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 on the Green Briar Shore
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the springtime of the year,
I left my mother and a home so dear
All for that girl on the Greenbriar shore.
My mother, she says, "Son, don't go.
Don't leave me here alone.
Don't leave your mother and a home so dear.
But I was young and reckless too,
And I craved a reckless life.
I left my mother and a home so dear
And I took that girl to be my wife.
Her hair was dark and curly too
And her loving eyes were blue,
Her cheeks were like the red red rose
That girl I loved from the Greenbriar shore.
The years rolled on and the months rolled by,
She left me all alone.
Now I remember what my momma said,
"Never trust the girl on the Greenbriar shore.
Bob Dylan's "The Girl on the Green Briar Shore" is a poignant story of a young man who leaves his home and mother to chase after a girl he loves deeply. In this song, the singer is blinded by his love for the girl and ignores his mother's warnings about "never trust[ing] a girl on the Greenbriar shore." Despite his mother's warning, he marries the girl and they start a life together. The girl is described as having dark curly hair, blue loving eyes, and cheeks like the red rose of which the singer fell deeply in love.
As the years go by, the girl leaves him alone, and in the end, the singer remembers his mother's warning. The singer's mother knew that the girl on the Greenbriar shore was untrustworthy and warned him not to leave her and his home so dear. Despite her warnings, the singer goes ahead with his decision and pays the price for his recklessness.
The song ends with the singer reflecting on the girl on the Greenbriar shore and the lessons learned from his reckless decision. Dylan is known for his insightful lyrics and storytelling, and "The Girl on the Green Briar Shore" epitomizes his ability to capture the emotional journey of a character.
Line by Line Meaning
'Twas in the year of '82,
It was 1882 when my story began.
In the springtime of the year,
It was in the season of rejuvenation and regrowth that this tale unrolled.
I left my mother and a home so dear
I had to depart from a place that meant everything to me, leaving behind my mother, the only parent I had.
All for that girl on the Greenbriar shore.
My whole destiny changed solely because of the girl who lived near the Greenbriar river.
My mother, she says, "Son, don't go.
My mother warned me against leaving, pleadingly requesting me to stay.
Don't leave me here alone.
My mother feared that I would leave her and abandon her in loneliness.
Never trust a girl on the Greenbriar shore."
My mother cautioned me against trusting a girl who lived near the Greenbriar river.
But I was young and reckless too,
I was careless, impulsive, and foolish during those days.
And I craved a reckless life.
I yearned for an adventurous and daring existence.
And I took that girl to be my wife.
I married the girl who lived near the Greenbriar river.
Her hair was dark and curly too
The girl had curly, dark brown hair.
And her loving eyes were blue,
She had warm, blue eyes that showcased her affectionate demeanor.
Her cheeks were like the red red rose
Her cheeks had the same color as a bright red rose with a velvety texture.
That girl I loved from the Greenbriar shore.
I was deeply in love with the girl who lived near the Greenbriar river.
The years rolled on and the months rolled by,
Time passed quickly by -- days turned into months, and months into years.
She left me all alone.
The girl I married left me alone after years of being together.
Now I remember what my momma said,
It was only then that I recalled the words of my mother.
"Never trust the girl on the Greenbriar shore."
My mother's advice about not trusting a girl who lived near the Greenbriar river became clear to me after facing hardships.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind