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
Living the Blues
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been walking around
With my head bowed down to my shoes.
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.
I don't have to go far
To know where you are,
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.
I think that it's best,
I soon get some rest
And forget my pride.
But I can't deny
This feeling that I
Carry for you deep down inside.
If you see me this way,
You'd come back and you'd stay,
Oh, how could you refuse.
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.
The lyrics to Bob Dylan’s song “Living the Blues” are an exploration of the emotional pain and struggle of heartbreak. The song’s narrator is deeply affected by the absence of his love interest, and is unable to shake the feeling of loneliness and despair that accompanies their separation. He spends his days walking around with his head bowed down to his shoes, unable to escape the memories of his lost love. The singer acknowledges that he doesn’t have to go far to know where his love interest is, as strangers he encounters on his daily life often give him the news about her.
As the song progresses, the singer’s hopelessness and vulnerability becomes increasingly clear. He knows that it’s best to rest and forget his pride, but he can’t deny the profound feeling that he carries for his lost love deep down inside. The singer longs for the return of his love interest and knows that if she were to see him in this state, she would come back and stay with him. He is living the blues every night without her, consumed by the pain of her absence.
Overall, Dylan’s lyrics capture the raw emotion and sense of loss that often accompanies a breakup. The singer is powerless to change the situation and is left to suffer in silence, consumed by a sense of hopelessness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Since you've been gone,
Ever since you left me,
I've been walking around
I've been moving aimlessly
With my head bowed down to my shoes.
Feeling dejected and low
I've been living the blues
I've been experiencing great sadness and despair
Ev'ry night without you.
Every night without you has been unbearable
I don't have to go far
I don't need to search for you
To know where you are,
I already know where you are
Strangers all give me the news.
Even strangers inform me about your whereabouts
I think that it's best,
I believe it's the right thing to do
I soon get some rest
I should take a break
And forget my pride.
And set aside my ego
But I can't deny
However, I can't lie to myself
This feeling that I
This sensation that I have
Carry for you deep down inside.
Is a strong love that still resides in my heart
If you see me this way,
If you witness my current condition
You'd come back and you'd stay,
You would return to me and remain by my side
Oh, how could you refuse.
It would be difficult for you to say no
I've been living the blues
I've been experiencing great sadness and despair
Ev'ry night without you.
Every night without you has been unbearable
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
비정한세상
Since you've been gone,
I've been walking around
With my head bowed down to my shoes.
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.
I don't have to go far To know where you are,
Strangers all give me the news.
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.
I think that it's best,
I soon get some rest And forget my pride.
But I can't deny
This feeling that I Carry for you deep down inside.
If you see me this way,
You'd come back and you'd stay,
Oh, how could you refuse.
I've been living the blues
Ev'ry night without you.
Tom Hoefling
One of my all-time favorite performances, by Bob Dylan, or anybody for that matter.
Richard Southern
This is terrific. Here's what I see in this video: Bob is raising his guitar up--pulling it away from his body--just like J. Cash does. Notice also, if you are a J. Cash fan, that Bob also is mimicking J. Cash's signature head movements. The final flourish on the guitar is straight J. Cash. Dylan is either honoring J. Cash or making very subtle fun of him. Before you disagree with this, go back and watch some Johnny videos from his tv show. Then rewatch Bob on this video.
Sean Honan
Another timeless classic.....his vocals made us all feel deeply about whatever he wrote about....that's the Dylan I love.
George Coventry
Lovely. He put this song on the album "Self Portrait" in 1970. It's been one of my favorites to cover for many years.
FireWalkWithMe25
This guy sounds fresh. Good style, good tunes. Hope he makes it big someday. I'll follow his career with interest.
Olga Tee
Its been a Long Follow and a Worthy one still❣️👌🎶
Emery Island
I love this! I have been living the Blues every night without you, Bob!
Edison Cari
Wow es increíble y fascinante ver a Dylan en vivo de esta manera
Pablo Pérez
Pues si. Qué majo era
Lisa DC
Way too much epicness for one video! I think I'm down for the day...😇 Added bonus... Bob was drop dead gorgeous at this age!! ❤❤❤