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 āfor having created new poetic expressions within the great American song traditionā. 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
Cocaine
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Police come and they knock me down
Cocaine, all around my brain
Hey baby, you better come here quick
This old cocaine's about to make
Cocaine, all around my brain
She's got a shotgun, says she's gonna kill me dead
Cocaine, all around my brain
Hey baby, you better come here quick
This old cocaine's about to make me sick
Cocaine, all around my brain
You take Sally and I'll take Sue
Ain't no difference between the two
Cocaine, all around my brain
Hey baby, you better come here quick
This old cocaine's about to make me sick
Cocaine, all around my brain
Cocaine's for horses and it's not for men
Doctor says it kill you but it doesn't say when
Cocaine, all around my brain
Hey baby, you better come here quick
This old cocaine's about to make me sick
Cocaine, all around my brain
Hey baby, you better come here quick
This old cocaine's about to make me sick
Cocaine, all around my brain
Bob Dylan's song "Cocaine" is a classic example of the blues rock genre. It explores the destructive nature of drug addiction through the eyes of a man whose life and relationships are being ruined by his cocaine addiction. In the first verse, he talks about how he and his partner always get in trouble with the law when they go uptown because of their drug use. The chorus "cocaine, all around my brain" paints a picture of the way drug addiction pervades every aspect of their lives and every thought in their minds.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly paranoid and fearful. He asks his partner to come quickly because the cocaine is "about to make [him] sick". In the final verse, he talks about how even though the doctor says cocaine is only for horses, it is ruining his life. The reference to horses is interesting, as it highlights the idea that the singer is being controlled by the drug and is no longer in control of his own life.
The singer's partner also plays an important role in the song, as she is portrayed as both an enabler and a threat. In the second verse, she comes to his rescue, but in the third verse she threatens him with a shotgun. This reflects the complicated and sometimes dangerous nature of relationships that are affected by drug addiction.
Overall, "Cocaine" is a powerful and raw exploration of the devastation that drug addiction can cause in people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time my baby and me we go uptown
Whenever my partner and I visit the city
Police come and they knock me down
Law enforcement intervenes, using force if necessary
Cocaine, all around my brain
This drug has a pervasive, all-consuming effect on me
Hey baby, you better come here quick
I need your presence and help immediately
This old cocaine's about to make
The drug is beginning to affect me in physiological and/or psychological ways
Yonder come my baby she's dressed in red
My partner, wearing red, soon appears on the scene
She's got a shotgun, says she's gonna kill me dead
My partner is threatening me with lethal force
You take Sally and I'll take Sue
Our choice in romantic partners is irrelevant and interchangeable
Ain't no difference between the two
There is no significant distinction to be made
Cocaine's for horses and it's not for men
This substance is meant for animals, not humans
Doctor says it kill you but it doesn't say when
A medical prognosis implies that cocaine will be fatal, but cannot predict when this will occur
Hey baby, you better come here quick
Once again, I require your immediate presence and assistance
This old cocaine's about to make me sick
I am experiencing unpleasant physical and/or psychological effects from cocaine use
Cocaine, all around my brain
The drug continues to exert a strong influence over my cognitive functioning
Lyrics Ā© BMG Rights Management
Written by: TOM RUSH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@garysmith1046
Brilliant upload fantastic šāŗļøš
@peterRobinson10101
Good upload thanks. It came up when i searched lyrics but to get even more likes maybe include lyirics in description. Its a great cover and thanks.
@MikeBeerley
Thanks and You're Welcome. My channel is more of a hobby than anything. I share a song I like and figure maybe someone else will like it as well. As for "Likes/Thumbs Ups", I could really care less... though I honestly do understand and appreciate your suggestion. Thanks again :)
@Bondwan
Love it thank you
@JaiminRajani
Thanks for the upload.
@targarosko
WHAT A TREASURE ................ā„ā„ā„
@thelads3554
Great song great song
@chrisbetz4670
Best version
@michaelwhitley2081
Such a neat pickā¦
@brandname6
god damn when did people start snorting ? i thought it was never there till like 1969