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
Girl Of The North Country
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
For she once was a true love of mine
If you go when the snowflakes storm
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
Please see she has a coat so warm
Please see if her hair hangs long
If it rolls and flows all down her breast
Please see for me if her hair's hanging long
For that's the way I remember her best
I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all
Many times I've often prayed
In the darkness of my night
In the brightness of my day
So if you're travelin' the North Country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
For she once was a true love of mine
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song "Girl Of The North Country" describe a longing for a lost love. It is a nostalgic account of a past relationship and a plea to a third party to convey the message of remembrance. The singer asks the person travelling in the North Country fair to greet a woman who used to be his true love. He requests the person to look after her, ensure she has a warm coat, and verify if her hair has grown longer. The singer admits to wondering if the girl, who is now living in the North Country fair, remembers him, as he has often prayed in both the darkness of the night and the brightness of the day.
The lyrics of "Girl of the North Country" evoke a sense of loneliness and heartache, although the exact circumstances of the relationship are left up to the listener's imagination. The lyrics' specificity creates a vivid image of the Northern landscape and the harsh climate, which serves as a backdrop for the reminisces. The song's melancholic melody reinforces the sense of longing and nostalgia. The lyrics' repeated emphasis on the woman's long hair suggests that it was a significant characteristic of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're travelin' in the North Country fair
If you are traveling through the Northern regions
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Where the winds blow briskly at the border
Remember me to one who lives there
Convey my greetings to someone living in that area
For she once was a true love of mine
Because that person used to be my beloved
If you go when the snowflakes storm
If you travel during a snowstorm
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
When the rivers become icy and summer turns into winter
Please see she has a coat so warm
Ensure she is wearing a sufficiently warm coat
To keep her from the howlin' winds
To protect her from the ferocity of the winds
Please see if her hair hangs long
Pay attention if her hair is long and flowing
If it rolls and flows all down her breast
If her hair flows down her chest
Please see for me if her hair's hanging long
Please check and confirm if her hair is long and flowing
For that's the way I remember her best
Because that is how I have the fondest memory of her
I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all
I ponder if she has any remembrance of me
Many times I've often prayed
Countless times, I have implored
In the darkness of my night
During the night hours of desolation
In the brightness of my day
During the day hours of optimism
So if you're travelin' the North Country fair
So if you happen to be traveling in the Northern regions
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Where the winds blow briskly at the border
Remember me to one who lives there
Convey my greetings to someone living in that area
For she once was a true love of mine
Because that person used to be my beloved
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juliecrane9647
I separated after 22 yrs. It was 2yrs til we divorced. We should have ripped our bandaids off sooner.
Looking back....
It took awhile to get away from romancing what we had...
And thinking it could work again.
It wasn't.
But I told him we didn't do the best job teaching our girls how to have a good marriage but we could teach them how to end it with dignity and grace.
We have...
It's been 12 yrs. I see him often at our 3 daughters homes. There are grands now.
I call him when my car battery is dead or the dryer blew a fuse.
He's a good guy and a damn good dad...
My girls call him for the same stuff.
He was there when I battled cancer and my mom passed.
No romance but still love.
Just remember our kids are always watching.
It does get better in time and it all comes into focus.
Acceptance.
Wish you peace as you go....
And to thine own self be true.
@mr.impatient4850
A star is born and he goes by the name Dibesh Pokhrel aka “Arthur Gunn”
Girl from the North Country road was written and recorded by Nobel Prize winning legend, who goes by the name BOB DYLAN. It was recorded in the year 1973 from his album “The Free Wheelin Bob Dylan”. The song unfolds about Bob’s first trip to England in December 1962, where he stumbles upon beautiful, gorgeous “Susan Elizabeth Rotolo”. After that blissful memory, Bob flew to Italy and finally completed this masterpiece, soul-soothing tune along with sweet and romantic cover picture of him and her in his back then album.(“The Free Wheelin Bob Dylan”)
Wooow, time does flies ain’t it?
47 years later, a 21 year young kid from Kansas, originally from Nepal, collected his guts to show some love and respect thereby giving a shot to this legendary tune in his own beautiful way.Good grace of god!!! Additionally, he is sooooo humble and down to earth. We are rooting you from all over the world, Arthur! Go on son, show them what you truly behold and keep smiling! God bless ya!
#TeamArthurSquad ✍️
@lucaamorosoofficial
If you're traveling till the north country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
For she once was the true love of mine
See for me if her hair's hanging down
It curls and flows all down her breast
See for me that her hair's hanging down
That's the way I remember her best
If you go when the snowflakes fall
When the rivers freeze and summer ends
Please see for me if she's wearing a coat so warm
To keep her from the howlin' winds
If you're traveling in the north country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Please say hello to the one who lives there
For she once was a true love of mine
And if you're traveling in the north country fair
Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline
Remember me to one who lives there
For she once was a true love of mine
True love of mine, a true love of mine
True love of mine, a true love of mine
A true love of mine, a true love of mine
She was once a true love of mine
@arneanderson187
I met my first and true love at a north country fair (Lake County, Minnesota) in 1975. But we ended up going our separate ways. But I never forgot her and this song always made me think of her. And after 45 years of being apart, we are now back together.
@ercanozgur7621
16 yıl bekledik biz. Mutluluklar sizlerin olsun. Büyük aşklara
@allbottledup9513
I wish I had the words. Thank god, you found each other again. That special love never goes away it seems. I hope y’all enjoy your time together as much as possible!
@a.nobodys.nobody
God bless you both. enjoy it. Hoping for the same
@PrincessWowNetwork
That’s so beautiful and inspiring. So happy for you both❤
@angelag1702
Congrats!
@jackwendigo6541
Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. Does it get any better than that?
@SwinginPig
Possibly Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, but other than that, doubtful.
@rossmacneil3544
@Esther Ruby Not this one, it would've been amazing if she did though.
@SwinginPig
Esther Ruby 1976. But I consider their golden years the 60s. I have some great Dylan-Baez recordings on my channel if you like them together.