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 Help Falling in Love
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I can't help falling in love with you.
Shall I stay, will it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes, some things were meant to be.
Take my hand, take my whole life too
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes, some things were meant to be.
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you.
Bob Dylan’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is a classic love song, originally written by George David Weiss and Hugo Peretti, and sung first by Elvis Presley in the movie “Blue Hawaii”. The song was later covered by Bob Dylan in his Never Ending Tour, and his rendition gained high popularity. The lyrics start with selecting the wise saying “only fools rush in” and then defying it with “But I can’t help falling in love with you.” This reflects the singer’s ambiguity in taking a decision about staying in the relationship or not, as he questions if his love for her is a sin.
The comparison of the river that flows surely to the sea with the singer’s love for his beloved strengthens the theme of inevitability of the relationship. It emphasizes the purity, continuity, and totality of this love, as the river is a natural source of life, like love. The repetition of the line “Take my hand, take my whole life too” implies that the singer is willing to give his life entirely to his beloved, symbolizing the sacrifice of the singer’s individuality to the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Wise men say only fools rush in
While some people believe that only foolish people jump into new love too quickly, I am unable to control the powerful feeling of falling in love with you.
But I can't help falling in love with you.
Despite my better judgment, my heart is overcome with emotions to the point where I cannot resist falling in love with you.
Shall I stay, will it be a sin
I question whether or not it is morally wrong to stay with you, even though I cannot control the feelings of love that I have for you.
If I can't help falling in love with you?
I am torn between my own moral code and the powerful emotions that I am experiencing for you that I cannot control.
Like a river flows surely to the sea
Just as a river naturally and surely flows to the sea, our love was destined to be a part of our lives.
Darling, so it goes, some things were meant to be.
I believe that our love was fated to be, and as such, it cannot be controlled or stopped. It simply exists and will always persist.
Take my hand, take my whole life too
I am giving myself completely to you, from my hands to my very existence because of how deeply in love with you I am.
For I can't help falling in love with you.
Once again, I am expressing my inability to control my feelings of love for you, despite the consequences that may arise from it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti, George Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
palomamfernandez
cant stop listening to this, its such an amazing song cant imagine anyone other than bob dylan singing it
Christ
This has always been my favorite song, ever since I was little. For it to be covered by Dylan.. it just makes everything so much better.
SagenHedaRawr333
The original by Elvis was really great, but there's just something about Bob Dylan's voice.. This is amazing. I love it
writer4peace
I am smitten with this version ... So perfect for tonight when my heart sits broken.
Katragew
Bobby is the man! Love the pictures as well. I think I like Bob's version better than Elvis's. He stirs my heart and soul.
adcockbob
This was written by Hugo Peretti, luigi Creatore and George David. Elvis did an amazing version that hit #2 on the Billboard chart in 1962. I was a sophomore in high school and it was a premier slow dance number! Bobby Zimmerman is a genius who adds something to every thing he does!
Janna Vanier
This song is one of the best. His voice is heartfelt, and emotional. It's Dylan at is best. He does not suck nor ever will. Live long and healthy Bobby. I will miss you when you go... xoxo
Alan Brown
When this song was released in 1973 I slipped into a cassette mix I made for a girl I was interested in. I was too shy to tell her how I felt. She drove cross country that summer when she returned she was mine. She picked it right out of the mix and knew why it was there. Thanks Bob, I owe you one.
Ernestine jules
he has an amazing voice
Bobbie Askren
Awesome photo montage and great audio !! Thanks for posting !!