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
Black Diamond Bay
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She wears a necktie and a Panama hat
Her passport shows a face
From another time and place
She looks nothing like that
And all the remnants of her recent past
Are scattered in the wild wind
She walks across the marble floor
She smiles, walks the other way
As the last ship sails and the moon fades away
From Black Diamond Bay
As the morning light breaks open, the Greek comes down
And he asks for a rope and a pen that will write
Pardon, monsieur, the desk clerk says
Carefully removes his fez
Am I hearing you right
And as the yellow fog is lifting
The Greek is quickly heading for the second floor
She passes him on the spiral staircase
Thinking he's the Soviet Ambassador
She starts to speak, but he walks away
As the storm clouds rise and the palm branches sway
On Black Diamond Bay
A soldier sits beneath the fan
Doing business with a tiny man who sells him a ring
Lightning strikes, the lights blow out
The desk clerk wakes and begins to shout
Can you see anything
Then the Greek appears on the second floor
In his bare feet with a rope around his neck
While a loser in the gambling room lights up a candle
Says, open up another deck
But the dealer says, attendez-vous, s'il vous plait
As the rain beats down and the cranes fly away
From Black Diamond Bay
The desk clerk heard the woman laugh
As he looked around the aftermath and the soldier got tough
He tried to grab the woman's hand
Said, here's a ring, it cost a grand
She said, that ain't enough
Then she ran upstairs to pack her bags
While a horse-drawn taxi waited at the curb
She passed the door that the Greek had locked
Where a handwritten sign read, do not disturb
She knocked upon it anyway
As the sun went down and the music did play
On Black Diamond Bay
I've got to talk to someone quick
But the Greek said, go away, and he kicked the chair to the floor
He hung there from the chandelier
She cried, help, there's danger near
Please open up the door
Then the volcano erupted
And the lava flowed down from the mountain high above
The soldier and the tiny man were crouched in the corner
Thinking of forbidden love
But the desk clerk said, it happens every day
As the stars fell down and the fields burned away
On Black Diamond Bay
As the island slowly sank
The loser finally broke the bank in the gambling room
The dealer said, it's too late now
You can take your money, but I don't know how
You'll spend it in the tomb
The tiny man bit the soldier's ear
As the floor caved in and the boiler in the basement blew
While she's out on the balcony, where a stranger tells her
My darling, je vous aime beaucoup
She sheds a tear and then begins to pray
As the fire burns on and the smoke drifts away
From Black Diamond Bay
I was sitting home alone one night in L.A.
Watching old Cronkite on the seven o'clock news
It seems there was an earthquake that
Left nothing but a Panama hat
And a pair of old Greek shoes
Didn't seem like much was happening
So I turned it off and went to grab another beer
Seems like every time you turn around
There's another hard-luck story that you're gonna hear
And there's really nothing anyone can say
And I never did plan to go anyway
To Black Diamond Bay
Bob Dylan's song "Black Diamond Bay" tells a story about a woman on an island who seems out of place and is caught up in a series of events. She wears a necktie and Panama hat but doesn't look like the woman in her passport photo. At the beginning of the song, she is walking near the gambling room, where a voice is calling her in. But she walks away, and the last ship sails, and the moon fades away. Next, a Greek man requests a pen and a rope, and the desk clerk hears him and removes his fez. Later, the woman is speaking to the Greek, thinking he's the Soviet Ambassador, but he walks away. Meanwhile, a soldier sits beneath a fan and does business with a tiny man who sells him a ring.
The song builds from there, with various characters trying to get each other's attention and failing, while chaos ensues around them. The volcano erupts, the island sinks, and the gambling dealer tells a loser that it's too late to break the bank. The woman ends up outside on a balcony, where a stranger declares his love for her. Eventually, the song ends with Dylan watching the news in L.A. about an earthquake that happened, leaving behind only a Panama hat and old Greek shoes.
Black Diamond Bay is one of Dylan's most narrative-heavy songs. It tells a story that's like a short movie or novel. The song is a part of the album "Desire," which is known to be one of Dylan's most diverse musically. Dylan was inspired to write the song after reading a book called "The Palm at the End of the Mind" by Wallace Stevens. The book's themes influenced the song's imagery and narrative structure.
Line by Line Meaning
Up on the white veranda
The scene is set with a woman dressed quite differently than what her passport shows on a veranda.
She wears a necktie and a Panama hat
The woman on the veranda is dressed in a necktie and a Panama hat.
Her passport shows a face
The paperwork she has with her depicts someone from another place and time.
From another time and place
The woman has come from another era and geography.
She looks nothing like that
The woman no longer looks the same as her past.
And all the remnants of her recent past
The little evidence of her latest whereabouts is dispersed among the wind.
Are scattered in the wild wind
The artifacts of the woman’s recent life are carelessly blown by the wind.
She walks across the marble floor
The woman on the veranda moves across a floor of marble.
Where a voice from the gambling room is callin' her to come on in
She hears a voice from a room nearby, inviting her to join the gambling.
She smiles, walks the other way
She chooses to smile and move in the opposite direction.
As the last ship sails and the moon fades away
The woman departs as the final ship sets sail and the moon wanes into darkness.
As the morning light breaks open, the Greek comes down
The next day starts with the Greek descending.
And he asks for a rope and a pen that will write
The Greek asks for a rope and writing materials.
Pardon, monsieur, the desk clerk says
The desk clerk apologizes for the Greek.
Carefully removes his fez
The desk clerk places the fez carefully on the table.
Am I hearing you right
The clerk needs to make sure he heard everything correctly.
And as the yellow fog is lifting
The fog shifts to a lighter shade of yellow.
The Greek is quickly heading for the second floor
The Greek moves quickly to the second level.
She passes him on the spiral staircase
As the woman on the veranda and the Greek pass each other on the spiral, she believes the Greek is an ambassador from the Soviet Union.
Thinking he's the Soviet Ambassador
The woman imagines the Greek as an ambassador from the Soviet Union.
She starts to speak, but he walks away
The woman tries to speak, but the Greek keeps walking.
As the storm clouds rise and the palm branches sway
The storm is approaching and the branches of the palms are swaying.
On Black Diamond Bay
All of this is occurring on Black Diamond Bay.
A soldier sits beneath the fan
A soldier is seated near a fan.
Doing business with a tiny man who sells him a ring
The soldier is dealing with a diminutive jewel merchant trying to sell him a ring.
Lightning strikes, the lights blow out
Suddenly, there is lightning, which causes the lights to go off.
The desk clerk wakes and begins to shout
The clerk wakes up and starts shouting.
Can you see anything
The clerk asks if anyone can see anything.
Then the Greek appears on the second floor
The Greek shows up on the second floor with a rope tied to himself.
In his bare feet with a rope around his neck
The Greek appears shoeless, with the rope around his neck.
While a loser in the gambling room lights up a candle
Someone who lost in the gambling room lights up a candle.
Says, open up another deck
That person asks the dealer to open another deck of cards.
But the dealer says, attendez-vous, s'il vous plait
However, the dealer says, 'wait, please'.
As the rain beats down and the cranes fly away
The rain is falling as cranes take off.
From Black Diamond Bay
All of this is happening on Black Diamond Bay.
The desk clerk heard the woman laugh
The clerk hears the woman laughing.
As he looked around the aftermath and the soldier got tough
As the clerk surveys the debris, the soldier becomes confrontational.
He tried to grab the woman's hand
The soldier tries to catch the woman's hand.
Said, here's a ring, it cost a grand
He tells her that the ring he’s giving her is worth a thousand dollars.
She said, that ain't enough
She tells the soldier that it's not satisfactory.
Then she ran upstairs to pack her bags
The woman then runs upstairs to pack her bags.
While a horse-drawn taxi waited at the curb
A horse-drawn taxi is waiting outside.
She passed the door that the Greek had locked
The woman walks by the door that the Greek had previously locked.
Where a handwritten sign read, do not disturb
A do not disturb note is penciled there.
She knocked upon it anyway
In the end, she knocks on the door anyway.
As the sun went down and the music did play
The sun sets and the music continues.
On Black Diamond Bay
This all occurs on Black Diamond Bay.
I've got to talk to someone quick
The story's narrator applies personal commentary.
But the Greek said, go away, and he kicked the chair to the floor
The Greek says to leave and moves a chair violently.
He hung there from the chandelier
He was then hanged from a chandelier.
She cried, help, there's danger near
The woman cries for help.
Please open up the door
Asking someone to open the door.
Then the volcano erupted
Suddenly, the volcano erupted.
And the lava flowed down from the mountain high above
And the lava flowed down from the towering peak.
The soldier and the tiny man were crouched in the corner
The soldier and the miniature jeweler are in a fetal position in the corner.
Thinking of forbidden love
Their concerns are of love that is considered sin.
But the desk clerk said, it happens every day
The clerk remains unfazed, considering it as a daily occurrence.
As the stars fell down and the fields burned away
The stars fall as the fields are destroyed.
On Black Diamond Bay
All this happens on Black Diamond Bay.
As the island slowly sank
The island begins to submerge.
The loser finally broke the bank in the gambling room
Said Loser finally broke the bank.
The dealer said, it's too late now
The dealer declares that it's now too late.
You can take your money but I don't know how
The dealer allows the man to take his winnings.
You'll spend it in the tomb
The dealer consumes his money.
The tiny man bit the soldier's ear
The miniature jeweler bites the ear of the soldier.
As the floor caved in and the boiler in the basement blew
The floor has collapsed, and the basement's heater has exploded.
While she's out on the balcony, where a stranger tells her
Meanwhile, on the balcony, a stranger speaks to the woman.
My darling, je vous aime beaucoup
The impromptu acquaintance tells the woman he adores her.
She sheds a tear and then begins to pray
She cries, then proceeds to pray.
As the fire burns on and the smoke drifts away
The fire is still blazing as the smoke fades away.
From Black Diamond Bay
This is all happening on Black Diamond Bay.
I was sitting home alone one night in L.A.
The artist provides exposition from a very different setting, Los Angeles.
Watching old Cronkite on the seven o'clock news
The singer's incidental viewing of Walter Cronkite on the news is highlighted.
It seems there was an earthquake that
A major earthquake has struck the area.
Left nothing but a Panama hat
The only visible damage is a lost Panama hat.
And a pair of old Greek shoes
A pair of Greek sandals.
Didn't seem like much was happening
The narrative tone is dismissive of the lack of news coverage.
So I turned it off and went to grab another beer
In response, the singer dismisses the news and gets another drink.
Seems like every time you turn around
It's a nod toward the prevalence of bad news.
There's another hard-luck story that you're gonna hear
Everywhere you look, a new tale of tragedy arises.
And there's really nothing anyone can say
There's no solace for this constant decline.
And I never did plan to go anyway
The artist acknowledges that they never intended to visit the area anyway.
To Black Diamond Bay
The song ends with a final mention of Black Diamond Bay.
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: DYLAN BOB, LEVY JACQUES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mehedihasanpalash4709
Lyrics
Up on the white veranda
She wears a necktie and a Panama hat
Her passport shows a face
From another time and place
She looks nothing like that
And all the remnants of her recent past
Are scattered in the wild wind
She walks across the marble floor
Where a voice from the gambling room is callin' her to come on in
She smiles, walks the other way
As the last ship sails and the moon fades away
From Black Diamond Bay
As the morning light breaks open, the Greek comes down
And he asks for a rope and a pen that will write
Pardon, monsieur, the desk clerk says
Carefully removes his fez
Am I hearing you right
And as the yellow fog is lifting
The Greek is quickly heading for the second floor
She passes him on the spiral staircase
Thinking he's the Soviet Ambassador
She starts to speak, but he walks away
As the storm clouds rise and the palm branches sway
On Black Diamond Bay
A soldier sits beneath the fan
Doing business with a tiny man who sells him a ring
Lightning strikes, the lights blow out
The desk clerk wakes and begins to shout
Can you see anything
Then the Greek appears on the second floor
In his bare feet with a rope around his neck
While a loser in the gambling room lights up a candle
Says, open up another deck
But the dealer says, attendez-vous, s'il vous plait
As the rain beats down and the cranes fly away
From Black Diamond Bay
The desk clerk heard the woman laugh
As he looked around the aftermath and the soldier got tough
He tried to grab the woman's hand
Said, here's a ring, it cost a grand
She said, that ain't enough
Then she ran upstairs to pack her bags
While a horse-drawn taxi waited at the curb
She passed the door that the Greek had locked
Where a handwritten sign read, do not disturb
She knocked upon it anyway
As the sun went down and the music did play
On Black Diamond Bay
I've got to talk to someone quick
But the Greek said, go away, and he kicked the chair to the floor
He hung there from the chandelier
She cried, help, there's danger near
Please open up the door
Then the volcano erupted
And the lava flowed down from the mountain high above
The soldier and the tiny man were crouched in the corner
Thinking of forbidden love
But the desk clerk said, it happens every day
As the stars fell down and Blooms fade away
On Black Diamond Bay
As the island slowly sank
The loser finally broke the bank in the gambling room
The dealer said, it's too late now
You can take your money, but I don't know how
You'll spend it in the tomb
The tiny man bit the soldier's ear
As the floor caved in and the boiler in the basement blew
While she's out on the balcony, where a stranger tells her
My darling, je vous aime beaucoup
She sheds a tear and then begins to pray
As the fire burns on and the smoke drifts away
From Black Diamond Bay
I was sitting home alone one night in L.A.
Watching old Cronkite on the seven o'clock news
It seems there was an earthquake that
Left nothing but a Panama hat
And a pair of old Greek shoes
Didn't seem like much was happening
So I turned it off and went to grab another beer
Seems like every time you turn around
There's another hard-luck story that you're gonna hear
And there's really nothing anyone can say
And I never did plan to go anyway
To Black Diamond Bay
@TheRicardfranca89
Up on the white veranda
She wears a necktie and a Panama hat
Her passport shows a face
From another time and place
She looks nothing like that
And all the remnants of her recent past
Are scattered in the wild wind
She walks across the marble floor
Where a voice from the gambling room is callin' her to come on in
She smiles, walks the other way
As the last ship sails and the moon fades away
From Black Diamond Bay
As the morning light breaks open, the Greek comes down
And he asks for a rope and a pen that will write
Pardon, monsieur, the desk clerk says
Carefully removes his fez
Am I hearing you right
And as the yellow fog is lifting
The Greek is quickly heading for the second floor
She passes him on the spiral staircase
Thinking he's the Soviet Ambassador
She starts to speak, but he walks away
As the storm clouds rise and the palm branches sway
On Black Diamond Bay
A soldier sits beneath the fan
Doing business with a tiny man who sells him a ring
Lightning strikes, the lights blow out
The desk clerk wakes and begins to shout
Can you see anything
Then the Greek appears on the second floor
In his bare feet with a rope around his neck
While a loser in the gambling room lights up a candle
Says, open up another deck
But the dealer says, attendez-vous, s'il vous plait
As the rain beats down and the cranes fly away
From Black Diamond Bay
The desk clerk heard the woman laugh
As he looked around the aftermath and the soldier got tough
He tried to grab the woman's hand
Said, here's a ring, it cost a grand
She said, that ain't enough
Then she ran upstairs to pack her bags
While a horse-drawn taxi waited at the curb
She passed the door that the Greek had locked
Where a handwritten sign read, do not disturb
She knocked upon it anyway
As the sun went down and the music did play
On Black Diamond Bay
I've got to talk to someone quick
But the Greek said, go away, and he kicked the chair to the floor
He hung there from the chandelier
She cried, help, there's danger near
Please open up the door
Then the volcano erupted
And the lava flowed down from the mountain high above
The soldier and the tiny man were crouched in the corner
Thinking of forbidden love
But the desk clerk said, it happens every day
As the stars fell down and the fields burned away
On Black Diamond Bay
As the island slowly sank
The loser finally broke the bank in the gambling room
The dealer said, it's too late now
You can take your money, but I don't know how
You'll spend it in the tomb
The tiny man bit the soldier's ear
As the floor caved in and the boiler in the basement blew
While she's out on the balcony, where a stranger tells her
My darling, je vous aime beaucoup
She sheds a tear and then begins to pray
As the fire burns on and the smoke drifts away
From Black Diamond Bay
I was sitting home alone one night in L.A.
Watching old Cronkite on the seven o'clock news
It seems there was an earthquake that
Left nothing but a Panama hat
And a pair of old Greek shoes
Didn't seem like much was happening
So I turned it off and went to grab another beer
Seems like every time you turn around
There's another hard-luck story that you're gonna hear
And there's really nothing anyone can say
And I never did plan to go anyway
To Black Diamond Bay
@albertoelua7866
I know that Bob Dylan's singing does not usually get a lot of compliments, but I personally love his vocal performances throughout this álbum.
@miguelraeder3005
Helloo!! I covered this song in my channel and I really hope you like it! See you!! 😊
@georgesmyth6577
Possibly his final effort at anything resembling a decent vocal.
@brianhamilton1544
One the best artists ive came across brought up listening to dylan as 7-8 year old now 46 and musics still class
@VeraStiopul-ws6zp
Exellent album
@shanehnorman
I've always felt that no-one else can set the atmosphere of a song so well, using inflection, varying tones, sneers, and an entire array of voices that make a story-song like this so special. He uses the voice he has to perfection.
@projecttrade365
One of the most underrated Dylan songs. My uncle chose this song for his funeral and it choked me up enough that now I sing it in the middle of every funeral ceremony I go to.
@Spykdwthpain
I've requested this for my funeral too, your uncle clearly knew great music/song writing. RIP
@jeanwood616
You cannot top that 💦💖🖤
@damonschultz4006
bad ass song to pick