple of years behind my in school, so we didn't have any classes together, but as I sometimes had to attend classes without my leg she had seen me around and she had been impressed with how well I got around.
When she was 19 she was in a bad car accident and woke up in the hospital her leg was already gone.
At first she was utterly devastated, but then she remember me, and how well I got around. She said then she knew she would be okay.
It blows my mind to think that I could have had such an effect on someone I'd never even met.
@foolishgold3171
Bless your souls!
@gray327
God bless you man! your positive outlook reaches far!
@lorijanee08
ops