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
Dark Eyes
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're drinking up and walking and it is time for me to slide
I live in another world where life and death are memorized
Where the earth is strung with lover's pearls and all I see are dark eyes.
A cock is crowing far away and another soldier's deep in prayer
Some mother's child has gone astray, she can't find him anywhere
But I hear another rum beating for the dead that rise
They tell me to be discreet for all intended purposes
They tell me revenge is sweet, I'm sure it is
But I feel nothing for their game, where beauty goes unrecognized
All I feel is heat and flame, and all I see are dark eyes.
Oh, the French girl, she's in paradise and a drunken man is at the wheel
Hunger pays a heavy prize to the falling god of speed and steel
Oh, time is short and the days are sweet and passion rules the arrow that flies
A million faces at my feet but all I see are dark eyes.
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's Dark Eyes speak of a detachment from the world as it is known to many, as the singer expresses their longing for escape to a different world. He lives in a place where life and death are simply memorized, and where beauty is often unrecognized; however, his eyes are drawn to the dark eyes of a lover, a detail that suggests a deep sense of longing and unfulfilled desires. Throughout the song, the singer moves from one instance of the world's ugliness to the other, but remains unaltered by their experiences, until passion ignites within him, leading him to the realization that all he wanted was the love of the person represented by the dark eyes. The song is a powerful and emotive exploration of the human experience and the yearning for love and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the gentlemen are talking and the midnight moon is on the riverside
The men are chatting while the moon shines upon the river
They're drinking up and walking and it is time for me to slide
The men continue to drink and move on, and I must leave
I live in another world where life and death are memorized
I exist in a place where life and death are well-known and familiar
Where the earth is strung with lover's pearls and all I see are dark eyes.
Where the earth is decorated with symbolisms of love and all I can see are dark eyes
A cock is crowing far away and another soldier's deep in prayer
I hear a rooster crowing from a distance and another soldier deep in prayer
Some mother's child has gone astray, she can't find him anywhere
A mother is searching for her missing child, unable to locate him
But I hear another rum beating for the dead that rise
However, I hear of another future issue, where the dead will come back
Whom nature's beast fear as they come and all I see are dark eyes.
The animals of nature will fear them, and yet all I see is darkness in their eyes
They tell me to be discreet for all intended purposes
I am advised to keep things private for what's necessary
They tell me revenge is sweet, I'm sure it is
They state that revenge is pleasurable, and I suppose it could be
But I feel nothing for their game, where beauty goes unrecognized
But I have no emotions towards their actions, where beauty remains invisible
All I feel is heat and flame, and all I see are dark eyes.
All I experience is intense passion and rage, and all I can see is darkness in their eyes
Oh, the French girl, she's in paradise and a drunken man is at the wheel
A French woman is in paradise and there is an inebriated man operating a vehicle
Hunger pays a heavy prize to the falling god of speed and steel
The desire for speed and power comes with heavy consequences
Oh, time is short and the days are sweet and passion rules the arrow that flies
Time is brief and the moments are pleasurable, where passion directs life's journey
A million faces at my feet but all I see are dark eyes.
There are countless faces before me, but all I can concentrate on are dark eyes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
Oh, the gentlemen are talking and the midnight moon is on the riverside,
They're drinking up and walking and it is time for me to slide.
I live in another world where life and death are memorized,
Where the earth is strung with lovers' pearls and all I see are dark eyes.
A cock is crowing far away and another soldier's deep in prayer,
Some mother's child has gone astray, she can't find him anywhere.
But I can hear another drum beating for the dead that rise,
Whom nature's beast fears as they come and all I see are dark eyes.
They tell me to be discreet for all intended purposes,
They tell me revenge is sweet and from where they stand, I'm sure it is.
But I feel nothing for their game where beauty goes unrecognized,
All I feel is heat and flame and all I see are dark eyes.
Oh, the French girl, she's in paradise and a drunken man is at the wheel,
Hunger pays a heavy price to the falling gods of speed and steel.
Oh, time is short and the days are sweet and passion rules the arrow that flies,
A million faces at my feet but all I see are dark eyes.
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
Oh, the gentlemen are talking and the midnight moon is on the riverside
They’re drinking up and walking and it is time for me to slide
I live in another world where life and death are memorized
Where the earth is strung with lovers' pearls and all I see are dark eyes
[Verse 2]
A cock is crowing far away and another soldier’s deep in prayer
Some mother’s child has gone astray, she can’t find him anywhere
But I can hear another drum beating for the dead that rise
Whom nature’s beast fears as they come and all I see are dark eyes
[Verse 3]
They tell me to be discreet for all intended purposes
They tell me revenge is sweet and from where they stand, I’m sure it is
But I feel nothing for their game where beauty goes unrecognized
All I feel is heat and flame and all I see are dark eyes
[Verse 4]
Oh, the French girl, she’s in paradise and a drunken man is at the wheel
Hunger pays a heavy price to the falling gods of speed and steel
Oh, time is short and the days are sweet and passion rules the arrow that flies
A million faces at my feet but all I see are dark eyes
@reddwing4368
Awww Bobby
Does it come to you
The same way as me can I hear it all come up from under your minds dark eyes
So sublime I feel it fine
Without old logic or time just my dark eyes
Nothing s lost on me
In the summertime
But Winter blows away
My mind just leaving only my dark eyes
They say misery is here too stay
No matter which way
But I still love you tonight my little
Dark eyes
Then I see the mornings lite
And ask you how you feel now? my pretty little dark eyes
With a little smile
You turned away
Floating back up into the sky
Guided by your
Dark eyes
But I ve never had to recognize or ponder why
Your still my pretty
Dark eyes
Long Gone
And always close by
Watching over me
With her dark eyes
Cause drunk from love
All my lives
Left Memorized
Thanks to those beautiful
Dark eyes
Paradise
@ausblue1
never heard many of Bobs and this is another and is good
♫Oh, the gentlemen are talking and the midnight moon is on the riverside,
They're drinking up and walking and it is time for me to slide.
I live in another world where life and death are memorized,
Where the earth is strung with lovers' pearls and all I see are dark eyes.
A cock is crowing far away and another soldier's deep in prayer,
Some mother's child has gone astray, she can't find him anywhere.
But I can hear another drum beating for the dead that rise,
Whom nature's beast fears as they come and all I see are dark eyes.
They tell me to be discreet for all intended purposes,
They tell me revenge is sweet and from where they stand, I'm sure it is.
But I feel nothing for their game where beauty goes unrecognized,
All I feel is heat and flame and all I see are dark eyes.
Oh, the French girl, she's in paradise and a drunken man is at the wheel,
Hunger pays a heavy price to the falling gods of speed and steel.
Oh, time is short and the days are sweet and passion rules the arrow that flies,
A million faces at my feet but all I see are dark eyes.♫
@Raina430
He actually has a beautiful voice. I think he sings this way because it best expressed emotion. I’ve heard him sing in a smooth voice on the album that included lay lady lay.
@tammydean4479
“A million faces at my feet, but all I see are dark eyes.” His view from the stage. What a beautiful song. I do love the duet with Pattie Smith. The affection he shows her is heartwarming.
@Raina430
Looks like they adore each other. It is very touching. ❤
@andreaalbano6334
God, I thank you every day for gave us Bob Dylan
@MDOurMD
The unsung gem of this period of Dylan recordings.
@pauledmiston4883
.... never minded Dylan's "Christian" song list from ca.1980 .,.. this one is pure poetry ... then he got the Nobel for Lit ......
@patriciathewisher2315
Something a 17th century poet might be proud of.
@silviolobsilviolob8464
Together with Patty Smith - the "best", the most emotional Duett of Dylan - DARK EYES!!
@lisacolbert5987
I remember when this was released . Was 14 and had just hitchhiked alone from Guatemala to Washington state . The whole trip I’d just taken played through my head with this as the soundtrack . Hearing it again just now reminded me of it .
@yamapenny5960
✌