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
Don't think twice
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If'n you don't know by now
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It'll never do somehow
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm a-travelin' on
But don't think twice, it's all right
And it ain't no use in a-turnin' on your light, babe
The light I never knowed
And it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
But I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin' anyway
But don't think twice, it's all right
So it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never done before
And it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you anymore
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wonderin', walkin' way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child, I am told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right
So long, honey babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye is too good a word, babe
So I just say, "fare thee well"
I ain't a-sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right
The lyrics to Bob Dylan's song Don't Think Twice, It's All Right speaks to moving on from a relationship or a situation that is not working out. The opening lines suggest that there is no use sitting and wondering why someone is leaving if they do not already know. Their leaving is inevitable, and there is nothing the other person can do to keep them from going. The line "It'll never do somehow" implies that trying to figure out why the relationship failed is pointless, and it is better to accept that it is over and move on.
The second verse speaks to the singer's decision to leave, even though they wish their partner would give them a reason to stay. The line "I'm on the dark side of the road" suggests that they are in a dark or uncertain place in their life, and they must move forward, even though it is difficult. The third verse indicates that the singer has moved on and cannot hear their partner calling them back. They reminisce about a past love but ultimately say goodbye, suggesting that they have accepted the relationship's end and are ready to move forward without regret.
Overall, the message of the song is one of acceptance and moving on from a relationship that is not working out. Dylan's lyrics are powerful and evocative, capturing the emotions of those who have gone through similar experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If'n you don't know by now
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It'll never do somehow
There's no point in trying to figure out why things went wrong, especially if you already know the answer or you never will
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm a-travelin' on
But don't think twice, it's all right
I'm leaving you and you might notice I'm not around when the rooster crows, but don't think twice about it, it's not your fault
And it ain't no use in a-turnin' on your light, babe
The light I never knowed
And it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
But I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin' anyway
But don't think twice, it's all right
Don't bother turning on your light; you don't know me and I'm already walking away in the dark. Even though it never seemed like we talked much, part of me wishes you would say something to convince me to stay, but don't worry if you don't. Everything is okay
So it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never done before
And it ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you anymore
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wonderin', walkin' way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child, I am told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right
I'm too far gone to hear you call my name, even though you might have said it a million times before. I'm just reflecting on how I once loved someone who seemed to take everything from me, but I still don't blame them
So long, honey babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye is too good a word, babe
So I just say, "fare thee well"
I ain't a-sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right
I'm saying farewell instead of goodbye because it doesn't feel final. I don't think you were intentionally mean to me, but you didn't make the most of the time we had together. It's okay though, don't worry about it
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@drothberg3
Going through a breakup at 64 years old, and this song, written by a 21-year-old, 60 years ago, is at the top of my list.
@jumbles1957
Same here… but I’m 66. The song pretty much sums it all up for me. I’m traveling down that road, where I’m going I don’t know… but I certainly can’t go back
@didierdousset2666
Messieurs, si la mélodie de ce morceau est effectivement de très bonne facture, le texte en revanche ne brille certainement pas par sa poésie, et est plutôt d'un faible niveau littéraire.
Gentlemen, if the melody of this piece is indeed very good, the text on the other hand certainly does not shine with its poetry, and is rather of a low literary level.
@beanboi3178
It be like That
@sybell100
Please take care of yourself. I send you my love from Kerala, India. There are people in this world who want to be with you right now.
I wish I could send you some warm hugs and gifts @drothberg3
I wish I could make you a hot beverage.
I am a 26 year old man, I just had my break up with a wonderful woman. I feel you my old pal.
@ivanangeli
it should be easy at 64, to break with someone - just know that all important things you already have done, carier, kids, maybe grandkids, house, education - now it is all just fun and support. Don;t think about it, focus on your family
@jel011
As a kid, I used to think the "you just kinda wasted my precious time" line was kind of a throwaway line. As and adult, I understand it might be the soul of the whole song.
@5trezip23
Nice point
@wills9709
Very interesting point. I never thought about it that way until yuh ou
@wills9709
you pointed that out. But I sort of felt that way too.