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
Death Don
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Death don't have no mercy in this land, in this land
Come to your house, you know he don't take long
Look in bed this morning, children find your mother gone.
I said death don't have no mercy in this land.
Death will leave you standing and crying in this land,
Death will leave you standing and crying in this land, in this land, yeah!
Whoa! come to your house, why' know he don't stay long,
Why' look in bed this morning,
Children you find that your brothers and sisters are gone.
I said death don't have no mercy in this land.
Death will go in any family in this land.
Death will go in any family in this land.
Come to your house, you know he don't take long.
Look in the bed on the morning, children find that your family's gone.
I said death don't have no mercy in this land.
Death will leave you standing and crying in this land,
In this land. whoa! come to your house,
Why' know it don't stay long, why' look in bed this morning,
Children find that your brothers and sisters are gone.
I said death don't, death don't have no mercy in this land.
Bob Dylan's song "Death Don't Have No Mercy" is a powerful ballad with a message about the fleeting nature of human existence. The opening line, "Y'know death don't have no mercy in this land," sets the tone for the entire song as Dylan repeats the phrase throughout. The repetition serves to emphasize the song's theme that death is an indiscriminate force that can strike at any time and in any family.
The verses evoke vivid mental images of the aftermath of a sudden death, as Dylan describes the shock and grief of discovering a loved one's passing. The line, "Look in bed this morning, children find your mother gone," is especially poignant and illustrates the heartache that comes with losing a parent. The chorus, "Death will leave you standing and crying in this land," adds to the sense of loss and the realization that death can come at any time, leaving those left behind to mourn.
Overall, "Death Don't Have No Mercy" is a powerful statement about the universal experience of loss, and Dylan's evocative lyrics capture the emotions that come with such an event. Through this song, he highlights the fleeting, impermanent nature of life and encourages listeners to cherish every moment they have with their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Y'know death don't have no mercy in this land
Death is merciless in this land and does not show any kindness or mercy towards the people.
Death don't have no mercy in this land, in this land
Death is unforgiving and ruthless towards everyone, without any exceptions.
Come to your house, you know he don't take long
Death arrives quickly and suddenly, and does not take long to take someone away.
Look in bed this morning, children find your mother gone.
Death can take anyone at any time, leaving behind grieving family members and loved ones.
I said death don't have no mercy in this land.
The artist emphasizes that death is a cruel and heartless force that cannot be avoided or changed.
Death will leave you standing and crying in this land,
Death can cause immense grief and sorrow, leaving those left behind to suffer and mourn.
Whoa! come to your house, why' know he don't stay long,
The suddenness of death is emphasized again, as it comes without warning and does not stay for long.
Children you find that your brothers and sisters are gone.
Death can affect anyone, regardless of age or relation, and often leaves behind a trail of grieving family members.
Death will go in any family in this land.
Death is an inevitable part of life that can affect any family or individual, regardless of their background or circumstances.
In this land. whoa! come to your house,
The inevitability of death is emphasized again, as it can impact anyone in this world and is not limited to any specific location or group of people.
Why' know it don't stay long, why' look in bed this morning,
The fleeting nature of life is emphasized again, as death cannot be stopped or avoided and can come at any moment.
Death don't, death don't have no mercy in this land.
The artist repeats the central message of the song, emphasizing that death is merciless and cannot be stopped.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: GARY DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nemo nautilus
Zimmy before Bobby! A guy with the voice of an old bluesman of Delta!