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
Minstrel Boy
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?
Oh, Lucky's been drivin' a long, long time
And now he's stuck on top of the hill.
With twelve forward gears, it's been a long hard climb,
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?
Well, he deep in number and heavy in toil,
Mighty Mockingbird, he still has such a heavy load.
Beneath his bound'ries, what more can I tell,
With all of his trav'lin', but I'm still on that road.
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?
The song "Minstrel Boy," written by Bob Dylan, has a haunting quality to it that reflects the sense of loneliness and isolation that many traveling musicians often feel. The lyrics speak to the struggle of the minstrel or traveling musician who must rely on the kindness of others to survive. Bob Dylan asks, "Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin? Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?" This is a poignant reminder that the minstrel boy is at the mercy of others, and his survival is dependent upon their generosity.
The second verse speaks to the struggles of the singer, Lucky, who represents the many musicians who have struggled to make it to the top through hard work and perseverance. Lucky has been "driving a long, long time" and is now "stuck on top of the hill." Despite his success, Lucky is still "lonely still" because his fame and fortune have not fulfilled him. This verse serves as a reminder that fame and fortune can be fleeting, and that true happiness cannot be measured in material possessions.
The third verse is about the "Mighty Mockingbird," who is "deep in number and heavy in toil." The Mockingbird is an allegory for the traveling musician who must carry a heavy load to get from place to place. Despite his many travels, the Mockingbird's story is one that is familiar to many traveling musicians, who often find themselves wandering aimlessly from place to place, never truly finding a home. The verse ends with the line, "but I'm still on that road," which highlights the endless cycle of the traveling musician.
Overall, "Minstrel Boy" is a powerful reminder of the struggles that traveling musicians often face, and the importance of supporting them along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who will show kindness by giving money to the struggling musician?
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who will allow the coin to roll into the musician’s hat?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who will show kindness by giving money to the struggling musician?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?
Who will show kindness by giving money in a gentle manner to help the musician's spirit?
Oh, Lucky's been drivin' a long, long time
Lucky has been driving for a long time
And now he's stuck on top of the hill.
But now he is struggling to progress
With twelve forward gears, it's been a long hard climb,
Despite having a lot of resources, it's still been tough
And with all of them ladies, though, he's lonely still.
Even with many company, he is still feeling lonely
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who will show kindness by giving money to the struggling musician?
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who will allow the coin to roll into the musician’s hat?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who will show kindness by giving money to the struggling musician?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?
Who will show kindness by giving money in a gentle manner to help the musician’s spirit?
Well, he deep in number and heavy in toil,
The mockingbird has many troubles
Mighty Mockingbird, he still has such a heavy load.
Even though he is strong, he is still weighed down
Beneath his bound'ries, what more can I tell,
He is limited by his situation
With all of his trav'lin', but I'm still on that road.
Even though he travels a lot, he still faces struggles. I also have my own struggles, but I am still journeying forward
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who will show kindness by giving money to the struggling musician?
Who's gonna let it roll?
Who will allow the coin to roll into the musician’s hat?
Who's gonna throw that minstrel boy a coin?
Who will show kindness by giving money to the struggling musician?
Who's gonna let it down easy to save his soul?
Who will show kindness by giving money in a gentle manner to help the musician’s spirit?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind