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
Keep Your Hands Off Her
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey Ledbetter wrote this.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Keep your hands off her.
Bob Dylan's song "Keep Your Hands Off Her" is a traditional blues song that he covered during his early years as a musician. The lyrics of the song are straightforward and repetitive, emphasizing the phrase "keep your hands off her" throughout. The song opens with Dylan telling readers that the song was written by Ledbetter, referring to the legendary blues musician Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter.
The repeated refrain ("keep your hands off her") can be interpreted in a few different ways. On one level, the lyrics are simply warning someone to stay away from a woman - this could be interpreted as a statement of respect for her autonomy, or alternatively, as a possessive or jealous assertion from a male partner. On another level, the repetition of the phrase could be seen as a form of protest against sexual harassment or assault. This would fit with other themes in the blues, which often tackled social issues and injustices.
Interestingly, Dylan's version of the song differs somewhat from other recordings of "Keep Your Hands Off Her" that are available. For example, Leadbelly's original version of the song includes lines like "I may be right / I may be wrong / keep your hands off my woman / 'cause I ain't gonna tell you but one more time." Dylan omits these lines, allowing the song to focus more fully on the warning of the refrain.
Overall, "Keep Your Hands Off Her" is a powerful song with a clear message. Whether it's warning someone to stay away from a woman, or protesting against sexual harassment more broadly, the refrain is one that resonates.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep your hands off her.
Do not touch or interfere with the woman in question.
Hey Ledbetter wrote this.
This song is referencing the song 'Lead Belly' who wrote a similarly themed song about the same woman.
Keep your hands off her.
The singer is reiterating his warning to not touch the woman in question in a stern manner.
Keep your hands off her.
The singer is warning others to not make advances towards the woman in question.
Keep your hands off her.
This line is repeated multiple times for emphasis, stressing the importance of leaving the woman alone.
Keep your hands off her.
The woman is not to be touched or interfered with in any way.
Keep your hands off her.
This line emphasizes the singer's protective and possessive nature towards the woman.
Keep your hands off her.
The singer is warning others to not try to claim the woman as their own.
Keep your hands off her.
This line functions as a clear and direct command to others to not make unwelcome advances towards the woman.
Keep your hands off her.
The singer is making it clear that the woman in question is not to be touched or harassed in any way.
Contributed by Luke T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.