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
Careless Love
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love, oh, love, oh careless love
Love, oh, love, oh careless love
You see what love has done to me
I'd love my mama and papa too
I'd love my mama and papa too
I'd love my mama and papa too
What, oh what, will mama say
What, oh what, will mama say
What, oh what, will mama say
When she learns I've gone astray
Once I wore my apron low
Once I wore my apron low
Once I wore my apron low
I couldn't scarcely keep you from my door
Now my apron strings don't pin
Now my apron strings don't pin
Now my apron strings don't pin
You pass my door and you don't come in
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song Careless Love speak to the consequences of love that is careless and reckless. The repeated phrase of "love, oh love, oh careless love" emphasizes the theme of the song, and the lines that follow illustrate the singer's own experience with love's destructive power. The first verse speaks to the singer's own downfall due to the love they feel, with the line "you see what love has done to me". The second verse speaks to the singer's willingness to leave behind their family for this love, highlighting the selfishness and recklessness inherent in it.
The final two verses highlight the societal consequences of this type of love, with the singer wondering what their mother will say when she learns of their actions. The final verse, "now my apron strings don't pin, you pass my door and you don't come in", speaks to the singer's realization that this love was not worth the sacrifices they made for it. The imagery of the apron strings and door highlight the singer's role as a caretaker, who has given up their own needs and desires for love that ultimately did not fulfill them.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, oh, love, oh careless love
The author is addressing the concept of love, emphasizing its reckless and irresponsible nature
You see what love has done to me
The author reflects on the damage that love has caused them
I'd love my mama and papa too
The author expresses that their love for someone is so strong that they would sacrifice the love and affection of their parents to be with them
I'd leave them both to go with you
The author emphasizes the strength and power of their love, which would motivate them to leave behind their family to be with their lover
What, oh what, will mama say
The author wonders how their mother will react to their decision to abandon them to follow their beloved
When she learns I've gone astray
The author fears their mother's judgment and disappointment when she discovers that their child has deviated from the path of righteousness
Once I wore my apron low
The author reflects on the past, highlighting how modest and chaste they once were before falling in love
I couldn't scarcely keep you from my door
The author admits they were helpless and weak when their lover was near
Now my apron strings don't pin
The author suggests that they are no longer the same person they once were, and their attitude towards love and romance has changed
You pass my door and you don't come in
The author indicates that their lover ignores them and no longer shows the same affection they once did, leaving them alone and yearning for their partner
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anitaparishschouten5652
I didn't know Bob had such a great voice, it was always the content of his songs and his unique delivery that I loved
@michele-33
@Anita Parish Schouten,
Bob can really sound great.. listen to *Self-
Portrait & Another Self-
Portrait*. When first hearing many songs I didn't recognize him,
especially on songs like Blue Moon, I've Forgotten More Than You'll Ever Know, Pretty Saro etc. 🕊️
@twillrose
What a fantastic version of One Too Many Mornings. Cash compliments Dylan's voice so perfectly. Simply Beautiful.
@richardsmith3129
A great highlight from the movie Johnny Cash..The Man,His World, His Music. I remember seeing this film in the Theater when I was a teenager. Great movie about one of the greatest country singers ever. So cool to see Dylan and Johnny Together. They were very close friends.
@2047helen
I really love this outtake, video and both Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash!
@cliffwheeler7357
A magical piece of music history. Surely there must be more of this session on film somewhere.
@nikon3dx
Amazing classic clip - 2 of the greatest artists of the 20th Century. Agree this video needs wider promotion because it is without doubt a 'moment' in the history of music not to be missed . . . thanks for the upload
@amirmontgomery3542
Two of the greatest story tellers in music history
@sadeyedlady
This here is pure greatness 🙌
@nettiemoore989
Doesn't get any better than this...!