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
Driftin' Too Far From Shore
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or who you thought you were talkin' to.
I figure maybe we're even
Or maybe I'm one up on you.
I send you all my money
Just like I did before.
I tried to reach you honey,
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
I ain't gonna get lost in this current,
I don't like playing cat and mouse.
No gentleman likes making love to a servant.
Especially when he's in his father's house.
I never could guess your weight, baby,
Never needed to call you my whore.
I always thought you were straight, baby,
But you're driftin' too far from shore.
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
Well these times and these tunnels are haunted,
The bottom of the barrel is too.
I waited years sometimes for what I wanted.
Everybody can't be as lucky as you.
Never no more do I wonder,
Why you don't never play with me any more.
At any moment you could go under,
Cause you're driftin' too far from shore.
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
Driftin' too far from shore
You and me we had completeness,
I give you all of what I could provide
We weren't on the wrong side, sweetness,
We were the wrong side.
I've already ripped out the phones, honey.
You can't walk the streets in a war.
I can finish this alone, honey,
You're driftin' too far from shore.
The song "Driftin' Too Far From Shore" is a poignant tale of love that has gone awry. Dylan sings from the perspective of a man who has been left by his lover without prior notice. The singer appears to be at a loss for words, even though he initially thought he knew who he was talking to. Although the singer does not understand why he has been left, he wonders if he is perhaps better off than his partner, who is "drifting too far from shore." The singer's lyrics are full of vague references and innuendos, but it is clear that he is anguished by the end of his relationship.
The singer appears to be haunted by their breakup, likening their current lives to a "tunnel" and accusing his lover of "drifting too far from shore." Dylan also implies that he has given his all to their relationship, even though it was not reciprocated. He hints at strained power dynamics between the two, with the singer remarking that they "weren't on the wrong side, sweetness, we were the wrong side." Dylan's song is a fitting tribute to lost love and the struggle that comes with moving on from the past.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't know that you'd be leavin'
I had no idea that you would leave me
Or who you thought you were talkin' to.
I'm not sure who you were really communicating with.
I figure maybe we're even
Perhaps we are now equal.
Or maybe I'm one up on you.
Or maybe I am ahead of you.
I send you all my money
I continue to financially support you.
Just like I did before.
In the same manner as in the past.
I tried to reach you honey,
I attempted to contact you, dear.
But you're driftin' too far from shore.
However, you seem to be moving too far away from me and our relationship is suffering.
I ain't gonna get lost in this current,
I refuse to get swept away by this issue.
I don't like playing cat and mouse.
I do not enjoy these games of deception.
No gentleman likes making love to a servant.
A well-mannered man does not want to engage in sexual relations with a lower-class person.
Especially when he's in his father's house.
Particularly when he is living under his father's roof.
I never could guess your weight, baby,
I have never been able to predict your actions, dear.
Never needed to call you my whore.
I have never felt the need to degrade you.
I always thought you were straight, baby,
I believed that you were honest and truthful, dear.
But you're driftin' too far from shore.
But you seem to be moving away from me and our relationship is suffering.
Well these times and these tunnels are haunted,
These days and paths are filled with ghosts and negative energy.
The bottom of the barrel is too.
The lowest point has been reached.
I waited years sometimes for what I wanted.
Sometimes, I patiently waited for what I desired.
Everybody can't be as lucky as you.
Not everyone can have the same fortune as you have had.
Never no more do I wonder,
I no longer question,
Why you don't never play with me any more.
Why you no longer engage with me.
At any moment you could go under,
At any time, you could slip away.
'Cause you're driftin' too far from shore.
Because you seem to be moving away from me and our relationship is suffering.
You and me we had completeness,
Together, we had achieved wholeness and fulfillment.
I give you all of what I could provide
I gave you everything that I had to offer.
We weren't on the wrong side, sweetness,
We were not on the losing team, my dear.
We were the wrong side.
We were the ones who made the wrong choices.
I've already ripped out the phones, honey.
I have already cut off all communication, dear.
You can't walk the streets in a war.
It is not safe to be outside in this dangerous situation.
I can finish this alone, honey,
I can handle this on my own, dear.
You're driftin' too far from shore.
Because you seem to be moving away from me and our relationship is suffering.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind