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
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Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But tonight I'm as lonesome as can be
Oh, the moon is shinin' bright
Lighting everything in sight
But tonight no light will shine on me
Oh, it's shameful and it's sad
I lost the only pal I had
I will turn my head up high
To that dark and rolling sky
For tonight no light will shine on me
I was so mistaken when I thought that she'd be true
I had no idea what a woman in love would do
One more night, I will wait for the light
While the wind blows high above the tree
Oh, I miss my darling so
I didn't mean to see her go
But tonight no light will shine on me
One more night, the moon is shinin' bright
And the wind blows high above the tree
Oh, I miss that woman so
I didn't mean to see her go
But tonight no light will shine on me
In Dylan's "One More Night," he sings of a forlorn romantic who has lost the love of his life. Despite the stars being in sight and the moon shining bright, the singer is lonely and nothing can light his way. He is haunted by missing his one true love and laments that he was mistaken in his assumption that she would remain faithful. He waits for the light and hopes it will guide him out of his darkness.
The use of imagery in Dylan’s lyrics is particularly striking as he creates an atmosphere of darkness and sadness. The moonlight, which is usually associated with serenity and calmness, is juxtaposed with the singer’s loneliness. The theme of betrayal is common in Dylan’s works and is present here, as the singer believes he was lied to and that his love was not true. He sees the dark sky as a way to escape as he turns his head upwards, signifying his hopelessness.
The song is similar in its sound and style to traditional folk music. Its simplicity is also typical of Dylan's earlier works, where he mainly focused on storytelling and singing about issues that affect society. The opening verse is particularly powerful, drawing the listener in and setting the scene for the rest of the song. Dylan’s raspy and raw voice lends itself to the melancholy of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
One more night, the stars are in sight
Despite the beautiful view of stars, I am lonely and unhappy.
But tonight I'm as lonesome as can be
Tonight, I feel extremely lonely.
Oh, the moon is shinin' bright
The moon is illuminating the surroundings.
Lighting everything in sight
The moon is shining its light on everything around me.
But tonight no light will shine on me
Despite the bright moon, I feel lost and alone.
Oh, it's shameful and it's sad
I feel ashamed and sorrowful.
I lost the only pal I had
I lost my closest friend and companion.
I just could not be what she wanted me to be
I was unable to meet her expectations and became distant.
I will turn my head up high
I will look towards the sky.
To that dark and rolling sky
The sky is dark and moving, reflecting my current mood.
For tonight no light will shine on me
I feel there is no hope or positivity around me.
I was so mistaken when I thought that she'd be true
I misjudged her loyalty and love towards me.
I had no idea what a woman in love would do
I did not understand the emotions and actions of a woman in love.
One more night, I will wait for the light
I will wait for a sign of hope or guidance.
While the wind blows high above the tree
I can feel the strong wind blowing around me.
Oh, I miss my darling so
I miss my loved one deeply.
I didn't mean to see her go
I did not intend for her to leave me.
But tonight no light will shine on me
Despite missing her, I feel alone and in the dark.
One more night, the moon is shinin' bright
The moon continues to shine its light.
And the wind blows high above the tree
The wind is still present, reminding me of my loneliness.
Oh, I miss that woman so
I long for the woman who left me.
I didn't mean to see her go
I did not want her to leave me.
But tonight no light will shine on me
Despite the continued bright moon, my mood remains dark and hopeless.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@janepiepes2243
Looks like I'm back here at the Savoy again. I return to a lot of places, however. For example, in 1966 when he is reacting to the booing English audience. Softly he says , " don't call my songs RUB-BISH...rubbish isn't even in my vocabulary...etc" .What a great speech. Then he bangs out Ballad of a Thin man on that acoustic piano, screaming it out ..like it should be sung,! Standing up ...
Using one hand to wave...And the whole speech and song are Fantastic , indeed.
What a great song to let out one's justifiable angry emotions.
So I'll brag now, I been a musician for this whole life.
And the piano and vocals I am that. And I think I've nailed that song. I'm female but sing a low as Jim Morrison now.
And it is ok with me now, cause I have discovered...after a lifetime , Mr Dylan. Strange but true.
So they'll be enough songs for me till I'm over.
What fantastic journey I've been on...I can l neve be bored ever ...ever.
Thanks , Jane
@oliveeisner8964
They're both singing so well~ who said Bob can't sing? My goodness. And I swear I've never heard him sing one off note EVER. Always in tune. He must have a natural ear for perfect pitch. Some people do.
@SwinginPig
Definitely agree. There isn't one recording in which he's off key. I was always astonished by that.
@oliveeisner8964
And live. That's the most amazing. Back then with a band behind you, nothing but mediocre stage monitors it was hard to hear yourself singing. It has to be imprinted in your brain somehow. Most normal people have off nights, but I've never heard one recording where his singing is flat or sharp. We're talking years & years. Bowie was like that too.
@SwinginPig
Olive Eisner yeah, most older singers were like that. Nowadays, mediocre singers can sell out stadiums regardless if they’re voices are pitch perfect. There are of course some older bands that didn’t cut it (The Kinks were great in the studio, but they’re singer wasn’t the greatest live).
@politicalprincess1
Joan Baez said about him “that boy can sing”
Who knew better than her?
@_Singularity_
There's something to this. He has bad performances where he doesn't seem to know the songs and the lyrics are unintelligible and there isn't a melody, but he never seems to miss notes
@HelianaSuper
How I love this duet... Bob and Joan. Both are loved in my country. Wonderful song! Thanks for sharing, SP!!! I love those old Bob songs!💖💖💖💖
@janepiepes2243
Hi Olive ! This is exactly what I've been since I began my dive into
b dylan . His ..many voices ..are beautiful - and thus far, I've never heard one flat note. Indeed, his pitch is perfect. In general, he's a master of melody, harmony, instrumentation, rythmn ...of course..
Lyrics with depth and a Neverending imagination.
Yup, perfect pitch.
@akrickert3949
Where can I find this song? My grandfather Merle Kilgore wrote this song. He passed away in 2005 - I would love to know where I can find this on CD or video. Love it!!!!!
@jeantramere2704
"The 50th Anniversary Collection 1964" but it was only released on vinyl in 2014. It is sold out. You can find it for about 350$ on some websites. I guess it is cheaper to download the audio from here and burn a cd!