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 Ya Tell Henry
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was lookin' around just to see who's born
I spied a little chicken down on his knees
I went up and yelled to him
"Please, please, please!"
He said, "Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Yes, I went down to the beanery at half past twelve
I was lookin' around just to see myself
I looked down low, I looked above
Well who did I see but the one I love
She said, "Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Apple's got your fly"
Yeah, I went down to the whorehouse the other night
I was lookin' around, I was outta sight
I looked at a horse and I saw a mule
I looked for a cow and I saw me a few
They said, "Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Apple's got your fly"
Yeah, I went down to the river on a Saturday morn
A-lookin' around just to see who was born
I saw a little chicken down on his knees
I went up and yelled to him
"Please, please, please!"
He said, "Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Don't ya tell Henry
Apple's got your fly"
The lyrics of "Don't Ya Tell Henry" by Bob Dylan and The Band are somewhat peculiar and may be difficult to interpret at first glance. However, there seems to be a recurring theme throughout the song of hiding something scandalous from a man named Henry. The song is divided into three stanzas, each describing a different encounter with something illicit.
In the first stanza, the singer goes to the river and sees a chicken on its knees. The singer yells at the chicken, pleading with it not to tell Henry that "Apple's got your fly." It is unclear what this phrase means in the context of the song, but it is likely a euphemism for something inappropriate.
The second stanza takes place at a "beanery," which was a type of cafeteria popular in the early 20th century. The singer sees someone they love and once again begs them not to tell Henry that "Apple's got your fly." The third stanza takes place at a whorehouse, where the singer sees a mix of animals and warns them not to tell Henry that "Apple's got your fly."
Overall, the lyrics of "Don't Ya Tell Henry" seem to be a series of bizarre and cryptic instructions to keep a scandalous secret. It is unclear who Henry is or what the "Apple's got your fly" euphemism represents, but the song's overall tone is lighthearted and playful.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, I went down to the river on a Saturday morn
I visited the river on a Saturday morning.
I was lookin' around just to see who's born
I was observing the surroundings to see what new has happened.
I spied a little chicken down on his knees
I noticed a young chicken kneeling.
I went up and yelled to him 'Please, please, please!'
I walked over to him, and begged him for something.
He said, 'Don't ya tell Henry'
He told me to keep a secret from a person named Henry.
Don't ya tell Henry
He repeated the instruction of secrecy.
Don't ya tell Henry
He repeated the instruction of secrecy once again.
Apple's got your fly'
The reason for secrecy is that someone took advantage of him, as his attention was diverted elsewhere.
Yes, I went down to the beanery at half past twelve
I went to the beanery at 12:30 pm.
I was lookin' around just to see myself
I was checking out myself in the surroundings.
I looked down low, I looked above
I looked in different directions.
Well who did I see but the one I love
I saw the person I love in the end despite looking for others.
She said, 'Don't ya tell Henry'
The person I love asked for my secrecy regarding something.
Don't ya tell Henry
The person I love repeated the instructions of secrecy.
Don't ya tell Henry
The person I love repeated the instructions of secrecy once more.
Apple's got your fly'
The reason for secrecy is that something embarrassing will be revealed.
Yeah, I went down to the whorehouse the other night
I visited a brothel one night.
I was lookin' around, I was outta sight
I was looking around while trying to stay hidden.
I looked at a horse and I saw a mule
I saw something that was not what it appeared to be.
I looked for a cow and I saw me a few
I saw something that resembled multiple things that I was looking for.
They said, 'Don't ya tell Henry'
The people there warned me not to tell a person named Henry about something.
Don't ya tell Henry
The people at the brothel repeated the instruction of secrecy.
Don't ya tell Henry
The people at the brothel repeated the instruction of secrecy once more.
Apple's got your fly'
The reason for secrecy is that the person might be embarrassed or in trouble.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mikeholland8416
Don't tell Henry. Please 😅
@marc.apfelbutz
Eastbound Train.
@JorgeLMarquezsM
Incisivo y fluido
@HashishUno
RIP Robbie Robertson. Your lead made this song amazing
@danc2879
Bob😳
@mellodc
Levon
@NotoriousLightning
Don't ya tell me what to do. I'll tell Henry just because after hearing this little dittie!
@quentinlynch
And again I want to ask "Is this really Bob singing?" But I don't.
@michaelkemp608
ir's Levon Helm...
@camreese
Levon the legend!