Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota… Read Full Bio ↴Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, United States) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning more than 60 years.
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

Crash on the Levee
Bob Dylan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Crash on the levee, mama
Water's gonna overflow
Swamp's gonna rise
No boat's gonna row
Now, you can train on down
To Williams Point
You can bust your feet
You can rock this joint

But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow

Now, don't you try an' move me
You're just gonna lose
There's a crash on the levee
And mama, you've been refused
Well, it's sugar for sugar
And salt for salt
If you go down in the flood
It's gonna be your own fault
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow

Well, that high tide's risin'
Mama, don't you let me down
Pack up your suitcase
Mama, don't you make a sound
Now, it's king for king
Queen for queen
It's gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's seen
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?

Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bob Dylan & The Band's Crash on the Levee describe a situation of impending disaster. The water is rising, and the swamp is overflowing, and no boats are available to help navigate the treacherous terrain. Even if you can make it to Williams Point, it'll be a perilous journey that may leave you rockin' and busted. The singer warns Mama not to move him, as she'll just lose, and she's already been refused in light of the crash on the levee. The imagery of sugar for sugar and salt for salt communicates a sense of equivalence, but as the singer warns that if she goes down in the flood, it'll be her own fault, it becomes clear that this equivalence comes with a cost.

The chorus repeats the central theme of the song, which is the imminent loss of a best friend. Mama will have to find herself another best friend, somehow. The final verse is perhaps the most dire. The high tide is rising, and Mama must pack her suitcase but leave without making a sound. The flood will be the meanest anyone has ever seen, and Mama will have to find a new best friend if she manages to survive. The song speaks to themes of loyalty, tragedy, and loss, highlighting the importance of relationships in the face of disaster.

Line by Line Meaning

Crash on the levee, mama
Something bad is going to happen near the levee, mama

Water's gonna overflow
The water level is going to rise above the levee

Swamp's gonna rise
The swamp is also going to get flooded

No boat's gonna row
It's not possible to use boats in this situation

Now, you can train on down
Although there's a disaster nearby, you can still take the train to Williams Point

To Williams Point
You can travel to this place

You can bust your feet
You can make efforts to get there fast, even if it hurts your feet

You can rock this joint
You can enjoy yourself in this place

But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Hey mama, aren't you going to feel lonely without your friend by your side?

You're gonna have to find yourself
It's necessary for you to go out and search for

Another best friend, somehow
A new friend who can replace your previous best friend

Now, don't you try an' move me
Don't try to move me from here

You're just gonna lose
If you try to move me, you won't succeed

There's a crash on the levee
There's a disaster happening near the levee

And mama, you've been refused
Mom, I won't move from here even if you request me to do so

Well, it's sugar for sugar
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

And salt for salt
Punishment for wrongdoing

If you go down in the flood
If you get caught in the flood

It's gonna be your own fault
It's your own responsibility to stay safe

Well, that high tide's risin'
The water level is rapidly increasing

Mama, don't you let me down
Don't disappoint me, mama

Pack up your suitcase
Pack your belongings quickly and leave this place

Mama, don't you make a sound
Leave here silently

Now, it's king for king
We must support each other in this difficult situation

Queen for queen
We must stand by each other

It's gonna be the meanest flood
This will be the most dangerous flood ever seen

That anybody's seen
The worst one ever observed

Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Hey mama, aren't you going to feel lonely without your friend by your side?

Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
You must go out and look for

Another best friend, somehow
A new friend who can replace your previous best friend

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@housevo330

Crash on the levee, mama
Water's gonna overflow
Swamp's gonna rise
No boat's gonna row
Now, you can train on down
To Williams Point
You can bust your feet
You can rock this joint
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow

Now, don't you try an' move me
You're just gonna lose
There's a crash on the levee
And mama, you've been refused
Well, it's sugar for sugar
And salt for salt
If you go down in the flood
It's gonna be your own fault
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow

Well, that high tide's risin'
Mama, don't you let me down
Pack up your suitcase
Mama, don't you make a sound
Now, it's king for king
Queen for queen
It's gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's seen
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow