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
Legend In My Time
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I want for you to do is take my body home
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Jesus gonna make up, Jesus gonna make up
Jesus gonna make up my dying bed
If these wings should fail me
Lord, won't you meet me with another pair?
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Jesus gonna make up, Jesus gonna make up
Jesus gonna make up my dying bed
Lord, in my time of dying, don't want nobody to cry
All I want you to do is take me when I die
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Well, well, well
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
Jesus gonna make up, Jesus gonna make up
Jesus gonna make up my dying bed
In My Time of Dyin' is a traditional folk song that has been covered by many artists over the years, including Bob Dylan. The song explores the themes of death and redemption, with the singer singing about his desire for a peaceful and easy passing. The lines "Well, in my time of dying don't want nobody to mourn / All I want for you to do is take my body home" suggest that the singer is not afraid of death, but rather wants to make things easier for those left behind.
The repeated refrain of "Jesus gonna make up my dying bed" further emphasizes the singer's belief in redemption and the afterlife. This is also reflected in the lyrics "meet me Jesus, meet me, meet me in the middle of the air / If these wings should fail me / Lord, won't you meet me with another pair?" which suggest the singer's hope for a smooth transition into the afterlife with the help of Jesus.
The final verse "Lord, in my time of dying, don't want nobody to cry / All I want you to do is take me when I die" once again emphasizes the singer's desire for peace and acceptance when it comes to death. The line "don't want nobody to cry" suggests that the singer may have come to terms with his own mortality and does not want others to be burdened by sadness after his passing.
Overall, In My Time of Dyin' is a deeply introspective and contemplative song that deals with the difficult themes of death, redemption, and the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, in my time of dying don't want nobody to mourn
When I pass away, I do not want anyone to grieve over my death
All I want for you to do is take my body home
Instead, I would like you to calmly and peacefully transport my body to a familiar place of rest
Well, well, well, so I can die easy
This act will help me to pass away peacefully and without stress or undue strain
Jesus gonna make up, Jesus gonna make up
I believe that Jesus Christ will save my soul and provide me with eternal life
Jesus gonna make up my dying bed
I have faith that even in my final moments, Jesus will provide me with comfort and support
Well, meet me Jesus, meet me, meet me in the middle of the air
I am confident that when I take my final breaths, I will be met and embraced by Jesus Christ
If these wings should fail me
If I am unable to achieve physical flight or ascent to heaven
Lord, won't you meet me with another pair?
I request that the Lord provide me with a new pair of wings to allow me to continue my journey towards heaven
Lord, in my time of dying, don't want nobody to cry
I do not want the people around me to shed tears upon my death
All I want you to do is take me when I die
Rather, I would prefer that they compassionately transport me to my final resting place
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DP, BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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In questo mondo infernale lui e il paradiso h. 18.00 Miranda