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
Covenant Woman
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Way up yonder, great will be her reward.
Covenant woman, shining like a morning star,
I know I can trust you to stay where you are.
And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.
I've been broken, shattered like an empty cup.
I'm just waiting on the Lord to rebuild and fill me up
And I know He will do it 'cause He's faithful and He's true,
He must have loved me so much to send me someone as fine as you.
And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.
Covenant woman, intimate little girl
Who knows those most secret things of me that are hidden from the world.
You know we are strangers in a land we're passing through.
I'll always be right by your side, I've got a covenant too.
And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song "Covenant Woman" speaks of a special kind of woman who has made a contract with the Lord, and who will be rewarded greatly for it. The singer sings of his trust in this "Covenant Woman," and expresses his gratitude towards her for making her prayers known in heaven on his behalf. He has been broken and shattered, but he knows that the Lord will rebuild and fill him up, and he believes that he has been sent someone as fine as the Covenant Woman due to the great love that the Lord must have for him.
The lyrics suggest a deep and intimate connection between the singer and the Covenant Woman. The lyrics speak of her as an "intimate little girl" who knows the most secret things about him, things that are hidden from the world. They are strangers in a land that they are passing through, but he promises to always be by her side. He has also made a covenant, and he will always stay closer than any friend.
In summary, the lyrics of "Covenant Woman" speak of a special kind of woman who has an intimate relationship with the Lord as well as with the singer. She is trusted and highly regarded, and the song expresses a sense of gratitude and admiration towards her.
Line by Line Meaning
Covenant woman got a contract with the Lord
This woman has made a promise with God to serve him faithfully.
Way up yonder, great will be her reward.
In heaven, she will receive a great reward for her faithfulness.
Covenant woman, shining like a morning star,
This woman radiates a bright light, much like how a morning star would.
I know I can trust you to stay where you are.
I know she will not stray from her commitment to God.
And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I want her to know that I will always be there for her, even closer than a friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.
I am grateful for her constant prayers and I will always be thankful for her for that. I will forever be grateful to her.
I've been broken, shattered like an empty cup.
I have been through difficult times and feel empty inside.
I'm just waiting on the Lord to rebuild and fill me up
I am waiting for God to help restore me and make me whole again.
And I know He will do it 'cause He's faithful and He's true,
He must have loved me so much to send me someone as fine as you.
I have faith that God will help me and I know he sent her to me because he loves me so much.
Covenant woman, intimate little girl
Who knows those most secret things of me that are hidden from the world.
She is someone I can confide in and who knows me inside out, even the things that I hide from the world.
You know we are strangers in a land we're passing through.
I'll always be right by your side, I've got a covenant too.
We are both just passing through this world and do not belong here. But I will always be there for her just as she is for me as we both have a covenant with God.
And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.
I reiterate my commitment to her and my gratitude for her prayers. I will always be grateful to her.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vincenzostr4488
Covenant woman got a contract with the Lord
Way up yonder, great will be her reward
Covenant woman, shining like a morning star
I know I can trust you to stay where you are
Yes, and I just got to tell you
That I do intend
To stay closer than any friend
Yes, and I just got to thank you once again
For making your prayers known unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful I will forever be
I've been broken, shattered like an empty cup
I'm just waiting on the Lord to rebuild and fill me up
And I know that He will do it 'cause He's faithful and He's true
He must have loved me, oh, so much to send me someone as fine as you
Yes, and I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer, closer than any friend
Yes, and I just got to thank you once again
For making your prayers known unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful I will forever be
Covenant woman, intimate little girl
Who knows those most secret things of me that are hidden from the world
You know that we are strangers in a land we're passing through
I'll always be right by your side, I've got a covenant too
Yes, and I just got to tell you
That I do intend
To stay closer than any friend
Yes, and I just got to thank you once again
For making your prayers known unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful I will forever be
@elizabethmcanallen8780
I believe in the power of prayer 🙏.. I prayed with nuns for some time and it lead me to stop drinking alcohol.. I am now 18yrs without alcohol! Miraculous change in me .!!
@Carlossantanamusicinc
Hello Dear, it’s nice meeting you on here!
@helenbostock2350
Who beautiful to hear. I don't know you but understand the struggle.
@helenbostock2350
Great man
@bjornhellman8474
God bless you sister. Jesus said that he/she who drinks from the water he gives, will never experience thirst again.
@golftheology
And he also gave more wine to those tipsy folks in Cana…so let’s keep it balanced
@blahmooblah789
I have to say, Saved, Shot of Love, and Slow Training Coming are my favorite Bob Dylan albums!
@RecTheRegime
Mine too!
@GD-rd6ig
They for sure are among my 50 favorite Dylan albums.
@richardezell7329
I love all 3 . They made me a Dylan fan for life