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
House of the Risin' Sun
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's been the ruin of many poor girl and me, oh God, I'm one
My mother was a tailor, she sewed these new blue jeans
My sweetheart was a gambler, Lord, down in New Orleans
Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and a trunk
And the only time he's satisfied is when he's on a drunk
He fills his glasses up to the brim and he'll pass the cards around
And the only pleasure he gets out of life is rambling from town to town
Oh tell my baby sister, not to do what I have done
But shun that house in New Orleans they call the rising sun
Well with one foot on the platform and the other foot on the train
I'm going back to New Orleans to wear that ball and chain
I'm going back to New Orleans, my race is almost run
I'm going back to end my life down in the rising sun
There is a house in New Orleans they call the rising sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor girl and me, oh God, I'm one
Bob Dylan's "House of the Risin' Sun" narrates the story of a young man who warns his baby sister not to follow his lifestyle after his own experiences at a brothel called the Rising Sun. The song describes how the house in New Orleans has been the downfall of many unlucky women and him, but he cannot resist its lure.
The opening lines, "There is a house in New Orleans, they call the rising sun," references a brothel that worked in the city at that time. The singer is seeking guidance on how to break free from the cycle of addiction and sex work that threaten his well-being. The second verse mentions the background of the family, how his mother is a tailor, and that his sweetheart got entrapped in gambling. The third verse describes the gambler's lifestyle and the fourth verse is where the singer issues his warning to his sister. The fifth verse describes his journey back to the house for the final time, where he plans to die.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a house down in New Orleans, they call the rising sun
There is a notorious place in New Orleans which is popularly known as the rising sun.
And it's been the ruin of many poor girl and me, oh God, I'm one
That place has been the source of destruction for many women, including me.
My mother was a tailor, she sewed these new blue jeans
My mother was a seamstress who made these new blue denim pants for me.
My sweetheart was a gambler, Lord, down in New Orleans
My lover was a gambler who lived in New Orleans.
Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and a trunk
All a gambler needs is a suitcase and a trunk to carry his belongings.
And the only time he's satisfied is when he's on a drunk
He is content only when he is intoxicated with alcohol.
He fills his glasses up to the brim and he'll pass the cards around
He fills his glass with liquor to the brim and then deals out the cards for gambling.
And the only pleasure he gets out of life is rambling from town to town
The only pleasure he derives from his life is travelling from one place to another.
Oh tell my baby sister, not to do what I have done
I ask you to tell my younger sister not to repeat my mistake.
But shun that house in New Orleans they call the rising sun
She should avoid that place in New Orleans which is known as the rising sun.
Well with one foot on the platform and the other foot on the train
I stand on the platform with one foot and on the train with the other.
I'm going back to New Orleans to wear that ball and chain
I'm returning to New Orleans to suffer the consequences of my actions and repent for them.
I'm going back to New Orleans, my race is almost run
I am going back to New Orleans, where my time is almost up and my fate is sealed.
I'm going back to end my life down in the rising sun
I'm going back to New Orleans to die in that notorious place known as the rising sun.
There is a house in New Orleans they call the rising sun
There is a notorious place in New Orleans which is known as the rising sun.
And it's been the ruin of many a poor girl and me, oh God, I'm one
That place has caused the downfall of many poor girls, and I am one of them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheLeftyrighty
This young man possibly has a wonderful future in music.
@consumerwarrior1267
He released the above song in 1962, so he's been around for a while.
@Jabooty_Williams
@ConsumerWarrior that's the joke
@Shoda0197
He should win a prize or something, he has future.
@zoukmadrid9321
you bet !!!!!!
@frederick3467
Shame I think the kids will think it's old fashioned
@kostaburgess4373
This version is just absolutely killer. First song to share with anyone who says Dylan can't sing. Throughout this album he takes that Dylan-ness in his voice and turns it into pure melancholy, which this song just absolutely begs for. It's such a good take, he's nailed the emotions: Regret, sorrow, helplessness, numbness - it's all there. Absolutely perfect. And it's completely different to the Animals version, but one thing I have massive respect for this one for is how he's managed to build it up from a mournful whisper to a howling wail of desperation. So rousing... goosebumps every time. This is just sensational. And he was only twenty...
@-2high2fly-
He absolutely shit the bed with the vocals on this as he does with every song I've ever heard from him. He can write a song with the best of them and play instruments great, but he sounds like a cat whose tail got ran over by a bicycle with glass in the tires. You would be proving their point dead right if you showed them this in an effort to prove he was a good singer 🤣
@sylvanaire
I‘m one who has said he can‘t sing & should stick to song writing, but this was a virtuoso performance & I‘m converted! I like how he mixes the lyrics from several versions & really emotes the misery of it all. 👍👍😄
@zinnia3684
His voice is like the worst. I’m not saying he doesn’t have something but it’s not a good voice. He sold his soul, hence the fame. Check out an interview he did on Utube about that very subject.