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
Jack-A-Roe
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He had a lovely daughter, the truth to you I'll tell,
Oh, the truth to you I'll tell.
She had sweethearts a-plenty and men of high degree.
There was none but Jackie Frazier, her true love e'er to be,
Oh, her true love e'er to be.
If none but Jack the sailor would ever suit your mind,
Oh, would ever suit your mind.
"This body you may imprison, my heart you can't confine.
There's none but Jack the sailor would have this heart of mine,
Oh, would have this heart of mine.
Now Jackie's gone sailing with trouble on his mind.
To leave his native country and his darling girl behind,
Oh, his darling girl behind.
She went into the tailor shop and dressed in men's array,
Then she went into the vessel to convey herself away,
Oh, convey herself away.
"Before you step onboard, sir, your name I'd like to know."
She smiled all in her countenance, said, "They call me Jack-A-Roe,
Oh, they call me Jack-A-Roe."
"Your waist is light and slender, your fingers neat and small,
Your cheeks too red and rosy for to face the cannonball,
Oh, to face the cannonball.
"I know my waist is slender and my fingers they are small,
But they would not make me tremble for to see ten thousand fall,
Oh, to see ten thousand fall."
The war soon being over, they hunted all around.
Among the dead and dying her darling love she found,
Oh, her darling love she found.
She picked him up all in her arms and carries him to town,
And sent for her physician to quickly heal his wounds,
Oh, to quickly heal his wounds.
This couple, they got married, so well they did agree,
This couple they got married, so why not you and me,
Oh, so why not you and me.
The song “Jack-A-Roe” has its roots in a traditional folk ballad that dates back to the 18th century. The ballad tells the story of a wealthy merchant in London who has a daughter with many suitors but is only interested in Jack the Sailor. Her father forbids her from seeing Jack and tells her that she must marry someone of high rank, but she refuses because she loves Jack. So, the father locks her up in a room to prevent her from seeing Jack, but she escapes dressed as a man and stows away on Jack’s ship. Once on board, she reveals herself to Jack, and they fall in love.
The theme of gender roles reversal in the song is significant. The daughter disguises herself as a man to be with her lover, Jack. It is also worth noting that the woman has agency as she actively rebels against her father's command to marry someone wealthy. Instead, she chooses to follow her heart, fighting against societal norms and expectations.
Dylan's version of the song includes minor lyrical modifications and a nimble acoustic guitar arrangement. In Dylan's version, the song takes on a more playful yet contemplative tone. Dylan's vocal inflections, backed by light plucking of acoustic strings, help highlight the poignancy and humour behind the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, there was a wealthy merchant, in London he did dwell.
There existed a wealthy businessman residing in London.
He had a lovely daughter, the truth to you I'll tell,
The businessman had a charming daughter.
She had sweethearts a-plenty and men of high degree.
The daughter had many suitors, including affluent gentlemen.
There was none but Jackie Frazier, her true love e'er to be,
However, Jackie Frazier was the daughter's only true love.
"Oh daughter, oh daughter, your body I will confine.
The businessman threatened to imprison his daughter.
If none but Jack the sailor would ever suit your mind,
Unless his daughter exclusively loved Jack the sailor.
"This body you may imprison, my heart you can't confine.
The daughter stated that her father couldn't confine her heart.
There's none but Jack the sailor would have this heart of mine,
She was devoted to Jack and no one else.
Now Jackie's gone sailing with trouble on his mind.
Jackie went on a voyage with worries on his mind.
To leave his native country and his darling girl behind,
He left his home and lover behind.
She went into the tailor shop and dressed in men's array,
The daughter dressed in men's clothing at a tailor shop.
Then she went into the vessel to convey herself away,
She boarded a ship to leave unnoticed.
"Before you step onboard, sir, your name I'd like to know."
Before allowing Jack on board, she requested his name.
She smiled all in her countenance, said, "They call me Jack-A-Roe,
She introduced herself as Jack-A-Roe with a grin.
"Your waist is light and slender, your fingers neat and small,
The sailor complimented Jack-A-Roe's petite waist and fingers.
Your cheeks too red and rosy for to face the cannonball,
However, he felt that her cheeks were too soft to withstand cannon fire.
"I know my waist is slender and my fingers they are small,
She acknowledged being slender with small fingers.
But they would not make me tremble for to see ten thousand fall,
Jack-A-Roe believed her size wouldn't weaken her in battle.
The war soon being over, they hunted all around.
After the war ended, they searched for loved ones.
Among the dead and dying her darling love she found,
The daughter discovered Jack wounded amid dead and injured soldiers.
She picked him up all in her arms and carries him to town,
She carried Jack in her arms to town.
And sent for her physician to quickly heal his wounds,
She requested medical assistance for Jack's injuries.
"This couple, they got married, so well they did agree,
Finally, the couple got married and had a successful marriage.
This couple they got married, so why not you and me,
The songwriter suggests that the listener should also get married.
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: TRADITIONAL, BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind