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
Baby please don
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby please don't go
Baby please don't go
Down to New Orleans
You know I love you so
Baby please don't go
When the man done gone
When the man done gone
Down the county farm
He got the shackles on
Baby please don't go
Don't leave me
I'll be a dog
I'll be a dog
I'll be a dog
Kiss your way down here
When you walk along
Baby please don't go
Why must you leave me, lying on my back
Going across the other side of the track
Found yourself a new man I know
So baby please don't go, baby please don't go
Oh please, please don't leave me
I don't want to be left alone baby
Oh don't go, don't go, don't go
Bob Dylan's song "Baby Please Don't Go" is a pleading song of a man begging his lover not to leave him. It is either a plea to not go down to New Orleans or a plea not to leave him for another man. The song starts with the repeated refrain of "Baby please don't go" to emphasize the desperation of the singer. The verses talk about the consequences of leaving such as going to the county farm and getting shackled up, and the singer being left alone and feeling abandoned. The final verse mentions finding a new man and the singer's fear of being left alone.
The song captures the heartache that comes with being left alone by someone you love. The plea for the lover to stay is so desperate that the singer even promises to be a dog and follows them wherever they go.
Overall, the song's theme is about the fear of being abandoned and left alone. It is a prime example of Bob Dylan's ability to use words and music to touch the listener's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby please don't go
The singer pleads with his lover not to leave him.
Baby please don't go
The singer again pleads with his lover not to leave him.
Baby please don't go
The singer continues to beg his lover not to leave him.
Down to New Orleans
The singer is specifically pleading with his lover not to go to New Orleans, a place associated with trouble and sin.
You know I love you so
The singer emphasizes his love for his lover and tries to appeal to her emotions.
When the man done gone
The singer speaks of another man who has already left, possibly to the county farm.
When the man done gone
The singer repeats that the man has left and his fate is uncertain.
When the man done gone
The singer again emphasizes that the man has left and may not be coming back.
Down the county farm
The man has likely been arrested and sent to county prison or labor camp.
He got the shackles on
The man is imprisoned and restrained with literal shackles, indicating his inability to leave.
Baby please don't go
The singer continues to plead with his lover not to leave him despite the other man's imprisonment.
Don't leave me
The singer repeats his plea for his lover to stay with him.
I'll be a dog
The singer is willing to lower himself and become subservient to his lover if it means she won't leave him.
I'll be a dog
The singer reiterates that he is willing to do anything to keep his lover from leaving him.
I'll be a dog
The singer continues to emphasize his devotion and willingness to sacrifice his pride.
Kiss your way down here
The singer entices his lover to come back to him by offering physical affection.
When you walk along
The singer tells his lover to come back to him whenever she desires.
Why must you leave me, lying on my back
The singer questions why his lover is leaving him alone and vulnerable.
Going across the other side of the track
The singer believes that his lover has found someone else and is leaving him for that person.
Found yourself a new man I know
The singer is certain that his lover has left him for someone else.
So baby please don't go, baby please don't go
The singer repeats his plea for his lover to not leave him.
Oh please, please don't leave me
The singer continues to beg his lover not to leave him behind.
I don't want to be left alone baby
The singer emphasizes how important his lover is to him and how much he doesn't want to be without her.
Oh don't go, don't go, don't go
The singer repeats his plea for his lover to not leave him, hoping that she will change her mind.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Joseph Lee Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debby Ledbetter
No words could describe how fantastic he is....
Neil Hasid
Never was anyone like him.
davidoffon1
I'll Ike him!!
TheArsong
and never will be ..
Isismusicnow
simply great
Jesse Pesto
masterful
MIKECNW
Wow.
Covering an old blues song.
Venu Gopal B
So good
Annemarie Govers
this is so cool....Happy Birthday Bob...hug
XPIOLT
Same here, I think this is the last one of this recording for me unless I discover another one. Got to get them while their here, could be gone tomorrow.