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
Canadee-I-O
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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She's all in her tender years
She fell in love with a sailor boy
It's true she loved him well
For to go off to sea with him
Like she did not know how
She longed to see that seaport town
Of Canadee-I-O
So she bargained with the sailor boy
All for a piece of gold
Straightaway then he led her
Down into the hold
Sayin', "I'll dress you up in sailor's clothes
Your jacket shall be blue
You'll see that seaport town
Of Canadee-I-O
Now, when the other sailors heard the news
Well, they fell into a rage
And with all the ship's company
They were willing to engage
Saying, "We'll tie her hands and feet, my boys
Overboard we'll throw her
She'll never see that seaport town
Called Canadee-I-O
Now, when the captain he heard the news
Well, he too fell in a rage
And with the whole ship's company
He was willing to engage
Sayin', "She'll stay in sailor's clothes
Her color shall be blue
She'll see that seaport town
Called Canadee-I-O
Now, when they come down to Canada
Scarcely 'bout half a year
She's married this bold captain
Who called her his dear
She's dressed in silks and satins now
She cuts a gallant show
Finest of the ladies
Down Canadee-I-O
Come, all you fair and tender girls
Wheresoever you may be
I'd have you to follow your own true love
Whene'er he goes to sea
For if the sailors prove false to you
Well, the captain, he might prove true
You'll see the honor I have gained
By the wearing of the blue
The song Canadee-I-O by Bob Dylan tells the story of a young, fair and handsome girl who falls in love with a sailor boy. She longs to see the seaport town of Canadee-I-O and makes a bargain with the sailor boy, giving him a piece of gold to take her with him. He dresses her up in a sailor's clothes and they sail away. However, when the other sailors on board discover that she is a woman, they become angry and want to throw her overboard. The captain intervenes and allows her to stay on board, but only if she continues to dress like a sailor.
When they arrive in Canada, the girl marries the captain and becomes a fine lady, dressed in silks and satins. The song ends with a message to all fair and tender girls to follow their true love to sea, and to be wary of false sailors.
The song contains themes of love, adventure, deception, and bravery. It also highlights the gender norms of the time and the challenges faced by women who desired to lead unconventional lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's all of fair and handsome girl
The song starts with an introduction to the subject who is a beautiful and innocent young girl.
She's all in her tender years
The girl is quite young and inexperienced.
She fell in love with a sailor boy
She fell in love with a young sailor.
It's true she loved him well
She had genuine feelings for him.
For to go off to sea with him
She wanted to accompany him on his seafaring travels.
Like she did not know how
She was inexperienced and didn't fully understand what she was getting herself into.
She longed to see that seaport town
She had a strong desire to visit the seaport town of Canadee-I-O.
So she bargained with the sailor boy
She made a deal with the sailor.
All for a piece of gold
She offered him money to take her to Canadee-I-O.
Straightaway then he led her
The sailor quickly took her to Canadee-I-O.
Down into the hold
He led her down into the lower part of the ship.
Sayin', "I'll dress you up in sailor's clothes
He promised to dress her as a sailor.
Your jacket shall be blue
He specifically mentioned the color of the jacket.
You'll see that seaport town
He promised to take her to Canadee-I-O.
Now, when the other sailors heard the news
The other sailors found out about the girl traveling with them.
Well, they fell into a rage
They became very angry.
And with all the ship's company
Together with everyone else on board.
They were willing to engage
They were ready to take action.
Saying, "We'll tie her hands and feet, my boys
They planned to restrain her.
Overboard we'll throw her
They talked about throwing her into the water.
She'll never see that seaport town
They wanted to prevent her from reaching Canadee-I-O.
Now, when the captain he heard the news
The captain found out about the situation.
Well, he too fell in a rage
The captain also became angry.
Sayin', "She'll stay in sailor's clothes
He decided to keep her in disguise.
Her color shall be blue
He wanted her jacket to be blue.
When they come down to Canada
When they arrived in Canada.
Scarcely 'bout half a year
Not long after they arrived.
She's married this bold captain
She ended up marrying the captain.
Who called her his dear
The captain loved her and called her affectionate names.
She's dressed in silks and satins now
She's now dressed in fancy clothes.
She cuts a gallant show
She looks impressive.
Finest of the ladies
She's considered one of the finest women around.
Come, all you fair and tender girls
The song concludes by addressing all the young girls listening.
Wheresoever you may be
No matter where you are in the world.
I'd have you to follow your own true love
The message here is to follow whoever you truly love.
Whene'er he goes to sea
Even if they're a sailor or have to travel a lot.
For if the sailors prove false to you
However, a warning is given that some sailors may be unfaithful.
Well, the captain, he might prove true
On the other hand, a captain may be more reliable and loyal.
You'll see the honor I have gained
This young girl's story shows how she ended up with a good man and became respected.
By the wearing of the blue
The blue sailor's jacket she wore ended up leading her to success and fortune.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRADIOTNAL, BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind