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
Going to Acapulco
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She never does me wrong.
She puts it to me plain as day
And gives it to me for a song.
It's a wicked life but what the hell
But what that hell, oh everybody's got to eat
And I'm just the same as anyone else
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run.
Goin' down to see fat gut
Goin' to have some fun.
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun.
Now, whenever I get up
And I can't find what I need
I just make it down to Rose Marie's
And get something quick to eat
It's not a bad way to make a living
And I ain't complainin' none.
But I can blow my plump, and break my rump
And then go home and have my fun
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run.
Goin' down to see soft gut
Goin' to have some fun.
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun.
Now, if someone offers me a joke
I just say no thanks.
I try to tell it like it is
And keep away from pranks.
And every time you know when the well breaks down
I just go pump on it some.
Rose Marie, she likes to go to big places
And just set there waitin' for me to come.
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run.
Goin' down to see soft gut
Goin' to have some fun.
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun
The song "Goin' to Acapulco" by Bob Dylan and The Band tells the story of a man who frequents a woman named Rose Marie's establishment for quick and easy food. He notes that it's a "wicked life," but he, like everyone else, needs to eat. He's not complaining about his situation though, as he can work hard and still have fun. The song emphasizes the idea that life is tough, but it’s what one makes of it that truly counts.
The singer talks about how he goes to Rose Marie's establishment when he is short of something to eat. He emphasizes how he doesn't mind the work that he does to make ends meet, and he can work hard and still have a good time with his life. He talks about how he avoids jokes and tries to keep things straightforward. When the well breaks down, he solves the problem by pumping it, while Rose Marie likes going to big places to wait for him to come back. The song symbolizes the importance of simplicity, perseverance, and being value-oriented in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going down to Rose Marie's
I'm heading to a place where I can reliably find what I need.
She never does me wrong.
I can always count on her to provide for me.
She puts it to me plain as day
She is straightforward in her dealings with me.
And gives it to me for a song.
And for a reasonable price.
It's a wicked life but what the hell
Life can be tough, but that's just how it is.
But what that hell, oh everybody's got to eat
Despite life's difficulties, everyone has to eat to survive.
And I'm just the same as anyone else
I'm no different from anyone else in this regard.
When it comes to scratchin' for my meat
When it comes to working to provide for myself.
Goin' to Acapulco
I'm leaving town.
Goin' on the run.
I'm running away from my troubles.
Goin' down to see fat gut
I'm going to a place where I can relax and have a good time.
Goin' to have some fun.
I'm going to enjoy myself.
Now, whenever I get up
Whenever I wake up.
And I can't find what I need
And I can't easily obtain what I need to survive.
I just make it down to Rose Marie's
I go to my reliable source for what I need.
And get something quick to eat
And quickly satisfy my hunger.
It's not a bad way to make a living
It's not a bad situation to be in.
And I ain't complainin' none.
And I'm not complaining about it.
But I can blow my plump, and break my rump
But I can work hard to make myself comfortable.
And then go home and have my fun
And then enjoy myself at home.
Now, if someone offers me a joke
If someone tries to make a joke to me.
I just say no thanks.
I decline politely.
I try to tell it like it is
I try to be honest and straightforward.
And keep away from pranks.
And avoid being mischievous.
And every time you know when the well breaks down
And whenever there is a problem.
I just go pump on it some.
I work hard to fix the problem.
Rose Marie, she likes to go to big places
Rose Marie enjoys going to exciting destinations.
And just set there waitin' for me to come.
And waits for me to join her.
Goin' to Acapulco
I'm leaving for an exciting vacation destination.
Goin' on the run.
I'm taking a break from my troubles and responsibilities.
Goin' down to see soft gut
I'm going to a place where I can have a relaxed and enjoyable time.
Goin' to have some fun.
I'm going to enjoy myself and have a good time.
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@caerbannoghare4744
I'm going down to Rose Marie's
She never does me wrong
She puts it to me plain as day
And gives it to me for a song
It's a wicked life, but what the hell
Everybody's got to eat
And I'm just the same as anyone else
When it comes to scratching for my meat
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run
Goin' down to see soft gut
Goin' to have some fun
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun
Now, whenever I get up
And can't find what I need
I just make it down to Rose Marie's
And get something quick to eat
It's not a bad way to make a living
And I ain't complainin' none
Oh, I can pull my plum, and drink my rum
And then go on home and have my fun
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run
Goin' down to see soft gut
Goin' to have some fun
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun
Now if someone offers me a joke
I just say, "No thanks"
I try to tell it like it is
And keep away from pranks
Now every time you know when the well breaks down
I just go pump on it some
Rose Marie, she likes to go to big places
And just set there waitin' for me to come
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run
Goin' down to see soft gut
Goin' to have some fun
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun
@juancamacho5746
I'm going down to Rose Marie's
She never does me wrong
She puts it to me plain as day
And gives it to me for a song
It's a wicked life, but what the hell
Everybody's got to eat
And I'm just the same as anyone else
When it comes to scratching for my meat
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run
Goin' down to see soft gut
Goin' to have some fun
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun
Now, whenever I get up
And can't find what I need
I just make it down to Rose Marie's
And get something quick to eat
It's not a bad way to make a living
And I ain't complainin' none
Oh, I can pull my plum, and drink my rum
And then go on home and have my fun
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run
Goin' down to see soft gut
Goin' to have some fun
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun
Now if someone offers me a joke
I just say, "No thanks"
I try to tell it like it is
And keep away from pranks
Now every time you know when the well breaks down
I just go pump on it some
Rose Marie, she likes to go to big places
And just set there waitin' for me to come
Goin' to Acapulco
Goin' on the run
Goin' down to see soft gut
Goin' to have some fun
Yeah
Goin' to have some fun
@CipherSerpico
For as long as I live:
I will gladly debate anyone who says that Dylan is not one of the Greatest Vocalists of All Time.
@mikefelix6338
My Morning Jacket + Calexico cover version of this in “I’m Not There” absolutely floored me. One of the few (or many) times someone takes a Dylan song to new heights
@cactussticker2815
such a special song for us bums who cudda been somebody
@Furry67
Robbie's guitar work is outstanding.
@blueschewy2558
As is Garth's organ accoutrement.
@ervbefelnareik7604
And the harmonies, one of Dylans best vocals imo
@karenscigliano9787
My 3 sentiments, exactly.
@doncahooti
I'll tell him you said so.
@TheStrangeAeon
He and Hendrix were very similar with those crazy rhythms. You can hear it in this track. If you told someone Jimi played the track for Bob to someone who didn't know you could definitely fool them.
@jamesproffitt4868
Such a mysterious sound on this. It is music remembered from some dream surely.