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
Drifter's Escape
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I heard the drifter say
As they carried him from the courtroom
And were taking him away
My trip hasn't been a pleasant one
And my time, it isn't long
And I still do not know
What it was that I've done wrong
Well, the judge, he cast his robe aside
A tear came to his eye
You'd failed to understand, he said
Why must you even try
Outside, the crowd was stirring
You could hear it from the door
Inside, the judge was stepping down
While the jury cried for more
Oh, stop that cursed jury
Cried the attendant and the nurse
The trial was bad enough
But this is ten times worse
Just then a bolt of lightning
Struck the courthouse out of shape
And while everybody knelt to pray
The drifter did escape
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song "Drifter's Escape" portray the story of a drifter who claims his innocence as he's being taken away from a courtroom. The drifter requests help in his weakness and acknowledges that his trip was not a pleasant one. He is unaware of what he has done wrong, and it is clear he has been wrongfully convicted. The judge, moved by the situation, tries to reason with the drifter but fails. The jury wants more, and chaos ensues as a bolt of lightning strikes the courthouse. The drifter takes advantage of the situation and makes his escape amidst the chaos.
The song reflects the motif of social injustice that Dylan often used in his music to highlight the plight of the poor and marginalized. Dylan's moral and political attitudes are often reflected in his music, and this song draws attention to the corrupt system of justice that many people face. The song's lyrics also allude to religious themes with phrases like the "bolt of lightning" and "everybody knelt to pray" that suggest divine intervention. Ultimately, the drifter's escape from the courtroom is symbolic of the universality of the human desire to be free, and it paints a picture of hope in the midst of despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, help me in my weakness
The drifter pleads for help as he has become weak
I heard the drifter say
The singer is narrating the drifter's words
As they carried him from the courtroom
The drifter is being taken away in custody
And were taking him away
The artist is reiterating that the drifter is still being taken away
My trip hasn't been a pleasant one
The drifter reflects on his journey and realizes it has not been pleasant
And my time, it isn't long
The drifter knows that he doesn't have much time left
And I still do not know
The drifter is confused about what he has done wrong
What it was that I've done wrong
The drifter realizes that he has done something wrong, but doesn't know what
Well, the judge, he cast his robe aside
The judge removes his robe, probably signifying his decision has been made
A tear came to his eye
The judge is emotional and moved by the situation
You'd failed to understand, he said
The judge explains that the drifter has misunderstood the situation
Why must you even try
The judge is asking why the drifter is trying to escape his punishment
Outside, the crowd was stirring
There is commotion outside the courtroom
You could hear it from the door
The noise outside is loud enough to be heard from indoors
Inside, the judge was stepping down
The judge has made his decision and is leaving the courtroom
While the jury cried for more
The jury wants more punishment for the drifter
Oh, stop that cursed jury
The attendant or nurse is exasperated with the jury's decision
Cried the attendant and the nurse
The two people are screaming for the jury to stop
The trial was bad enough
The attendant and the nurse are unhappy with the outcome of the trial
But this is ten times worse
The situation has become much worse than the trial for the drifter
Just then a bolt of lightning
A sudden bolt of lightning strikes the courthouse
Struck the courthouse out of shape
The lightning damages the courthouse
And while everybody knelt to pray
Everyone prays as they think it is the end of the world
The drifter did escape
The drifter takes advantage of the chaos and manages to escape
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James T Donley III
An underrated album of Dylan's, for sure. That was inevitable, I think, coming on the heels of "Highway 61 Revisited," "Bringing It All Back Home," and "Blonde on Blonde," as it did. Regardless of its unfair legacy, it's always been one of my favorites by him, whatever the general consensus about its quality or importance may be. No other record of his sounds like this one; "John Wesley Harding" is a very singular, idiosyncratic and unfortunately, often overlooked little masterpiece that suffers in the shadows cast by its equally amazing immediate predecessors.
BilisNegra
"I asked Columbia to release it with no publicity and no hype, because this was the season of hype". Still, it has the immensely popular All Along The Watchover in it, so thankfully it has some kind of hook for some people to approach it, even if it will never be as celebrated as the threesome you mention... or the one that would come next for that matter, Nashville Skyline.
Victor Morgado
Underrated is right!, even when this is the album with All Along the Watch Tower, that so much blew Hendrix's mind
dixon pinfold
I think he wanted to simmer things down. Also to zig when everyone thought he would surely zag.
Maggie Bryan
Always loved this album
chris campbell
Always loved this tune. Thanks Bob
HelianaSuper
What a wonderful song! Only Bob and his voice, his guitar and his harmonica.... Love it...💖💖💖
Adrian Richardson
Drums? They drive the whole song along...
HelianaSuper
@Adrian Richardson 😍😍I don't like drums... In this song it does't appear much and I paid attention only in the harmonica and strings and Bob's voice.... But like you write, I heard it now....😍😍
Adrian Richardson
You can almost filter the drums out when listening in stereo.. I like the driving beat but each to their own!!