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
Ballad for a Friend
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watchin' that old smokestack.
Train is a-leavin' but it won't be back.
Years ago we hang around,
Watchin' trains roll through the town.
Now that train is a-graveyard bound.
Lakes and streams and mines so free,
I had no better friend than he.
Something happened to him that day,
I thought I heard a stranger say,
I hung my head and stole away.
A diesel truck was headin' down,
Pullin' down a heavy load.
It left him on a Utah road.
They carried him back to his home town,
His mother cried, his sister moaned,
Listenin' to them church bells tone.
A diesel truck was rollin' slow,
Pullin' down a heavy load.
And it left him on a Utah road.
Bob Dylan's Ballad for a Friend is a mournful elegy written for the loss of a beloved friend. The song opens with the singer sitting on the railroad track, watching an old smokestack and lamenting the passing train, which he knows won't be returning. From here, Bob Dylan takes the listener back to a time when he and his friend used to watch trains roll through town, reminiscing about times when the world felt full of possibility and their friendship was strong. Yet something happened to his friend one day, and soon the singer heard someone say something that made him hang his head and walk away.
The chorus brings the listener back to the present, where the singer receives news that his friend has died in a tragic accident. A diesel truck has left him on a Utah road, and he is carried back to his hometown, where church bells are tolling in mourning. The searing pain of grief and loss is evident in the last verse, where the singer repeats the same refrain of the previous verse, indicating that the weight of his friend's death has left him stuck in a world without hope, forever chained to the senseless tragedy of it all.
Overall, Ballad for a Friend is a powerful portrayal of grief, loss, and the struggles of coming to terms with senseless tragedy. Bob Dylan's vivid imagery and haunting lyrics paint a picture of a world that has lost its luster, leaving the singer to grapple with the heavy weight of his grief alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Sad I'm sittin' on the railroad track,
I am feeling down and out as I sit on the railroad tracks.
Watchin' that old smokestack.
I am observing the smokestack and pondering its meaning.
Train is a-leavin' but it won't be back.
The train is leaving, and I know I won't see it again.
Years ago we hang around,
In years past, we used to frequent this area.
Watchin' trains roll through the town.
We used to observe the trains passing through town.
Now that train is a-graveyard bound.
That train is now headed to the graveyard.
Where we go up in that North country,
In the northern country where we used to hang out.
Lakes and streams and mines so free,
There were abundant lakes, streams, and mines in this area.
I had no better friend than he.
He was my closest, most cherished friend.
Something happened to him that day,
An event occurred on that particular day that affected him.
I thought I heard a stranger say,
I believe I overheard an unknown person speaking about him.
I hung my head and stole away.
I experienced a sense of defeat and retreated from the situation.
A diesel truck was headin' down,
A large truck powered by diesel fuel was driving in that direction.
Pullin' down a heavy load.
It was carrying a significant amount of weight.
It left him on a Utah road.
He was abandoned on a road in Utah by this truck, which caused his death.
They carried him back to his home town,
His body was taken to his hometown.
His mother cried, his sister moaned,
His mother and sister were mourning his loss.
Listenin' to them church bells tone.
They were listening to the somber sound of church bells ringing in the distance.
A diesel truck was rollin' slow,
A diesel truck was driving at a leisurely pace.
Pullin' down a heavy load.
The truck was hauling a massive weight.
And it left him on a Utah road.
The same truck that caused his death abandoned him on a road in Utah.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind