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
I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Alive as you or me
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold
Searching for the very souls
Whom already have been sold
Arise, arise, he cried so loud
In a voice without restraint
Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint
No martyr is among ye now
Whom you can call your own
So go on your way accordingly
But know you're not alone
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive with fiery breath
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death
Oh, I awoke in anger
So alone and terrified
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried
The song "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" by Bob Dylan is a powerful and poignant interpretation of the life and death of Saint Augustine. The opening lines of the song describe a vivid dream where the saint is alive and walking amongst the destitute and downtrodden, seeking out those who have lost their way. The image of St. Augustine carrying a blanket underneath his arm and a coat of solid gold suggests a deep sense of compassion and spiritual richness, as well as a willingness to give all that he has to those in need. Dylan portrays St. Augustine as a prophet-like figure who cries out for justice, calling upon the wealthy and powerful to listen to his message and understand the suffering of the poor.
The second verse of the song continues this theme of social justice, with St. Augustine calling out for the gifted kings and queens of the world to hear his message. He laments the fact that there are no martyrs amongst them, implying a lack of courage and conviction in the face of oppression and injustice. Despite this, he encourages them to go on their own way, but reminds them that they are not alone in their struggles.
The final verse of the song expresses the singer's personal frustration and anger at the fate of St. Augustine, and imagines himself as one of those who put him to death. This sense of guilt and shame is conveyed through the use of powerful imagery, such as the singer putting his fingers against the glass and bowing his head in sorrowful remorse.
Overall, "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine" is a moving and thought-provoking song that speaks to themes of social justice, spirituality, and personal reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
The singer is having a dream where he saw St. Augustine.
Alive as you or me
In the dream, St. Augustine appeared alive like any other person.
Tearing through these quarters
St. Augustine was moving through the place in the dream with urgency.
In the utmost misery
The dream portrayed St. Augustine as deeply unhappy.
With a blanket underneath his arm
St. Augustine was carrying a blanket along with him.
And a coat of solid gold
In the dream, St. Augustine donned a luxurious coat made of gold.
Searching for the very souls
St. Augustine was on a mission to find particular souls.
Whom already have been sold
However, these souls had already been claimed by someone else.
Arise, arise, he cried so loud
St. Augustine's dream self shouted for people to wake up.
In a voice without restraint
His voice was full of emotion and intensity.
Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
St. Augustine called out to nobility and royalty to listen to his plea.
And hear my sad complaint
He wanted them to listen to his sadness and discontent.
No martyr is among ye now
St. Augustine pointed out that nobody in the audience had recently become a martyr.
Whom you can call your own
Thus, they shouldn't be too attached to any one person being a martyr.
So go on your way accordingly
People should move on with their lives and not take things for granted.
But know you're not alone
Although people were not martyrs, St. Augustine reminded them that they were not alone in their struggles.
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
The dream continues with the same vivid imagery.
Alive with fiery breath
In this part of the dream, St. Augustine appears to have more vitality and energy.
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
The singer imagines himself to be among the people who put St. Augustine to death.
That put him out to death
He felt anger towards himself and others for killing the great saint.
Oh, I awoke in anger
The artist woke up from the dream feeling mad.
So alone and terrified
The dream left him feeling isolated and scared.
I put my fingers against the glass
The singer touches the glass, perhaps indicating he feels trapped or isolated.
And bowed my head and cried
The emotional weight of the dream caused him to cry.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive as you or me
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold
Searching for the very souls
Whom already have been sold
Arise, arise, he cried so loud
With a voice without restraint
Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint
No martyr is among ye now
Whom you can call your own
So go on your way accordingly
But know you're not alone
🎵🎶🎵🎶
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive with fiery breath
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death
Oh, I awoke in anger
So alone and terrified
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive as you or me
Tearing through these quarters
In the utmost misery
With a blanket underneath his arm
And a coat of solid gold
Searching for the very souls
Whom already have been sold
Arise, arise, he cried so loud
In a voice without restraint
Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
And hear my sad complaint
No martyr is among ye now
Whom you can call your own
So go on your way accordingly
But know you're not alone
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine
Alive with fiery breath
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
That put him out to death
Oh, I awoke in anger
So alone and terrified
I put my fingers against the glass
And bowed my head and cried
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
I Dreamed I saw St. Augustine
성 아우구스티누스가 나온 꿈을 꾸었네
John Wesley Harding (1967)
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine,
성 아우구스티누스가 나온 꿈을 꾸었네.
Alive as you or me,
그는 자네와 나처럼 살아 있었지.
Tearing through these quarters
극심한 슬픔에 가득 차
In the utmost misery,
여러 지방들을 찢어버리고 있었네.
With a blanket underneath his arm
그의 팔 아래에 놓인 담요와
And a coat of solid gold,
단단한 황금의 코트를 갖고,
Searching for the very souls
이미 팔려나갔던
Whom already have been sold.
그 영혼들을 찾아 나서고 있었네.
"Arise, arise," he cried so loud,
"일어나라, 일어나라." 그는 크게 소리쳤지.
In a voice without restraint,
추호도 억제하지 않은 목소리로,
"Come out, ye gifted kings and queens
"이리 오너라, 금수저를 문 왕과 여왕들아,
And hear my sad complaint.
그리고 내 슬픈 불평을 들어다오.
No martyr is among ye now
더 이상 순교자는 너희들 사이에 나타나지 않고
Whom you can call your own,
그저 너희들이 스스로를 그렇게 부를 뿐이니,
So go on your way accordingly
바로 너희들의 길을 가거라.
But know you're not alone."
다만 너희들은 혼자가 아니라는 것을 알거라." 라 말했다네.
I dreamed I saw St. Augustine,
성 아우구스티누스가 나온 꿈을 꾸었네.
Alive with fiery breath,
그는 불타오르는 숨결을 뿜으며 살아 있었지.
And I dreamed I was amongst the ones
그리고 나는, 그를 죽음에 몰아넣은 자들 중에
That put him out to death.
내가 있었던 꿈을 꾸었다네.
Oh, I awoke in anger,
아, 나는 분노에 차 일어났지.
So alone and terrified,
너무도 외롭고 공포스러웠다네.
I put my fingers against the glass
내 손가락을 유리에 집어넣고
And bowed my head and cried.
머리를 숙이고 울음을 터뜨렸네.
@Samu93c
The greatest poet of our times.
@dixonpinfold2582
I'll give him that, but he's still not any TS Eliot, Milton, Shakespeare or Donne. He knows that.
He's more like a Herrick, a Blake or a Dylan Thomas. (All great favourites of mine.)
@evelaing3483
@dixon pinfold yes. he's with the more fallible, tender, human ones.
@tombitetto9498
Dixons a queeb
@pabloperez4063
@dixon pinfold the difference is that these ones could not play music
@LordStompyHarpLoonyTunes
Bob Dylan was a profit.
@richardtorres1449
I was turn on to Bob Dylan at the age of 11 years old in the 60's ,Now at the 68 years young .Still enjoying his music and messages that takes me places and memories that make Life experiences so worth living.Thank you Bobby...
@yamapenny5960
💟
@eoinmail7857
This is the Bob Dylan I love so much.
@jvs333
Man the memories these songs bring back of my teenage youth of that age the late 60s, a runaway hippie kid and a homeless life. Dylan spoke so much to me then and still does