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
Confidential
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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Smooth like a baby's breath
Your love for me will always be
Confidential to me
Oh, to look like
a woman
Tempt like a wandering man
What you′ve got is something that I
Want to hold in my hand
Your eyes are invitation
Enough to drive a man insane
I only hope that I can find
A way to get through to you
Bob Dylan's song Confidential seems to be about the sweetness of a relationship that is kept private, hidden from the rest of the world. The lyrics "Confidential as a baby's kiss, smooth like a baby's breath" indicate the purity and innocence of this love. The singer talks about the desire to possess the object of his affection, as indicated by the lyrics "What you've got is something that I want to hold in my hand." However, he also acknowledges the difficulty in getting through to her, as he says "I only hope that I can find a way to get through to you." The song seems to suggest that he is willing to keep their love a secret if it means being able to be with her.
The second verse of the song talks about the allure of the woman and how her eyes are enough to drive a man insane. The lyrics "oh, to look like a woman, tempt like a wandering man" suggest that she is both feminine and alluring, and that her beauty and charm are undeniable. The song seems to indicate that the singer is completely smitten with this woman and will do anything to be with her.
Line by Line Meaning
Confidential as a baby′s kiss
Bob Dylan's love for the person he is addressing in the song is as confidential as a baby's kiss.
Smooth like a baby's breath
Bob Dylan's love for the person he is addressing in the song is smooth and pure like a baby's breath.
Your love for me will always be Confidential to me
The person's love for Bob Dylan is confidential and will always be kept that way.
Oh, to look like a saint
Bob Dylan desires to look like a saint.
But live like a sinner in the end
But Bob Dylan actually wants to live like a sinner in the end.
All my worldly possessions I will gladly send
Bob Dylan is willing to give away all his worldly possessions to those who ask for them.
To those who asked for them from me
Only those who ask for Bob Dylan's worldly possessions will receive them.
But my love for you will always be Confidential to me
Bob Dylan's love for the person he is addressing in the song will always be kept confidential.
Your place or mine
The question of location is being asked regarding their meeting place.
Always the question
The location of their meeting is always a question.
The answer comes in time
The answer to the question of their meeting location will come in due time.
And time will tell the tale, my dove
Only time will tell what will happen between Bob Dylan and the person he is addressing in the song.
All my ambitions, I will place before you
Bob Dylan will reveal all of his ambitions to the person he is addressing in the song.
But my love for you will always be Confidential to me
Bob Dylan's love for the person he is addressing in the song will always be kept confidential.
What do you feel
Bob Dylan is asking the person he is addressing in the song what they are feeling.
Do you hear something unreal
Bob Dylan is asking the person if they are hearing something that is not real.
I've got something to reveal
Bob Dylan has something to reveal to the person he is addressing in the song.
And it will be a one-time deal
Bob Dylan's revelation will only happen once.
So hush up now and take heed
Bob Dylan is asking the person he is addressing in the song to be quiet and pay attention.
My love for you will always be Confidential to me
Bob Dylan's love for the person he is addressing in the song will always be kept confidential.
Writer(s): Dorinda Morgan
Contributed by Carson H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.