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
Gotta Travel On
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Summer's almost gone, winter's coming on
Done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long
And it seems like I've got to travel on
And it seems like I've got to travel on
Papa writes to Johnny, Johnny can't come home
Johnny can't come home, Johnny can't come home
Johnny's been out on the road too long
So I done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long
Summer's almost gone, winter's coming on
Done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long
And it seems like I've got to travel on
That chilly wind will soon begin and I'll be on my way
Going home to stay, going home to stay
That chilly wind will soon begin and I'll be on my way
And I feel like I just want to travel on
So I done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long
Summer's almost gone, winter's coming on
Oh yes I done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long
And it seems like I've got to travel on
There's a lonesome freight at 6:08 coming through the town
I'll be homeward bound, I'll be homeward bound
There's a lonesome freight at 6:08 coming on through the town
And I feel like I just want to travel on
Well I done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long
Summer's almost gone, winter's coming on
Yes it is done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long
And it seems like I almost travel on
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song 'Gotta Travel On' speak about the feeling of restlessness that comes with staying in one place for too long. The singer laments the passing of summer and the onset of winter, using the changing seasons as a metaphor for the passage of time. He speaks of himself as having 'done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long' and feeling like he has to 'travel on.' The urgency and pressure to move on from this place is compounded by the fact that 'Johnny can't come home' because he has been out on the road too long. The singer is acutely aware that he too may end up trapped in place if he doesn't act soon.
The song utilizes imagery and language that is reflective of the time in which it was written, during the folk music revival of the 1960s in the US. The mention of a 'lonesome freight at 6:08 coming through the town' is a reference to the importance of trains in the transportation of goods and people across the country. It also speaks to the idea of hoboism that emerged during the Great Depression when thousands of people traveled across the country on freight trains in search of work. Dylan's lyrics tap into this history, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a time when movement was a necessity rather than a choice.
Line by Line Meaning
Done laid around, done stayed around this old town too long
I have spent too much time in this town and have not ventured out enough
Summer's almost gone, winter's coming on
The seasons are changing, indicating that it's time for a new phase in life
And it seems like I've got to travel on
I have a strong urge to go out and explore the world
Papa writes to Johnny, Johnny can't come home
Johnny has been traveling and cannot return home yet
Johnny's been out on the road too long
Johnny has been traveling for a while and it's time for him to come home
That chilly wind will soon begin and I'll be on my way
The cold weather signals that it's time for me to embark on a new journey
Going home to stay, going home to stay
I am returning home, but this time with the intention of staying there permanently
And I feel like I just want to travel on
I have a strong urge to continue exploring and moving forward in my journey
There's a lonesome freight at 6:08 coming through the town
A train is passing through the town, symbolizing the possibility of new opportunities and adventures
I'll be homeward bound, I'll be homeward bound
I am returning home, but with a sense of purpose and direction for the future
And it seems like I almost travel on
Although I am returning home now, I know that I will continue to feel the urge to travel in the future
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Lazar, Larry Ehrlich, Paul Clayton, Tom Six
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RhysPitman94
Self Potrait is immense
@longheadpiper5070
Every time I go pick up my children for their holidays I put Self Portrait on in the car, to my humble ears it’s a wonderful piece of art - thank you Bob Dylan for blessing my life 🙏🏻
@6stringeddie
Buddy Holly opened every show on the Winter Dance Tour with this one. In the crowd at the Duluth show was a young Bobby Zimmerman. The song and that performance obviously inspired Bob to record this.
@dwaynewladyka577
Country blues brilliance here. So good! Cheers!
@marakaretsos5204
⭐️⭐️⭐️
@maggiebryan2355
Nice
@majones7004
"...Johnny can't come home..."
@stephenvallely4361
Later resurrected as a blistering encore on the 1976 RTR Tour.
@majones7004
Thanks for THAT tidbit.
@marianmartin9441
Love it!