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
Isis
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I could not hold on to her very long
So I cut off my hair and I rode straight away
For the wild unknown country where I could not go wrong
I came to a high place of darkness and light
Dividing line ran through the center of town
I hitched up my pony to a post on the right
A man in the corner approached me for a match
I knew right away he was not ordinary
He said, are you lookin' for somethin' easy to catch
Said, I got no money, he said, that ain't necessary
We set out that night for the cold in the North
I gave him my blanket, he gave me his word
I said, where are we goin', he said we'd be back by the fourth
I said, that's the best news that I've ever heard
I was thinkin' about turquoise, I was thinkin' about gold
I was thinkin' about diamonds and the world's biggest necklace
As we rode through the canyons, through the devilish cold
I was thinkin' about Isis, how she thought I was so reckless
How she told me that one day we would meet up again
And things would be different the next time we wed
If I only could hang on and just be her friend
I still can't remember all the best things she said
We came to the pyramids all embedded in ice
He said, there's a body I'm tryin' to find
If I carry it out it'll bring a good price
'Twas then that I knew what he had on his mind
The wind it was howlin' and the snow was outrageous
We chopped through the night and we chopped through the dawn
When he died I was hopin' that it wasn't contagious
But I made up my mind that I had to go on
I broke into the tomb, but the casket was empty
There was no jewels, no nothin', I felt I'd been had
When I saw that my partner was just bein' friendly
When I took up his offer I must-a been mad
I picked up his body and I dragged him inside
Threw him down in the hole and I put back the cover
I said a quick prayer and I felt satisfied
Then I rode back to find Isis just to tell her I love her
She was there in the meadow where the creek used to rise
Blinded by sleep and in need of a bed
I came in from the East with the sun in my eyes
I cursed her one time then I rode on ahead
She said, where ya been? I said, no place special
She said, you look different, I said, well, I guess
She said, you been gone, I said, that's only natural
She said, you gonna stay? I said, yeah, I might do
Isis, oh, Isis, you mystical child
What drives me to you is what drives me insane
I still can remember the way that you smiled
On the fifth day of May in the drizzlin' rain
Bob Dylan's song "Isis" is a tale of adventure, love, and loss. The singer recounts his journey after marrying the titular character on May 5th. However, he is unable to hold onto her for long, which motivates him to leave for an unknown country where he thinks he cannot do anything wrong. After traveling to a town where a dividing line separates darkness and light, he meets a man who proposes that they embark on a journey to find a body in the cold north. Along the way, the singer thinks about love, the world's biggest necklace, and the reckless behavior that had driven Isis away.
When they eventually find the tomb where the body is supposed to be, the singer's partner turns against him, leading to his death. The singer breaks into the tomb, only to find out that there were no jewels. He finds Isis and speaks to her, and although she is initially offended, the two eventually reconcile. The song ends with Bob Dylan singing about how Isis is a mystical child, and she drives him insane with her smile.
Line by Line Meaning
I married Isis on the fifth day of May
The singer got married to someone named Isis on the fifth day of May.
But I could not hold on to her very long
Their marriage did not last.
So I cut off my hair and I rode straight away
The singer cut off their hair and left town.
For the wild unknown country where I could not go wrong
They went to an unfamiliar place where they hoped they would not make mistakes.
I came to a high place of darkness and light
The artist came to a place that had both dark and bright areas.
Dividing line ran through the center of town
There was a dividing line that ran through the middle of the town.
I hitched up my pony to a post on the right
The singer tied their horse to a post on the right.
Went in to a laundry to wash my clothes down
They went into a laundry to wash their clothes.
A man in the corner approached me for a match
A man in the corner asked the artist for a match.
I knew right away he was not ordinary
The artist realized that the man was unusual.
He said, are you lookin' for somethin' easy to catch
The man asked if they were looking for something easy to get.
Said, I got no money, he said, that ain't necessary
The artist mentioned that they had no money, but the man said it was not necessary.
We set out that night for the cold in the North
They started a journey that would take them to a cold place towards the north.
I gave him my blanket, he gave me his word
The singer gave the man their blanket, and the man promised something in return.
I said, where are we goin', he said we'd be back by the fourth
The singer asked where they were going, and the man said they would be back by the fourth.
I said, that's the best news that I've ever heard
The artist was pleased to hear the man's response.
I was thinkin' about turquoise, I was thinkin' about gold
The artist was thinking about valuable things like turquoise and gold.
I was thinkin' about diamonds and the world's biggest necklace
They were also thinking about diamonds and a big necklace.
As we rode through the canyons, through the devilish cold
They rode through canyons and faced extremely cold weather.
I was thinkin' about Isis, how she thought I was so reckless
The artist thought about Isis and how she considered them reckless.
How she told me that one day we would meet up again
Isis had told the artist they would reunite someday.
And things would be different the next time we wed
She also said that things would be different when they got married again.
If I only could hang on and just be her friend
The singer wished they could remain friends and not ruin their relationship.
I still can't remember all the best things she said
They couldn't recall all the good things Isis had said to them.
We came to the pyramids all embedded in ice
The two arrived at the pyramids covered in ice.
He said, there's a body I'm tryin' to find
The man told the singer they were searching for a body.
If I carry it out it'll bring a good price
The man mentioned they could sell the body for a good price if they could get it out.
'Twas then that I knew what he had on his mind
The artist realized what the man's true intentions were.
The wind it was howlin' and the snow was outrageous
The wind was strong, and the snow was severe.
We chopped through the night and we chopped through the dawn
They worked hard throughout the night and into the morning.
When he died I was hopin' that it wasn't contagious
The man died, and the singer worried they had caught a disease.
But I made up my mind that I had to go on
Despite the man's death, the artist decided to continue.
I broke into the tomb, but the casket was empty
The artist broke into a tomb but found an empty casket.
There was no jewels, no nothin', I felt I'd been had
They found nothing in the casket, and they felt deceived.
When I saw that my partner was just bein' friendly
The singer learned that the man was only pretending to be friendly.
When I took up his offer I must-a been mad
The artist realized they were foolish to accept the man's offer.
I picked up his body and I dragged him inside
The singer picked up the man's body and took it with them.
Threw him down in the hole and I put back the cover
They threw the body into a hole and covered it.
I said a quick prayer and I felt satisfied
They said a short prayer and found comfort in it.
Then I rode back to find Isis just to tell her I love her
The artist went back to find Isis and tell her they loved her.
She was there in the meadow where the creek used to rise
Isis was in a meadow near a creek.
Blinded by sleep and in need of a bed
She seemed very tired and in need of rest.
I came in from the East with the sun in my eyes
The singer arrived from the east with the sun in their eyes.
I cursed her one time then I rode on ahead
The artist cursed Isis before riding away.
She said, where ya been? I said, no place special
Isis asked the artist where they had been, and they replied nowhere significant.
She said, you look different, I said, well, I guess
Isis noticed that the artist looked different, and they acknowledged it.
She said, you been gone, I said, that's only natural
Isis mentioned that they had been away, and the singer agreed it was natural.
She said, you gonna stay? I said, yeah, I might do
Isis asked if the artist intended to stay, and they replied that they might.
Isis, oh, Isis, you mystical child
The singer addresses Isis as a mystical child.
What drives me to you is what drives me insane
They admit that their attraction to Isis is driving them crazy.
I still can remember the way that you smiled
They still remember how Isis smiled.
On the fifth day of May in the drizzlin' rain
This memory is from when they got married on May 5th in rainy weather.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jacques Levy, Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SwinginPig
Note: The footage here is from a concert in Montreal (December 4). I had to overdub it with the Madison Square Garden audio due to copyright. Please follow this link to see this footage with the correct audio: https://vimeo.com/376499609.
@jmatthewgallant
Amazing!
@juandavidvillegas3889
Great Job. Thank you!
@artflow7805
Happy birth day Bob!
@frednoble1833
He makes. One HELL OG A MIME.
@andreaberkely8729
Thank you so much. I was sure I saw the whole song on my DVDs, (I bought a second because I was sure), but neither ever seemed to play the whole song. 🤷🏼♀️
@Adam-hs1ft
I love how Bob's the only one who gets to hear his harmonica.
@rahuljobanputra5448
He had to make room for Scarlet's sick ass violin work
@chrisdiaz4565
The harmonica and violin occupy similar wavelengths and he is promoting people in the band.
@madmaxine4185
If he don't feel it we don't feel it.