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
Cat’s in the well
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The cat's in the well, the wolf is looking down.
He got his big bushy tail dragging all over the ground.
The cat's in the well, the gentle lady is asleep.
Cat's in the well, the gentle lady is asleep.
She ain't hearing a thing, the silence is a-stickin' her deep.
The cat's in the well and grief is showing its face
The world's being slaughtered and it's such a bloody disgrace.
The cat's in the well, the horse is going bumpety bump.
The cat's in the well, and the horse is going bumpety bump.
Back alley Sally is doing the American jump.
[Bridge #2:]
The cat's in the well, and pappa is reading the news.
His hair is falling out and all of his daughters need shoes.
The cat's in the well and the barn is full of bull
The cat's in the well and the barn is full of bull
The night is so long and the table is oh, so full
[Bridge #3:]
The cat's in the well and the servant is at the door.
The drinks are ready and the dogs are going to war.
The cat's in the well, the leaves are starting to fall
The cat's in the well, leaves are starting to fall
Goodnight, my love, may the lord have mercy on us all.
“Cat’s in the Well” by Bob Dylan is a cryptic song that is open to interpretation. It is a protest song, that speaks about the world’s problems and how they are ignored. The first part of the song is a metaphor, the cat represents the world and the powerful people, symbolized by the wolf, are busy watching it struggle. The “big bushy tail dragging all over the ground” suggests that the cat is still alive, but barely.
Then the second verse turns to the “gentle lady”, symbolizing society, who is asleep and oblivious to what's happening. The “silence is a-sticking her deep” implies that people do not want to face reality.
In the three bridges, Dylan sings about the consequences of ignoring the world’s problems. “Grief is showing its face,” and the “world’s being slaughtered,” but nobody is taking action. The imagery of the “horse going bumpety bump,” “back alley Sally is doing the American jump,” and “papa’s hair is falling out,” all suggest chaos and unrest.
Overall, the song suggests the need for change and action when society is ignorant and careless about the world's issues.
Line by Line Meaning
The cat's in the well, the wolf is looking down.
A dangerous predator is lurking nearby as an innocent creature is trapped and helpless.
He got his big bushy tail dragging all over the ground.
The wolf is confident and self-assured, flaunting its power and dominance over the scene.
The cat's in the well, the gentle lady is asleep.
The vulnerable are unaware and incapable of defending themselves against the lurking danger, suggesting the need for vigilance and awareness.
She ain't hearing a thing, the silence is a-stickin' her deep.
The danger is so quiet and subtle that the lady does not even realize she is in danger, emphasizing the importance of being attuned to small clues and signs in life.
[Bridge #1:] The cat's in the well and grief is showing its face The world's being slaughtered and it's such a bloody disgrace.
Danger and tragedy are all around us, and it is important to recognize and acknowledge the painful realities of the world.
The cat's in the well, the horse is going bumpety bump.
Even in the midst of danger and chaos, life continues on and people carry on with their day-to-day activities.
Back alley Sally is doing the American jump.
Amidst the uncertainty and danger, people may turn to reckless and desperate behaviors to cope or escape reality.
[Bridge #2:] The cat's in the well, and pappa is reading the news. His hair is falling out and all of his daughters need shoes.
Even fathers who are supposed to be the strong leaders of the family are affected by the tragedies of the world and face their own struggles and hardships.
The cat's in the well and the barn is full of bull.
Even in times of abundance and plenty, danger and peril are still lurking nearby.
The night is so long and the table is oh, so full.
Despite the abundance of worldly possessions, there is still a deep sense of longing and loneliness that exists within us.
[Bridge #3:] The cat's in the well and the servant is at the door. The drinks are ready and the dogs are going to war.
Even those in positions of servitude and lowliness are affected by the danger and chaos of the world around them.
The cat's in the well, the leaves are starting to fall.
As time passes, danger and tragedy continue to persist and affect us all, regardless of the changing seasons.
Goodnight, my love, may the lord have mercy on us all.
As we face the uncertainties and perils of life, it is important to hold onto hope and faith, trusting that a higher power will guide and protect us.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind