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
Down in the Flood
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Water's gonna overflow
Swamp's gonna rise
And no boat's gonna row
You can train on down
To Williams Point
You can bust your feet
You can rock this joint
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
Now, don't you try an' move me
Mama you're just gonna lose
There's a crash on the levee
And, mama, you've been refused
Well, it's king for king
And it's Queen for queen
It's gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's seen
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
Well, that high tide's risin'
Mama, don't you let me down
Pack up your suitcase
Mama, don't you make a sound
Well, it's sugar for sugar
And it's salt for salt
If you go down in the flood
It's gonna be your own fault
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
The lyrics to Bob Dylan’s song “Down in the Flood” is a song about a natural disaster that nature is about to unleash on people. The levee which is constructed to protect them from high tide is about to crash and the floodwaters will rise. Those who are in the area look for a way out but there is no way to escape the might of the flood. This song is symbolic of the fact that no matter how powerful people think they are, nature always overpowers them. The lyrics suggest that those in the path of the flood are likely to lose everything they have, including their best friends. The song invokes a sense of despair and helplessness in the face of an inevitable catastrophe.
The lyrics convey the message that when nature decides to unleash its fury, there is nothing that can be done to stop it. People become helpless in the face of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes. The song conveys the message that people should learn to respect the power of nature and not take it for granted. The use of the analogy of losing one's best friend is powerful as it symbolizes the loss of everything that is dear to them.
Overall, the song “Down in the Flood” is a song of caution, reminding us that nature is more powerful than we are and that we should always be prepared for the worst. It is a reminder that we should respect the power of nature and do our best to protect ourselves and others from harm.
Line by Line Meaning
Crash on the levee, mama
The situation is critical and there's danger ahead
Water's gonna overflow
Flood is imminent
Swamp's gonna rise
The water level will rise
And no boat's gonna row
It will be impossible to navigate in this flood
You can train on down
One can escape the danger by leaving
To Williams Point
A safer location than the current one
You can bust your feet
One can leave at their own pace
You can rock this joint
One can stay and party for the last time
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now
Leaving is going to mean leaving friends behind
You're gonna have to find yourself
You will be alone
Another best friend, somehow
You will need to make new friends
Now, don't you try an' move me
The danger is not to be ignored
Mama you're just gonna lose
If you ignore the danger, you will suffer
There's a crash on the levee
There's a break in the dam holding the water
And, mama, you've been refused
You've been warned about the danger but ignored it
Well, it's king for king
Everyone is equal in the face of disaster
And it's Queen for queen
Everyone is subject to the same fate
It's gonna be the meanest flood
The flood is going to be very dangerous
That anybody's seen
Even the older generation has not seen anything like this
Well, that high tide's risin'
The flood is already happening
Mama, don't you let me down
Don't be the reason I don't survive this flood
Pack up your suitcase
Be ready to leave at a moment's notice
Mama, don't you make a sound
Don't hesitate, just leave as soon as you can
Well, it's sugar for sugar
Everyone will get what they deserve
And it's salt for salt
Everyone will suffer the consequences of their actions
If you go down in the flood
If you ignore the danger and stay, you will suffer
It's gonna be your own fault
The result will be a direct consequence of your actions
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now
Leaving will also mean leaving behind memories and experiences with friends
You're gonna have to find yourself
You'll need to create new memories by yourself
Another best friend, somehow
You'll have to make new friends in the future
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Juan Camacho
Crash on the levee, mama
Water's gonna overflow
Swamp's gonna rise
No boat's gonna row
Now, you can train on down
To williams point
You can bust your feet
You can rock this joint
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
Now, don't you try an' move me
You're just gonna lose
There's a crash on the levee
And, mama, you've been refused
Well, it's sugar for sugar
And salt for salt
If you go down in the flood
It's gonna be your own fault
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
🎵🎶
Well, that high tide's risin'
Mama, don't you let me down
Pack up your suitcase
Mama, don't you make a sound
Now, it's king for king
Queen for queen
It's gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's seen
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
Bryan Keisling
Lyrics:
Crash on the levee, mama, water's gonna overflow
Swamp's gonna rise, no boat's gonna row
Now, you can train on down to Williams Point
You can bust your feet, you can rock this joint
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
Now, don't you try an' move me, you're just gonna lose
There's a crash on the levee and, mama, you've been refused
Well, it's sugar for sugar and salt for salt
If you go down in the flood, it's gonna be your fault
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
Well, that high tide's risin', mama, don't you let me down
Pack up your suitcase, mama, don't you make a sound
Now, it's king for king, queen for queen
It's gonna be the meanest flood that anybody's seen
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow
비정한세상
Crash on the Levee
갈라진 제방
The Basement Tapes (1975)
Crash on the levee, mama
제방이 갈라져서,
Water's gonna overflow
물이 새 버리겠지.
Swamp's gonna rise
늪은 점점 차오르고,
No boat's gonna row
보트도 탈 수 없겠지.
Now, you can train on down
이제, 윌리엄스 포인트 아래를 향해
To Williams Point
기차를 탈 수 있을 거야.
You can bust your feet
발에 불이 나도록 뛰고
You can rock this joint
관절에 기름칠을 하지.
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
하지만 아, 이제 네 친한 친구가 그립지 않니?
You're gonna have to find yourself
이제 네 스스로 다른 친한 친구를,
Another best friend, somehow.
어떻게든 찾아야 할 거야.
Now, don't you try an' move me
이제, 날 움직이려 하지 말아.
You're just gonna lose
길을 잃어버릴 지도 모르니까.
There's a crash on the levee
제방에는 금이 가 있고,
And mama, you've been refused
자기, 넌 거절당했지.
Well, it's sugar for sugar
아, 설탕에는 설탕이고,
And salt for salt
소금에는 소금이지.
If you go down in the flood
홍수 중에 저 아래로 내려간다면,
It's gonna be your own fault
그건 오로지 네 잘못이겠지.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
오 자기, 네 친한 친구가 그립지 않니?
You're gonna have to find yourself
네 스스로 찾아야만 할 거야.
Another best friend, somehow.
또 다른 친한 친구를, 어떻게든.
Well, that high tide's risin'
아, 저 파도가 높게 들이치네.
Mama, don't you let me down
자기, 날 낙담시키지 말고
Pack up your suitcase
짐을 싸자.
Mama, don't you make a sound
자기, 아무 소리도 내지 말고
Now, it's king for king
이제 왕에는 왕이고
Queen for queen
여왕에는 여왕일지니
It's gonna be the meanest flood
모두가 본 것 중 가장 가혹한
That anybody's seen
홍수가 될 것이야.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
아 자기, 친한 친구가 그립지 않니?
You're gonna have to find yourself
이젠 네 스스로 다른 친구를
Another best friend, somehow.
어떻게든 찾아야 할 거야.
steelyman08
It's back to stay this time (-: This and "I Shall Be Released" are the reasons why I bought this oddest volume of "greatest hits". When you throw in Watching The River Flow, When I Paint My Masterpiece, & The Mighty Quinn, you've got some of the greatest hits in your record collection (even if they never were Dylan hits at all!). Glad to see them all coming back to YT.
Shraavani Sastry
The sheer musical extravaganza of this song amazes me to no extent
David Phelps
I am barely able to keep up with this much appreciated "purge" of Bob's singles and outtakes! Thank you GOAT! Today was the day if you're a fan of Dylans!
yama penny
‼‼‼👍
Art in heart
Bob Dylan is the greatest on the planet !! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
jose amarildo
apreciando o video aqui do Brazil Bob Dylan vai ser lembrado para sempre forever young
yama penny
I love it ❣❣❣
...still... love it, even more...
JorgeLMarquez
Un par de horas y ya me acostumbré a youtube solo Dylan... no hay freno, una canción tras otra!!
song&danceman
Somos 2
nissi
Love this! 🙌 Of course I can think Daddy if I want too! 😁
🌊🌊🤴🤴🏻🌊👸🏻👸🌊🧳🌊🧂🌊🌊🌊🌊