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
Can't Escape From You
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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All along the homeward way
All my hopes are over the horizon
All my dreams have gone away
The hillside darkly shaded
Stars fall from above
All the joys of earth have faded
I'll be here 'til tomorrow
Beneath a shroud of gray
I pretend I'm free of sorrow
My heart is miles away
The dead bells are ringing
My train is overdue
To your memory I'm clinging
I can't escape from you
Well I hear the sound of thunder
Roaring loud and long
Sometimes you've got to wonder
God knows I've done no wrong
You've wasted all your power
You threw out the Christmas pie
Now you're withering like a flower
You'll play the fool and die
I'm neither sad nor sorry
I'm all dressed up in black
I fought for fame and glory
You tried to break my back
In the far off sweet forever
The sunshine peeking through
We should have walked together
I can't escape from you
I cannot grasp the shadows
That gather near the door
Rain falls round my window
I wish I'd seen you more
The path is ever winding
The stars they never age
The morning light is blinding
All the world's a stage
Should be the time of gladness
Happy faces everywhere
The mystery of madness
Is propagating in the air
I don't like the city
Not like some folks do
Isn't it a pity
I can't escape from you
We ploughed the fields of heaven
Right down to the end
I hope I can be forgiven
If any words of mine offend
All our days were splendid
They were simple, they were plain
It never should have ended
I should have kissed you in the rain
I've been thinking things all over
All the moments full of grace
The primrose and the clover
Your ever changing face
Can't help looking at you
You made love with god-knows-who
Never found a girl to match you
I can't escape from you
The song Can't Escape From You by Bob Dylan is an emotional ballad that reflects on lost love and the impossibility of moving on. Throughout the verses, the singer describes the loneliness and despair that come with reminiscing about the past, and the inability to let go of a love that has already gone. The opening verse sets the mood with a dark and melancholic description of the night sky and the emptiness that fills the singer's heart. The following verse speaks of the inevitability of the passage of time and the futility of trying to escape the memories that haunt him. The last verse brings up the idea of forgiveness, as the singer reflects on the beauty of the past and the profound connection that he shared with his lost love.
The song's lyrics are masterfully crafted, and the powerful imagery that Dylan uses to paint a picture of the pain and sorrow that comes with lost love is simply unparalleled. The use of metaphors, such as "the dead bells are ringing" and "the path is ever winding," adds to the depth of the song and makes it a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners today. The repetition of the chorus, "I can't escape from you" emphasizes the sense of resignation and heartbreak that the singer feels, as he realizes that he will never be able to let go of his past love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh the evening train is rolling
The day is ending and time is passing
All along the homeward way
During the journey back home
All my hopes are over the horizon
My aspirations are in the distance and unattainable
All my dreams have gone away
The ideas and goals I once had are no longer present
The hillside darkly shaded
The surroundings are dimly lit
Stars fall from above
A metaphor for the loss of happiness
All the joys of earth have faded
The pleasures of life are no longer there
The night's untouched my love
Loneliness and heartache persist during the dark hours
I'll be here 'til tomorrow
Presence for a short while
Beneath a shroud of gray
The pessimistic cloud looming over me
I pretend I'm free of sorrow
A facade of happiness
My heart is miles away
The emotional distance felt towards the person being thought of
The dead bells are ringing
Announcing the end of something
My train is overdue
The arrival of something hoped for is delayed
To your memory I'm clinging
Holding onto reminiscences of a person
I can't escape from you
The thoughts of the person are inescapable
Well I hear the sound of thunder
An important or monumental moment is coming
Roaring loud and long
The thunder is making a grand entrance
Sometimes you've got to wonder
Pondering about life and its mysteries
God knows I've done no wrong
I believe myself to be in the right
You've wasted all your power
An accusation that a person has not used their potential effectively
You threw out the Christmas pie
The disregard of something special
Now you're withering like a flower
The demise of someone or something
You'll play the fool and die
A harsh retribution of fate
I'm neither sad nor sorry
Apathetic towards the situation
I'm all dressed up in black
The symbolic attire for mourning
I fought for fame and glory
Striving for recognition and success
You tried to break my back
An accusation of being held back by another person
In the far off sweet forever
An idyllic state in the distant future
The sunshine peeking through
The glimmers of hope that exist
We should have walked together
The expectation to be with someone
I can't escape from you
The person remains a memory that is never erased
I cannot grasp the shadows
The elusive idea that cannot be understood
That gather near the door
The ambiguity looming around
Rain falls round my window
The gloomy atmosphere that exists
I wish I'd seen you more
The regret of not spending enough time with someone
The path is ever winding
The journey of life is full of twists and turns
The stars they never age
The celestial objects remain constant despite changes in life
The morning light is blinding
The brightness of a new day that can be overwhelming
All the world's a stage
A reference to William Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It'; the belief that all humans are actors in a grand production
Should be the time of gladness
A time of joy and positivity
Happy faces everywhere
Positive attitudes are present
The mystery of madness
The perplexing concept of insanity
Is propagating in the air
The effects of madness spreading like a disease
I don't like the city
An opinion that urban areas are unpleasant
Not like some folks do
Others may have different opinions
Isn't it a pity
A rhetorical question that highlights a regrettable circumstance
I can't escape from you
The person continues to pervade the artist's thoughts and emotions
We ploughed the fields of heaven
A metaphorical suggestion that two individuals worked together to achieve something great
Right down to the end
Continuing to the endpoint
I hope I can be forgiven
A plea for mercy or understanding
If any words of mine offend
An apology offered in advance
All our days were splendid
Recollection of cheerful moments
They were simple, they were plain
The memories are not accompanied by extravagance
It never should have ended
Regret that something good came to a close
I should have kissed you in the rain
A romantic gesture that was never fulfilled
I've been thinking things all over
The contemplation of various matters
All the moments full of grace
The instances of elegance and beauty that occurred
The primrose and the clover
The natural surroundings that enhanced the atmosphere
Your ever changing face
The alteration of emotions and expressions that the person displayed
Can't help looking at you
The person captivates the singer's attention
You made love with god-knows-who
The idea that the person was unfaithful
Never found a girl to match you
The person compares favorably to others
I can't escape from you
Despite the imperfections of the individual, they remain constantly on the artist's mind
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind