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
Annie
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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This is one you mustn't miss:
Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
A drink for me, a drink for you;
You're going to need a drink or two:
Annie's going to sing her song,
You never heard it sung before;
I hear it twice a month or more,
Complete with tears and sheepish grins;
It only lacks the violins.
The tune goes flat from time to time,
The lyric sometimes fails to rhyme,
But Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
La la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la,
Annie's going to sing her song
Called "Take Me Back Again."
It sometimes lasts the whole night long,
Depends on how long she's been gone,
I sit and look as hard as nails;
She knows the damn thing never fails.
Take the bottle, fill your cup;
Don't miss the part where I fold up;
Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
La la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la,
Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
It isn't Annie's only tune;
The other I'll be hearing soon,
Next week, tomorrow, or today;
She sings it when she goes away.
Take the bottle, fill your cup;
Don't miss the part where I fold up;
Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again;"
Come on, Annie, sing you song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
The song "Annie's Going To Sing Her Song" by Bob Dylan is a humorous and satirical commentary on a particular type of person who is constantly seeking attention by performing a mediocre song. The song is narrated from the perspective of someone who has heard the song many times before and is somewhat jaded by it. The singer urges others to stay and listen, despite the flaws in the song. The song is called "Take Me Back Again," and it seems to be about a relationship that has ended, with the singer pleading for forgiveness and another chance.
The singer describes how Annie performs the song with tears and sheepish grins, indicating that she is well aware of its flaws but still insists on performing it. Despite the lack of instrumentation, the singer insists that the song is powerful because of Annie's earnestness. This is a recurring theme in Dylan's music: the idea that sincerity is more important than technical proficiency.
The song's melody is simple and repetitive, with a chorus of "la la la la la" providing the only consistent musical element. The singer describes how the song sometimes lasts the whole night long, depending on how long Annie has been gone. This suggests that the song is more about Annie's desire for attention and affirmation than any particular message or emotion.
Overall, "Annie's Going To Sing her Song" is a witty and entertaining commentary on the nature of performance, authenticity, and the human need for attention and validation.
Line by Line Meaning
What's your hurry? Just watch this.
I'm urging you to slow down and pay attention to what's about to happen.
This is one you mustn't miss:
This is a big event that you should definitely be present for.
Annie's going to sing her song,
Annie is about to perform her signature song.
Called "Take Me Back Again."
The song is titled 'Take Me Back Again' and it's about a desire to return to a past relationship.
A drink for me, a drink for you;
Let's have a drink or two to enjoy the performance.
You're going to need a drink or two:
I'm anticipating that you may need a drink to fully appreciate the song.
You never heard it sung before;
This may be new for you, but it's a song that I've heard multiple times before.
I hear it twice a month or more,
Annie performs this song frequently, and I've been present for many of those performances.
Complete with tears and sheepish grins;
The song is usually accompanied by emotional reactions, including crying and sheepish grinning.
It only lacks the violins.
The performance is usually not a big production, only missing a few instruments.
The tune goes flat from time to time,
The melody may not be perfectly on key throughout the song.
The lyric sometimes fails to rhyme,
The words in the song may not always have a perfect rhyme scheme.
But Annie's going to sing her song,
Despite any faults or imperfections, the performance will still be memorable.
Called "Take Me Back Again."
The song is titled 'Take Me Back Again' and it's about a desire to return to a past relationship.
La la la la la la la,
The song includes multiple repetitions of 'la' sounds.
It sometimes lasts the whole night long,
The performance may go on for hours, depending on how long Annie is gone.
Depends on how long she's been gone,
The length of the performance is determined by the length of time Annie has been away from her past love.
I sit and look as hard as nails;
I'll be seated and focused on the performance.
She knows the damn thing never fails.
Annie is confident in her song and knows it will resonate with the audience.
Take the bottle, fill your cup;
Let's have another drink to fully enjoy the upcoming performance.
Don't miss the part where I fold up;
Make sure to be present for a special moment during the performance.
Annie's going to sing her song,
Annie is about to perform her signature song.
Called "Take Me Back Again."
The song is titled 'Take Me Back Again' and it's about a desire to return to a past relationship.
It isn't Annie's only tune;
Annie has other songs in her repertoire.
The other I'll be hearing soon,
I'm looking forward to hearing another one of Annie's songs in the near future.
Next week, tomorrow, or today;
The exact time when Annie will perform her next song is uncertain, but it could be very soon.
She sings it when she goes away.
This other song is specifically about Annie's tendency to sing when she goes away from someone.
Come on, Annie, sing you song,
I'm encouraging Annie to perform her signature song.
Called "Take Me Back Again."
The song is titled 'Take Me Back Again' and it's about a desire to return to a past relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS R PAXTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind