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
Corrina
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gal, where you been so long?
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, where you been so long?
I been worryin' 'bout you, baby
Baby, please come home
I got a bird that whistles
I got a bird that sings
I got a bird that whistles
I got a bird that sings
But I ain' a-got Corrina
Life don't mean a thing
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, you're on my mind
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, you're on my mind
I'm a-sittin' down, thinkin' of you
I just can't keep from crying
The lyrics to Bob Dylan's song "Corrina" are about a man who is searching for his lost love, Corrina. He sings about how he has been worrying about her and how he cannot find joy in life without her. He compares having other things in his life, such as a whistling and singing bird, to how they are meaningless without Corrina by his side. The chorus repeats twice, asking Corrina where she has been and begging her to come home. The final verse shows the depth of his love for her as he is sitting and thinking of her, unable to hold back his tears.
The song is a classic example of a blues ballad and Dylan's rendition is reminiscent of the old country blues style. The song originally appears in the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center, recorded by John and Ruby Lomax in the 1930s, but the lyrics have been reworked and modified over the years. Dylan's version of "Corrina" was recorded in 1962 during the sessions for his second studio album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan." The song was included as a bonus track on the re-release of the album in 2010.
Line by Line Meaning
Corrina, Corrina
Addressing a woman affectionately.
Gal, where you been so long?
Asking about the whereabouts of the woman addressed in the previous line and expressing surprise that she has been gone for so long.
Corrina, Corrina
Repeating the woman's name, as if to call out to her.
Gal, where you been so long?
Repeating the question as if to emphasize the artist's concern that the woman has been gone for an extended period of time.
I been worryin' 'bout you, baby
Stating that the artist has been concerned for the woman's well-being while she has been away.
Baby, please come home
Asking the woman to return to the singer's presence.
I got a bird that whistles
Describing a bird that makes a particular sound.
I got a bird that sings
Describing another bird that makes a different sound.
I got a bird that whistles
Repeating the description of the first bird.
I got a bird that sings
Repeating the description of the second bird.
But I ain' a-got Corrina
Stating that while the singer has birds, they are not the one thing that they really desire - the woman named Corrina.
Life don't mean a thing
Implying that without Corrina, life is not fulfilling.
Corrina, Corrina
Repeating the woman's name, as if to call out to her again.
Gal, you're on my mind
Stating that the woman is occupying the singer's thoughts.
Corrina, Corrina
Repeating the woman's name once more.
Gal, you're on my mind
Repeating the statement that the woman is occupying the artist's thoughts, as a reminder.
I'm a-sittin' down, thinkin' of you
Stating the physical position of the artist (sitting down), and what they are doing (thinking of the woman).
I just can't keep from crying
Expressing emotional distress, perhaps due to the singer's yearning for the woman named Corrina.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stephencoomer5692
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, where you been so long?
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, where you been so long?
I been worryin' 'bout you, baby
Baby, please come home
I got a bird that whistles
I got a bird that sings
I got a bird that whistles
I got a bird that sings
But I ain' a-got Corrina
Life don't mean a thing
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, you're on my mind
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, you're on my mind
I'm a-sittin' down, thinkin' of you
I just can't keep from crying
@PoetryLovers-4u
One of Bob's sweetest recordings.
[Verse 1]
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, where you been so long?
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, where you been so long?
I've been worrying about you, baby
Baby, please come home
[Verse 2]
I got a bird that whistles
I got a bird that sings
I got a bird that whistles
I got a bird that sings
But I ain't a-got Corrina
Life don't mean a thing
[Verse 3]
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, you're on my mind
Corrina, Corrina
Gal, you're on my mind
I'm a-sittin' down thinkin' of you
I just can't keep from cryin'
@PanoramaUnion
Everybody always say Bob Dylan can't sing, but in this his voice is lovely.
@natepike6147
My late father was a massive Dylan fan, often learning his songs on guitar and singing them while in his room to no audience. Dad was a beautiful guitar player, singer, and did much justice to Sir Bobs tunes.
In late 2021 just 9-days before he passed on after a very aggressive cancer diagnosis I (unknowingly) had my last visit with him. He was weak, vulnerable, and scared......but his spirit and humor were intact. During our visit, his newly appointed nurse came in and introduced herself as Corrina and randomly asked my dad if he knew of a certain song with the same name, and my pops lit up and said in his own Richard Pike way that it was one of his favorite Bob Dylan songs and that he was happy to have the namesake caring for him.
A few days later he was in hospice and then died soon after. I hope that lovely nurse named Corinna helped to make his last days more comfortable.
I miss him so so very much, but Dylan always helps to bring us back together in some way.
@saundraboden4250
😢😢😢😢
@michaelbolding9877
I'm 72 and play him every day
@shwetshankar8019
I am 22 , Play him Everyday 😉
@h2bizzle
I’m 46… Bob’s music is ageless 😊
@corrinak1556
I’m 22… and I don’t blame you!
@corrinak1556
And my name is Corrina. So there
@h2bizzle
@@corrinak1556 You win! 😂👍
@corinaloren05
My name is Corina and I love this song ❤