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
Blind Willie McTell
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Saying, "This land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
To Jerusalem."
I traveled through East Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Well, I heard the hoot owl singing
As they were taking down the tents
The stars above the barren trees
Were his only audience
Them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
But nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
See them big plantations burning
Hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
See the ghosts of slavery ships
I can hear them tribes a-moaning
Hear the undertaker's bell
Nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
There's a woman by the river
With some fine young handsome man
He's dressed up like a squire
Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
There's a chain gang on the highway
I can hear them rebels yell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Well, God is in heaven
And we all want what's His
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I'm gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
The lyrics to Bob Dylan's song "Blind Willie McTell" narrate an individual's journey across the lands of America and beyond, recounting the struggles and hardships faced by people of all walks of life throughout history. The arrow on the doorpost symbolizes the ubiquitous condemnation of land and the universality of human suffering. Dylan makes references to historical events and landmarks that are specific to certain regions, such as the slave ships in New Orleans, the plantations of the Deep South, and the chain gangs on the highways. These images paint a vivid picture of the oppression and injustice faced by America's marginalized communities.
Dylan's reverence for the blues and the notion of the troubled musician is a recurring theme throughout his career, and this song is no exception. Blind Willie McTell, a real-life blues performer, represents the idealized embodiment of the blues musician, who can channel the essence of the human condition and distill it into music. The songwriter acknowledges that no one can sing the blues like Blind Willie, implying that through his music, he has access to an emotional depth that few others can fathom.
The last verse of the song suggests a lament for the state of humanity as a whole. Despite the reference to God in heaven, the artist suggests that human nature, dominated by power, greed, and corruption, is the driving force behind much of the world's turmoil. The final lines of the song, spoken from the window of a hotel, leave the listener with a sense of resignation and melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
Seen the arrow on the doorpost
Saying, "This land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
To Jerusalem."
Bob Dylan has witnessed a sign that declares entire cities to be doomed, effectively suggesting that there is no rest from judgment or condemnation, neither in New Orleans nor Jerusalem.
I traveled through East Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
While traveling through East Texas, Bob Dylan started to understand the weight of suffering among the people that live there, and how nobody could replicate the kind of sorrow conveyed by Blind Willie McTell.
Well, I heard the hoot owl singing
As they were taking down the tents
The stars above the barren trees
Were his only audience
Them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
But nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Bob Dylan recollects that he had a chance encounter with nature that night, which immediately evoked the image of Blind Willie McTell as the inspirer of natural sounds and beauty that only a few people can see or appreciate.
See them big plantations burning
Hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
See the ghosts of slavery ships
I can hear them tribes a-moaning
Hear the undertaker's bell
Nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Bob Dylan recognizes the many shades and forms of pain and injustice that pervade American soil, through a history of slavery, brutality, and death, but he is also convinced that nobody can voice them with the brilliance and authenticity of Blind Willie McTell.
There's a woman by the river
With some fine young handsome man
He's dressed up like a squire
Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
There's a chain gang on the highway
I can hear them rebels yell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Through some last vignettes, where imagery depicts the powers of desire and rebellion that characterize human nature, Bob Dylan brings the sense of hopelessness and melancholy that gathers around Blind Willie McTell's music, as if it were the only true instrument to capture the essence of the blues.
Well, God is in heaven
And we all want what's His
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I'm gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Bob Dylan concludes with a poignant assertion that no matter how much we strive to overcome our limits and reach the divine, we are often trapped by selfishness, corruption, and weakness, and that the only source of redemption and guidance might reside in the music of the blues, with its unmatched ability to expose our humanity and frailty.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bryan Keisling
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
Seen the arrow on the doorpost
Saying, “This land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
To Jerusalem”
I traveled through East Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
[Verse 2]
Well, I heard that hoot owl singing
As they were taking down the tents
The stars above the barren trees
Was his only audience
Them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
But nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
[Verse 3]
See them big plantations burning
Hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
See the ghosts of slavery ships
I can hear them tribes moaning
Hear that undertaker’s bell
Nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
[Verse 4]
There’s a woman by the river
With some fine young handsome man
He’s dressed up like a squire
Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
There’s a chain gang on the highway
I can hear them rebels yell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
[Verse 5]
Well, God is in His heaven
And we all want what’s His
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I’m gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell
Juan Camacho
Seen the arrow on the doorpost
Saying this land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
To Jerusalem
I travel through east Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I dont know one can sing the blues
Like blind Wille McTell
Well, I heard that hoo-dove singing
As they were taking down the tent
The stars above the barren trees
Was his only audiance
Them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
But nobody can sing the blues
Like blind Wille McTell
🎵🎶🎵🎶
Seen them big plantations burning
Hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
See the ghost of slarvery ship
I can hear them tribes moaning
Hear the undertakers bell
Nobody can sing the blues
Like blind Wille McTell
There's a woman by the river
With some fine young handsome man
He's dressed up like a squire
Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
There's a chain gang on the highway
I can hear them rebells yell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like blind Wille McTell
🎵🎶🎵🎶
Well, God is in his heaven
And we are what was his
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I'm gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I dont know no one that can sing the blues
Like blind Wille McTell
pjc 73
The power and depth of this song is what separated Dylan from all his contemporaries. No one else could have done it, or been taken seriously doing it.
Paul Edmiston
... Definitely, Bob's lyrics were worth the Nobel...
Jack Wendigo
One of the best songs in the entire Dylan catalogue - and perhaps the best singing he ever did.
quentinlynch
I agree. May I ask, do you prefer this version to the one on the album?
Jack Wendigo
@quentinlynch What album?
quentinlynch
@Jack Wendigo The 2007 "best of".
Jack Wendigo
@quentinlynch I don't have that set, but if it's one of the full band recordings of the song, my answer would be no. The vocal is excellent in any recording of the song I've heard, but the extra instrumentation distracts from rather than enhances it.
Jack Bacon
And yet you one could make a good faith argument it’s not one of his 50 best songs. He’s truly one of the greatest, most prolific musical artists we’ve seen. This is literally just a “bootleg” release.
Matthew Greydanus
This might be my favorite Dylan song. I love the way the piano continues throughout the song and the way the lyrics build. His voice is perfect for this song.
Bill Reid
And it's an outtake! I say, an OUTTAKE, for cryin' out loud! 😉