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
Dont
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more walking the floor with that burning inside
Just to think it could be, time has opened the door
And at last I am free, I don't hurt anymore
No use to deny, I wanted to die the day you said we were through
But now that I find you're out of my mind I can't believe that it's true
I've forgotten somehow that I cared so before
No use to deny, I wanted to die the day you said we were through
But now that I find you're out of my mind I can't believe that it's true
I've forgotten somehow that I cared so before
And it's wonderful now, I don't hurt anymore
"I Don't Hurt Anymore" is a classic country and western song written by Don Robertson and Jack Rollins in 1954. Bob Dylan and The Band covered this song during their Basement Tapes sessions, and it was ultimately released in 1975. The song is a heart-wrenching ballad about heartbreak and the pain that comes with it. However, this song takes an optimistic turn and talks about how time can heal even the deepest of wounds.
The opening lines, "It don't hurt anymore, all my teardrops have dried," suggests that the singer has finally moved on from the pain they felt about a lost love. The subsequent lines, "No more walking the floor with that burning inside, just to think it could be, time has opened the door," further elaborate on how time has allowed them to move on and leave behind the heartache. The final line, "And at last, I am free, I don't hurt anymore," emphasises on the newfound freedom from the pain.
The chorus of the song, "No use to deny, I wanted to die the day you said we were through. But now that I find you're out of my mind, I can't believe that it's true. I've forgotten somehow that I cared so before, and it's wonderful now, I don't hurt anymore," highlights the singer's surprise at how they could forget such a significant part of their life, and they now cherish the newfound freedom and the absence of pain.
In conclusion, "I Don't Hurt Anymore" is a perfect blend of heartbreak and hope. The song's lyrics are sincere and empowering, in that it can inspire listeners to realise that time can help to heal even the most profound heartbreaks. The song teaches acceptance and encourages one to look at the future with an optimistic view.
Line by Line Meaning
It don't hurt anymore, all my teardrops have dried
I no longer feel the pain that I once did, and I have cried all of my tears.
No more walking the floor with that burning inside
I no longer feel restless or agitated, as if something inside of me was burning.
Just to think it could be, time has opened the door
I am amazed to consider that time has allowed me to move on from my past hurt and has given me a new outlook on life.
And at last I am free, I don't hurt anymore
I feel liberated and unburdened from the emotional pain that once consumed me.
No use to deny, I wanted to die the day you said we were through
I cannot pretend that the day you left me wasn't incredibly difficult, and at the time I felt like I could not go on living.
But now that I find you're out of my mind I can't believe that it's true
But now that some time has passed, I am surprised to find that I no longer think of you constantly and that my life has moved on without you.
I've forgotten somehow that I cared so before
It is remarkable that I have somehow forgotten how strongly I felt about you in the past, and that I have moved on as if our relationship never existed.
And it's wonderful now, I don't hurt anymore
Overall, I am now elated that I no longer feel the pain I once did, and I am excited to see what life holds for me now that I have moved past this hurt.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DON ROBERTSON, DONALD I. ROBERTSON, JACK ROLLINS
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.