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
Dinks Song
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd fly the river to the one I love
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
I had a man who was long and tall
Moved his body like a cannon ball
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
And in my heart, I felt an achin' pain
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
Once I wore my apron low
Been a-keep' you away from my door
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
Now, my apron is up to my chin
You pass my door but you never come in
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
Muddy river runs muddy 'n' wild
You can't care the bloody for my unborn child
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
Number nine train ain' done no harm
Number nine train take my poor baby home
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
Fastest man I ever saw
Skid Missouri on the way to Arkansas
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
The song "Dink's Song" is a traditional folk song that has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Bob Dylan. The song tells the story of a woman who is longing for her lover who has left her. She wishes she had wings like Noah's dove so she could fly across the river to be with him once again. The woman describes her lover as being long and tall and moves like a cannonball. She remembers a rainy evening when her heart was filled with pain, and she wore her apron low to keep him away from her door. But now her apron is up to her chin, and he passes her door but never comes in.
The woman also talks about a muddy river that runs wild, and he doesn't seem to care about their unborn child. She hopes the number nine train will take her baby home safely, and she can say farewell to her lover. The song ends with the woman describing the fastest man she ever saw, skidding Missouri on the way to Arkansas.
Overall, the song is a powerful and emotional folk tune that speaks to the universal themes of love and heartbreak. It paints a picture of a woman who is yearning for her lover but ultimately knows she must say goodbye.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had wings like Noah's dove
If I had the freedom and ability to fly, I would use it to reunite with my beloved
I'd fly the river to the one I love
I would use my wings to cross the river and reach the one I love
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
Goodbye, my dear, I must leave now
I had a man who was long and tall
I used to have a man who was physically impressive
Moved his body like a cannon ball
He had a strong and powerful presence, like a speeding cannonball
Remember one evening, it was drizzlin' rain
I recall a specific evening when it was raining lightly
And in my heart, I felt an achin' pain
I felt emotional pain in my heart
Once I wore my apron low
In the past, I used to wear my apron in a way that symbolized keeping you away from my door
Been a-keep' you away from my door
I intentionally tried to keep you from coming to my door
Now, my apron is up to my chin
Now, my apron is worn high, symbolizing my openness and willingness to let you in
You pass my door but you never come in
You walk by my door but never come inside
Muddy river runs muddy 'n' wild
The river is muddy and tumultuous
You can't care the bloody for my unborn child
You do not care about my unborn child or its future
Number nine train ain' done no harm
The No.9 train is innocent and has not caused any harm
Number nine train take my poor baby home
The No.9 train will take my poor child away from here
Fastest man I ever saw
He is the fastest man I have ever seen
Skid Missouri on the way to Arkansas
He moved so fast that he skidded from Missouri to Arkansas
Fare thee well, my honey, fare thee well
Goodbye, my dear, I must leave now
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mattsteinle2182
I fell in love wth this song 51 years ago when I was 18 and purchased Great White Wonder in the back of a record store in Washington DC. I went nearly 49 years searching for this song again after having given th album away. I am so relieved that it is accessible once again.
@bogbog
Good going, old man!
@stevewilson5402
What the f*** is great white Wonder
@eurydicejones
The greatest of all bootlegs
@aquariusverus8770
Ditto! Got my copy on vinyl tape. Best of his best.
@talldan645
check out the version(s) from Inside Llewyn Davis. Oscar Isaacs really does the song well. Don't underestimate Poe Dameron's musical chops.
@nateb335
Been finding all kinds of Bob's songs on YouTube that I haven't heard in awhile, glad they're finally posting um
@reddwing4368
Punch in Bob Dylan topic and you ll get most of his albums
It's really cool
It also works for any artists new or old
Just the band name then topic
@Pluralofvinylisvinyls
Uganda militia?
@Dionysoshaman
Best version for sure