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 No More Cane
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
You shoulda been on the river in ninteen-and-ten
Oh, oh, oh-oh
They were driving the women just like they drove the men
Go down old Hannah, don'cha rise no more
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Don't you rise up til Judgment Day is for sure
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Captain, don't you do me like you done poor old Shine
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well ya drove that bully 'till he went stone blind
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Wake up on a lifetime, hold up your own head
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
The lyrics of Bob Dylan and The Band's "Ain't No More Cane" refer to the harsh conditions and exploitation of laborers in the early 20th century, particularly those working on the Brazos river in Texas. The song paints a picture of a time when cane was a valuable crop and the labor force, including women, was brutally driven to maximize production. The song highlights the dehumanizing conditions and the captain's brutal treatment of the workers, including Shine, who was driven to blindness.
The song's chorus, "Ain't no more cane on the Brazos, it's all been ground down to molasses," serves as a metaphor for the depletion of resources and the exploitation of the labor force. The line speaks to the idea that the crops have been so overworked and overharvested that there is nothing left. The molasses, a byproduct of the cane, represents the only value left, and even then, it is a result of a broken system.
The song's final verse, "Wake up on a lifetime, hold up your own head. Well, you may get a pardon, and then you might drop dead," speaks to the idea that despite the harsh conditions and exploitation, the workers had to wake up each day and try to survive. They had to hold their heads high in the face of brutal treatment, and even if they were granted a pardon or some relief, they may still face early death due to the harsh conditions they endured.
Overall, "Ain't No More Cane" is a poignant and powerful song that reflects on the abuse of laborers, the depletion of resources, and the unjust systems that perpetuate these injustices.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
There is no more sugarcane in the region of Brazos.
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's an audio tune used to beautify the song.
It's all been ground down to molasses
The sugarcane has been wholly processed into molasses.
You shoulda been on the river in ninteen-and-ten
If you had been present at the river during 1910,
They were driving the women just like they drove the men
They were treating women the same way they treated men.
Go down old Hannah, don'cha rise no more
Hannah should calm down and not bother herself anymore.
Don't you rise up til Judgment Day is for sure
She should stay put and wait for the last day.
Captain, don't you do me like you done poor old Shine
Captain should not treat me the same way he treated poor old Shine.
Well ya drove that bully 'till he went stone blind
You made him work tirelessly until he could not function again.
Wake up on a lifetime, hold up your own head
Live your life and take responsibility for your actions.
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead
You may receive pardon or forgiveness, but that won't prevent death.
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
There is no more sugarcane in the region of Brazos.
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's an audio tune used to beautify the song.
It's all been ground down to molasses
The sugarcane has been wholly processed into molasses.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: AMY HELM, ANTHONY LEONE, BYRON ISAACS, FIONA MCBAIN, GLENN PATSCHA, UNKNOWN PD WRITER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@peacelove7787
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
You shoulda been on the river in ninteen-and-ten
Oh, oh, oh-oh
They were driving the women just like they drove the men
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Go down old Hannah, don'cha rise no more
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Don't you rise up til Judgment Day is for sure
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Captain, don't you do me like you done poor old Shine
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well ya drove that bully 'till he went stone blind
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Wake up on a lifetime, hold up your own head
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
@Oceanmachine27
"Ain't No More Cane" is absolutely one of the Band's finest moments. Singing like a whole damn carnival.
@ericcampbell6370
A verse each from Levon, Robbie, Rick and Richard, in that order, then Garth's accordion takes us home.
It really doesn't get any better than this.
@user-jg9zw5fq5d
Wow! I didn’t no Robbie could sing that well.
@seanodwyer4859
Any idea who it is then? I’ve always been curious
@grahamsquires6964
It is Robbie.
@z1205
I thought the 2nd verse was Dylan.
@ericcampbell6370
@@z1205 Dylan's not on this track. It was actually recorded for Music From Pink as a standby track, in case they didn't have enough originals.
@BDB78
Danko’s voice just pierces me to the core!
@paddytanager5258
RIP Robbie Robertson
@craigsimon7658
The BAND!!👍