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
Ain’t Gonna Grieve
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
And ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
Come on brother, join the band,
Tell everybody that's in the land,
You ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
Well, I ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
And ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
Brown and blue and white and black,
All one color on the one-way track,
We got this far and ain't a-goin' back
And ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
Well, I ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
I ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
We're gonna notify your next of kin,
You're gonna raise the roof until the house falls in.
If you get knocked down get up again,
We ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
Well, I ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
I ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
We'll sing this song all night long,
Sing it to my baby from midnight on.
She'll sing it to you when I'm dead and gone,
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
Well, I ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
I ain't a-gonna grieve no more
Bob Dylan's song Ain’t Gonna Grieve is an optimistic number that encourages listeners to let go of their sorrows and grievances. The lyrics indicate that the singer has decided to put his past behind him and live a joyful life devoid of mourning. Dylan calls on his listeners, both brothers, and sisters, to join him in this quest for joy and to spread the word about their new way of life. He implores them to let everyone know that they "ain't gonna grieve no more."
In the verse that follows, Dylan draws attention to the fact that we are all essentially the same, regardless of race or color. We are all heading down a path that is one way, and there is no turning back. This is an encouragement to let go of past grievances and keep moving forward. The chorus of the song repeats the message that the singer is done grieving and encourages listeners to do the same.
In the final verse, Dylan highlights the importance of resilience and determination in one's journey towards joy. He states that even if listeners get knocked down in life, they should get up again and keep going. The song concludes with a promise to continue singing this tune and passing on this message even after the singer's life has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
I am done with grieving and will not continue to do so anymore.
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
I am reiterating my decision to stop grieving and move forward.
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more, no more
I am affirming that I have made up my mind and will not change it.
And ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
I am convinced to the point of finality that I will not grieve anymore.
Come on brother, join the band,
I am encouraging and inviting my brothers to come and join me.
Come on sisters, clap your hands,
I am urging my sisters to give a show of support and excitement.
Tell everybody that's in the land,
I am requesting that everyone in the vicinity be informed of my decision.
You ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
I am persuading everyone to follow my lead and stop grieving.
Brown and blue and white and black,
I am pointing out the equality in diversity among all people.
All one color on the one-way track,
I am emphasizing the shared destiny of all people, regardless of differences.
We got this far and ain't a-goin' back
I am acknowledging the progress already made and resolving to move forward.
And ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
I am reiterating my resolve to move forward with positivity and without grief.
We're gonna notify your next of kin,
I am declaring the seriousness of our collective decision and the inevitability of its effects.
You're gonna raise the roof until the house falls in.
I am promising that our collective positivity will be all-encompassing and unstoppable.
If you get knocked down get up again,
I am encouraging resilience in the face of adversity.
We ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
I am reaffirming our collective decision to move forward constructively.
We'll sing this song all night long,
I am promising to continue being positive and celebratory in attitude.
Sing it to my baby from midnight on.
I am promising to continue this positivity in all areas of life.
She'll sing it to you when I'm dead and gone,
I am assuring that this positivity will continue beyond my lifetime.
Ain't a-gonna grieve no more.
I am concluding my resolve to not grieve anymore, and encouraging others to do the same.
Contributed by Parker D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.