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 āfor having created new poetic expressions within the great American song traditionā. 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
Make You Feel My Love
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
When evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong
I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
And oh, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love
The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love
The lyrics to Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" are an expression of the depth of the singer's desire to provide comfort and solace to his loved one. The use of vivid and dramatic imagery makes the song an evocative ode to the power of love, and the lengths to which one would go to make another person feel loved and protected. In the opening lines, Dylan describes the adverse circumstances that could be affecting his loved one: "When the rain is blowing in your face, And the whole world is on your case."
The lyrics go on to state that come what may, he would be there to provide emotional support and comfort to his lover: "I could offer you a warm embrace to make you feel my love." Not only does he offer to provide comfort in difficult times but also in times of loneliness, when no one else is there to lend a shoulder to cry on: "When evening shadows and the stars appear, and there is no one there to dry your tears, I could hold you for a million years to make you feel my love."
The lyrics continue to express the singer's unwavering dedication to his loved one, his willingness to endure any hardship to be with them: "I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue, I'd go crawling down the avenue, and oh, there's nothing that I wouldn't do, to make you feel my love." Overall, the lyrics are powerful expressions of the devotion and intensity of love.
Line by Line Meaning
When the rain is blowing in your face
In times of hardship, I will support you.
And the whole world is on your case
When everyone is against you, I will stand by your side.
I could offer a warm embrace
I will provide comfort and love to you.
To make you feel my love
My love and devotion will always be apparent to you.
When evening shadows and the stars appear
In your moments of loneliness, I will be there for you.
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I will be your shoulder to cry on and your support system.
I could hold you for a million years
I will never let go of my love for you and will always be here for you.
To make you feel my love
I will always strive to assure you of my love for you.
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
You may be uncertain, but I am certain of my love for you.
But I would never do you wrong
I will always treat you with love, respect, and loyalty.
I've known it from the moment that we met
My love for you has been present since the beginning of our relationship.
No doubt in my mind where you belong
I have no uncertainties about the love and connection we share.
I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I am willing to endure anything for you, even if it means going without basic needs.
I'd go crawling down the avenue
I am willing to humble myself and do whatever it takes to show my love for you.
And oh, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
I will do everything in my power to show my love and devotion to you.
To make you feel my love
My ultimate goal is to always make you feel my love.
The storms are raging on the rolling sea
Life may be rough, but I will always be here for you through it all.
And on the highway of regret
If you ever feel lost or regretful, I will help guide you back to the path of happiness.
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
Life is full of change, but I will always be here to face it with you.
You ain't seen nothing like me yet
I am a unique and special person, and my love for you reflects that.
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
My love for you has the power to bring happiness and make your dreams a reality.
Nothing that I wouldn't do
I am willing to do anything for you, no matter the cost.
Go to the ends of the earth for you
I am willing to go to great lengths to show my love and commitment to you.
To make you feel my love
The ultimate goal of my love and devotion is to make you feel my love.
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lenin Naorem
When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love
When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
Oh, I hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I will never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong
I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue
And I'd go crawling down the avenue
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love
The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of this Earth for you
To make you feel my love, oh yes
To make you feel my love
Songwriters: Bob Dylan
Angie Falber
Whether or not you love his voice, this man is a lyrical genius. He's a poet.
ferociousgumby
I love his voice.
Darryl Corp
His voice is part of the appeal.
Monty MontaƱo
And don't forget his melodies. He's has created so many Ina variety of styles. This song is illustrative of his range as a tunesmith.
Zack Zallie
His voice really made up his lyrics. If his voice is in a right tune, it would be boring.
John Bismarck
The best voice is always the songwriter's. It's just as beautiful as the words, your loss if you don't get that. If you do get that, he makes you feel his words.
MrGreglarry
I'm ashamed to say I didn't know Bob wrote this song. Pure masterpiece.
Richie Brignall
Too My shame also
Liquid American
Don't be ashamed. He wrote a lot of songs associated more with other artists. Just appreciate that you found the original.
Genevieve Gelatto
It doesnāt get better than this. Masterful, beautiful, heart-wrenching, honest, and sincere.