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
Jim Jones
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And hear me tell my tale
How across the sea from England
I was condemned to sail
Now the jury found me guilty
Then says the judge, says he
"Oh, for life, Jim Jones, I'm sending you
Across the stormy sea
To join the iron gang
Don't get too gay in Botany Bay
Or else you'll surely hang
Or else you'll surely hang," says he
"And after that, Jim Jones
It's high above on the gallows tree
The crows will pick your bones"
And our ship was high upon the sea
When pirates came along
But the soldiers on our convict ship
Were full five hundred strong
For they opened fire and somehow drove
That pirate ship away
But I'd rather have joined that pirate ship
Than gone to Botany Bay
With the storms ragin' round us
And the winds a-blowin' gale
I'd rather have drowned in misery
Than gone to New South Wales
There's no time for mischief there they say
Remember that, says they
Or they'll flog the poaching out of you
Down there in Botany Bay
Now it's day and night and the irons clang
And like poor galley slaves
We toil and toil, and when we die
Must fill dishonored graves
And it's by and by I'll slip my chains
Into the bush I'll go
And I'll join the bravest rankers there
Jack Donohue and co
And some dark night, when everything
Is silent in the town
I'll shoot those tyrants one and all
I'll gun the floggers down
Oh, I'll give the land a little shock
Remember what I say
And they'll yet regret they've sent Jim Jones
In chains to Botany Bay
"Jim Jones" is a traditional folk song that has been recorded by various artists, but the version by Bob Dylan is probably the best-known. The song tells the story of an Englishman named Jim Jones who has been found guilty of a crime and sentenced to be transported to Australia, known at the time as Botany Bay. The judge warns Jim that he must behave himself or face the consequences of being hanged. Jim sails on a convict ship and encounters pirates, but eventually arrives in Australia. The conditions there are harsh, and he toils as a slave until he decides to escape and join a group of bushrangers who are rebels fighting against the British authorities. Jim vows to take vengeance on those who have wronged him, declaring that they will come to regret sending him to Botany Bay.
The song is a reminder of the brutal treatment of convicts who were sent to Australia in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Many of these people were poor and had committed petty crimes, and they were often subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment by their jailers. The song is also a celebration of resistance and rebellion, as Jim Jones refuses to accept his fate and decides to fight back against the system that has oppressed him. The story of Jim Jones, like many folk tales, is a powerful example of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Come and listen for a moment, lads
Attention please, hear what I say
And hear me tell my tale
Listen to my story
How across the sea from England
I was sent far away from England
I was condemned to sail
I was forced to travel
Now the jury found me guilty
The court declared me guilty
Then says the judge, says he
The judge said
"Oh, for life, Jim Jones, I'm sending you
"You are sentenced to life in prison, Jim Jones
Across the stormy sea
To a faraway place across the ocean
But take a tip before you ship
Listen to my advice before you leave
To join the iron gang
To work as a prisoner
Don't get too gay in Botany Bay
Don't have too much fun in Botany Bay
Or else you'll surely hang
Or you will be executed
And after that, Jim Jones
And then Jim Jones
It's high above on the gallows tree
You will hang on the gallows tree
The crows will pick your bones
Your body will be left for the birds to feed on
And our ship was high upon the sea
We were on a ship in the ocean
When pirates came along
When pirates attacked our ship
But the soldiers on our convict ship
But the soldiers on our ship
Were full five hundred strong
Were 500 in number
For they opened fire and somehow drove
They retaliated and forced the pirates to leave
That pirate ship away
The pirate ship was pushed away
But I'd rather have joined that pirate ship
I would rather be part of the pirate ship
Than gone to Botany Bay
Than go to Botany Bay
With the storms ragin' round us
While the violent storms surround us
And the winds a-blowin' gale
And the strong winds blowing
I'd rather have drowned in misery
I would prefer to die in the storm
Than gone to New South Wales
Than go to New South Wales
There's no time for mischief there they say
I have heard that there is no time for fun there
Remember that, says they
They advise me to remember it
Or they'll flog the poaching out of you
Or they will discipline you severely
Down there in Botany Bay
In Botany Bay
Now it's day and night and the irons clang
Now it is day and night and the sound of clanging irons can be heard
And like poor galley slaves
Like slaves who rowed in ancient ships
We toil and toil, and when we die
We work and work until we die
Must fill dishonored graves
Our graves will be without honor
And it's by and by I'll slip my chains
Eventually, I will escape
Into the bush I'll go
I will go into the wild
And I'll join the bravest rankers there
I will join the bravest group of people there
Jack Donohue and co
Including Jack Donohue
And some dark night, when everything
One night, when it's dark
Is silent in the town
When it's quiet in the town
I'll shoot those tyrants one and all
I will kill those cruel rulers
I'll gun the floggers down
I will shoot the people who whip others as punishment
Oh, I'll give the land a little shock
I will cause a disturbance in the land
Remember what I say
Remember my words
And they'll yet regret they've sent Jim Jones
They will regret sending Jim Jones away
In chains to Botany Bay
As a prisoner to Botany Bay
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind