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
All The Tired Horses
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
All the tired horses in the sun
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
The opening lines of Bob Dylan's song All The Tired Horses, "All the tired horses in the sun, how'm I supposed to get any ridin' done?", have been described as Dylan's way of challenging traditional musical expectations by starting with a chorus instead of a verse. The repetitive chorus, punctuated by "Hmm", creates a hypnotic effect and a sense of weariness or frustration.
The song has been interpreted in different ways, one of which is that it describes the feeling of being stuck in a situation where one can't make any significant progress. The horses in the sun, tired and unresponsive, represent the obstacles and limitations that one encounters on their journey. The singer, wanting to ride but unable to do so, reflects the frustration and disappointment that come with being stagnant.
Another possible interpretation is that the song is a metaphor for the creative process. The horses in the sun could represent ideas or inspiration that have been exhausted, leaving the poet unable to produce anything new. The repetition of the chorus could then be seen as a reflection of the creative block, while the "Hmm" adds a sense of resignation or acceptance.
Overall, the song remains elusive and open to interpretation, like many of Dylan's lyrics. Its unusual structure, sparse instrumentation, and mysterious lyrics make it stand out in his vast repertoire.
Line by Line Meaning
All the tired horses in the sun
There are many exhausted horses out in the heat
How'm I supposed to get any ridin' done? Hmm
It's difficult to do any riding when all the horses are tired and worn out
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lllllllllem9
By the order of the peaky blinders i love this song
@mvl3713
Blow that......
@giotwin
the peaky F****NG Blinders you mean
@mixmastermugen
by the order…of the birmingham urban council
@cnguy77railfanningearl16
Hell yes!
@lauriea.v.4652
The Lisa O’Neill version was perfection for the end of the show. It was an incredible choice as all the music has been.
@tinarashbrooke
just watched peaky blinders, just knew it was a Dylan song! a distant memory of my childhood!
@paulgreenway8766
Yes only the master could write this classic song :)
@BobDylan-ii8gf
Thank you so much,Tina❤
@BobDylan-ii8gf
How long have you been a fan?