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
Mary and the Soldier
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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That would hear of a fair young maiden
And she rode out of a summer's day
For to view the soldiers parading
They marches so bold and they looked so gay
The colors flying and the bands did play
And it caused young Mary for to say
I'll wed you my gallant soldier
She viewed the soldiers on parade
And as they stood at their leisure
And Mary to herself did say
At last I've found my treasure
But oh how cruel my parents must be
To banish my darling so far from me
But I'll leave them all and I'll go with thee
You wild undaunted soldier
Oh Mary dear your parents love
I pray don't be unruly
For when we're in a foreign land
Believe me you'll rue it surely
And if in battle I might fall
By a shot from an angry cannonball
And you so far from your daddy's hall
Be advised by your gallant soldier
I have fifty guineas in bright gold
Likewise a heart that's bolder
And I'll leave them all and I'll go with you
You wild undaunted soldier
So don't say no but let me go
And I will face the daring foe
And we'll march together to and fro
And I'll wed you my gallant soldier
And when he saw her loyalty
And Mary so true hearted
He said then darling married we'll be
And nothing but death will part us
And when we're in a foreign land
I'll guard you darling with my right hand
In the hopes that God might stand a friends
To Mary and her gallant soldier
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's "Mary and the Soldier" tell a story of a young woman named Mary who falls in love with a soldier she sees on parade. She is willing to leave everything behind, including her family, to follow him wherever he goes. The lyrics are vivid and atmospheric, creating a sense of romance and adventure. Mary is characterized as brave and independent, willing to defy tradition to be with the man she loves. The soldier is depicted as noble and heroic, willing to risk his life for his country and his love.
The narrative of the song is driven by its rich sense of place and atmosphere. The opening lines set the scene and establish the tone of the song. The use of the phrase "high reknown" suggests a sense of history and tradition, and the image of a young woman riding out on a summer's day creates a sense of idyllic beauty. The soldiers are described in lavish detail, with their bold marching, colorful uniforms, and lively music. Mary's love for the soldier is portrayed as an act of defiance against her parents, who are characterized as cruel and unsympathetic. The soldier's love for Mary is portrayed as an act of chivalry and honor.
Line by Line Meaning
Come all ye lads of high reknown
Attention, all men of reputation and honor, gather around
That would hear of a fair young maiden
Who want to listen to a story about a beautiful young girl
And she rode out of a summer's day
On a summer day, she set out on a horse ride
For to view the soldiers parading
To watch the soldiers marching in a parade
They marches so bold and they looked so gay
They marched with confidence and joy
The colors flying and the bands did play
The flags were waving, and the bands were playing music
And it caused young Mary for to say
This made Mary say
I'll wed you my gallant soldier
I will marry you, my brave soldier
She viewed the soldiers on parade
She watched the soldiers in the parade
And as they stood at their leisure
As they rested between marching
And Mary to herself did say
Mary thought to herself
At last I've found my treasure
I have finally found my true love
But oh how cruel my parents must be
My parents will be so unkind
To banish my darling so far from me
To send my lover away to a distant land
But I'll leave them all and I'll go with thee
But I will leave my home and go with you
You wild undaunted soldier
You fearless and daring soldier
Oh Mary dear your parents love
Mary, your parents love you
I pray don't be unruly
Please do not act recklessly
For when we're in a foreign land
Because when we are in a foreign country
Believe me you'll rue it surely
You will definitely regret it
And if in battle I might fall
If I die in battle
By a shot from an angry cannonball
From an angry cannonball
And you so far from your daddy's hall
And you so far away from home
Be advised by your gallant soldier
Please listen to your brave soldier
I have fifty guineas in bright gold
I have fifty gold coins
Likewise a heart that's bolder
And a braver heart
And I'll leave them all and I'll go with you
And I will leave everything and go with you
You wild undaunted soldier
You fearless and daring soldier
So don't say no but let me go
So please do not say no, let me go with you
And I will face the daring foe
And I will face the perilous enemy
And we'll march together to and fro
And we will march side by side
And I'll wed you my gallant soldier
And I will marry you, my brave soldier
And when he saw her loyalty
And when he saw her faithfulness
And Mary so true hearted
And Mary with a loyal heart
He said then darling married we'll be
He then said, my dear, we will get married
And nothing but death will part us
Only death will separate us
And when we're in a foreign land
When we are in another country
I'll guard you darling with my right hand
I will protect you, my dear, with my right hand
In the hopes that God might stand a friends
Praying that God will be our ally
To Mary and her gallant soldier
For Mary and her brave soldier
Contributed by Declan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.