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
Million Dollar Bash
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With her wheel in the gorge
Turtle, that friend of theirs
With his checks all forged
And his cheeks in a chunk
With his cheese in the cash
They're all gonna be there
At that million dollar bash
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
It's that million dollar bash
Everybody from right now
Go ever there and back
The louder they come
The bigger they crack
Come now, sweet cream
Don't forget to flash
We're all gonna meet
At that million dollar bash
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
It's that million dollar bash
Well, I took my counselor
Out to the barn
Silly Nelly was there
She told me a yarn
Then along came Jones
Emptied the trash
Everybody went down
To that million dollar bash
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
It's that million dollar bash
Well, I'm hittin' it too hard
My stones won't take
I'm get up in the mornin'
But it's too early to wake
First it's hello, goodbye
Then push and then crash
But we're all gonna make it
At that million dollar bash
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
It's that million dollar bash
Well, I looked at my watch
I looked at my wrist
Punched myself in the face
With my fist
I took my potatoes
Down to be mashed
Then I made it over to
That million dollar bash
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
It's that million dollar bash
The song "Million Dollar Bash" by Bob Dylan and The Band is a whimsical, up-tempo track that centers around a party that includes an interesting cast of characters such as a "big dump blond" with her "wheel in the gorge," Turtle with his forged checks and chunky cheeks, and Silly Nelly, who tells a yarn. The song seems to be about a culture of excess and extravagance, with people gathering to celebrate and indulge in a decadent party that costs a million dollars. The lyrics also touch on themes of waking up early after a night of excess, the push and pull of relationships, and the inevitability of making it to the party.
The song's lyrics are classic Bob Dylan, full of clever wordplay and offbeat imagery. The lines are often nonsensical and playful, with a catchy chorus that repeats the phrase "ooh, baby, ooh-ee" over and over.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, that big dump blond
A voluptuous woman with blonde hair
With her wheel in the gorge
Driving her car through the valley
Turtle, that friend of theirs
The slow, but steady companion of the group
With his checks all forged
Using fake documents for money
And his cheeks in a chunk
Having a chubby face
With his cheese in the cash
Storing his wealth in an inaccessible place
They're all gonna be there
Everyone is invited to the party
At that million dollar bash
At the extravagant celebration
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Excitement and anticipation
Everybody from right now
Everyone is welcome
Go ever there and back
Travel far and wide
The louder they come
The more attention they will receive
The bigger they crack
The more likely they will fail
Come now, sweet cream
Addressing someone affectionately
Don't forget to flash
Remember to take some photos
We're all gonna meet
We will all gather together
At that million dollar bash
At the extravagant celebration
Well, I took my counselor
Seeking help from a professional
Out to the barn
To a secluded location
Silly Nelly was there
A foolish person was present
She told me a yarn
She told me a tall tale
Then along came Jones
Suddenly, someone else appeared
Emptied the trash
Got rid of unnecessary items
Everybody went down
Everyone attended
Well, I'm hittin' it too hard
Trying too much
My stones won't take
My efforts are not successful
I'm get up in the mornin'
I wake up early
But it's too early to wake
It's still too early to start the day
First it's hello, goodbye
The beginning and end are unpredictable
Then push and then crash
The changes are sudden and chaotic
But we're all gonna make it
We will overcome the challenges
At that million dollar bash
At the extravagant celebration
Well, I looked at my watch
Checking the time
I looked at my wrist
Checking the timepiece on my wrist
Punched myself in the face
Frustration at the situation
With my fist
Using physical force
I took my potatoes
Bringing food to share
Down to be mashed
Preparing the food
Then I made it over to
Finally arriving at
That million dollar bash
At the extravagant celebration
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Excitement and anticipation
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Excitement and anticipation
Ooh, baby, ooh-ee
Excitement and anticipation
It's that million dollar bash
The extravagant celebration
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rave779
Obviously a huge reference to all of his old previous records from this song alone. I guess that’s why the song is called that, as an amalgamation of all his biggest hits into one concise song lol
@stephenvallely4361
"Everyone went down to that million dollar bash"
@gustav4821
People who complain of opaque lyrics on Blonde on Blonde are yet to hear this mf
@petermilner9753
Fairport Convention also do a wonderful version of this song
@oleggorky906
Yes, I’ve just come here after listening to their version. It’s a shame what happened to Sandy. The canker worm took her way to soon. 😢
@hammer44head
Fairport Covention doesnt know how to play anything but wonderful songs!!
@karonkommedal4612
Oo baby oo ee
@mortimerzilch2608
great singing.
@jaroflies3700
Danko and Manuel join in on the chorus; can’t get much better than that.
@CinemaMaz
Based