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
Long Distance Operator
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Place this call, it's not for fun.
Long-distance operator,
Please, place this call, you know it's not for fun.
I gotta get a message to my baby,
You know, she's not just anyone.
There are thousands in the phone booth,
There are thousands in the phone booth,
Thousands at the gate.
Ev'rybody wants to make a long-distance call
But you know they're just gonna have to wait.
If a call comes from Louisiana,
Please, let it ride.
If a call comes from Louisiana,
Please, let it ride.
This phone booth's on fire,
It's getting hot inside.
Ev'rybody wants to be my friend,
But nobody wants to get higher.
Ev'rybody wants to be my friend,
But nobody wants to get higher.
Long-distance operator,
I believe I'm stranglin' on this telephone wire.
The song "Long Distance Operator" by Bob Dylan is a plea from the singer to a long-distance telephone operator. He asks the operator to place his call because it is not just for fun but because he needs to get a message to his baby, who is not just anyone. The phone booth and the gate where people are waiting to make long-distance calls are crowded with thousands of people. Even though everybody wants to make a call, they will just have to wait. The singer is so desperate to connect with his loved one that he feels like he is strangling on the telephone wire.
The song reflects on the era when long-distance communication was still relatively novel but also frustratingly slow and limited. The crowded phone booth and the gate are symbols of the gap between people that technology could not bridge. The singer's plea becomes a metaphor for the human need to connect with others even across a great distance, and his sense of desperation underscores the emotional intensity of that need. Dylan's rendition of the song with his acoustic guitar and harmonica creates a somber and intimate ambiance that amplifies the lyrics' emotional resonance.
Line by Line Meaning
Long-distance operator,
The singer is addressing the long-distance operator.
Place this call, it's not for fun.
The singer wants the operator to place the call because it's important, not for amusement.
Please, place this call, you know it's not for fun.
The singer is requesting the operator to place the call because they understand its importance.
I gotta get a message to my baby,
The artist wants to send a message to their loved one.
You know, she's not just anyone.
The artist's loved one is special and not like anyone else.
There are thousands in the phone booth,
There are many people waiting to make a long-distance call.
Thousands at the gate.
There are many people waiting outside to use the phone booth.
Ev'rybody wants to make a long-distance call
Everyone wants to make a long-distance call.
But you know they're just gonna have to wait.
Due to the large number of people trying to make a call, they will have to wait for their turn.
If a call comes from Louisiana,
The artist is giving the operator a specific instruction regarding a call from Louisiana.
Please, let it ride.
The singer is asking the operator to allow the call from Louisiana to go through without any issues.
This phone booth's on fire,
The artist is using a metaphor to describe the phone booth as being very busy.
It's getting hot inside.
The phone booth is overcrowded and uncomfortable due to a large number of people waiting to make calls.
Ev'rybody wants to be my friend,
Everyone wants to be associated with the singer.
But nobody wants to get higher.
No one wants to face the struggles that the singer has faced to reach their level of success.
I believe I'm stranglin' on this telephone wire.
The artist is using another metaphor to describe their current struggles and frustration while trying to make this call.
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bryan Keisling
Lyrics:
Long-distance operator
Place this call, it's not for fun
Long-distance operator
Please, place this call, you know it's not for fun
I gotta get a message to my baby
You know, she's not just anyone
There are thousands in the phone booth
Thousands at the gate
There are thousands in the phone booth
Thousands at the gate
Ev'rybody wants to make a long-distance call
But you know they're just gonna have to wait
Ev'rybody wants to be my friend
But nobody wants to get higher
Ev'rybody wants to be my friend
But nobody wants to get higher
Long-distance operator
I believe I'm stranglin' in this telephone wire
Andrews Art World
Love those lyrics, “Everybody wants to be my friend, but nobody wants to get higher. Thanks so much for this gem this evening. a majestic number. Rock on! ✌️
david saborit
What an amazing sound. I love it.
Jake Dulln
love the vocals, the band, the last waltz, all that, how can you nooot
adandap
I love that photo. I know the 1975 Basement Tapes wasn't the real deal in some ways, but it was a favourite of mine for many years. The Band tracks are great in their own right.
Charles King
This could have been a hit for many bands when it was written but for our man Bobby it was just a throwaway.
Vern Pascal
Right. it's great...I love it singing,playing and all.
Vern Pascal
I always thought this was a Band Song. Another Bob Classic.
Bryan Keisling
Lyrics:
Long-distance operator
Place this call, it's not for fun
Long-distance operator
Please, place this call, you know it's not for fun
I gotta get a message to my baby
You know, she's not just anyone
There are thousands in the phone booth
Thousands at the gate
There are thousands in the phone booth
Thousands at the gate
Ev'rybody wants to make a long-distance call
But you know they're just gonna have to wait
Ev'rybody wants to be my friend
But nobody wants to get higher
Ev'rybody wants to be my friend
But nobody wants to get higher
Long-distance operator
I believe I'm stranglin' in this telephone wire
Prabin Prabin
Nice ! The harmonica is sweet too
Asokan Ponnusamy
The two bands that resolutely ploughed their own furrow were The Grateful Dead and The Band. Good for them and great for us.