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 You Have To Do Is Dream
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taste your lips of wine
Any time, night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreaming my life away
Dream dream dream dream
Dream dream dream dream
All I have to do is dream
Dream dream dream dream
Dream dream dream dream
When I want you in my mind
And I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you
All I have to do is dream
Dream dream dream dream
Dream dream dream dream
I can make you mine
Taste your lips of wine
Any time night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreaming my life away
I need you so that I could die
I want you so and that is why
Whenever I want you
All I have to do is dream
Dream dream dream dream
Dream dream dream dream
In Bob Dylan's song "All I Have to Do Is Dream," the singer expresses his desire for a particular person. The lyrics center around the idea of dreaming, which serves as a metaphor for the singer's longing for this person. He imagines tasting her lips like wine and dreams of being able to have her at any time, day or night. However, he realizes that it is only a dream, and expresses frustration about "dreaming his life away."
The lyrics are emblematic of the themes found throughout Dylan's work. Throughout his career, Dylan has consistently focused on issues of desire, longing, and regret. His songs often include a sense of yearning for something more, whether it is love, freedom, or some other kind of fulfillment. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" is no exception - it is a bittersweet song about wanting something so badly that it is painful.
Overall, "All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a powerful song that speaks to the human experience of longing and desire. It is a testament to Dylan's ability to capture complex emotions in simple, straightforward lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I can make you mine
I can possess you
Taste your lips of wine
Experience the sweet pleasure of your kiss
Any time, night or day
At any time, regardless of day or night
Only trouble is, gee whiz
The only obstacle is, gosh
I'm dreaming my life away
I'm living my life in a fantasy, not reality
Dream dream dream dream
Imagining or desiring something strongly
Whenever I want you
Whenever I desire to be with you
All I have to do is dream
I just need to imagine or fantasize about it
When I want you in my mind
When I want to think about you
And I need you to hold me tight
When I need to feel your embrace
I need you so that I could die
I need you so badly that it feels like life without you would not be worth living
I want you so and that is why
I desire you so much and that's the reason
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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