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
Motorpsycho Nightmare
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lookin' for a place to stay.
I was mighty, mighty tired,
I had gone a long, long way.
I said, "Hey, hey, in there,
Is there anybody home?"
I was standin' on the steps
Feelin' most alone.
He must have thought that I was nuts.
He immediately looked at me
And stuck a gun into my guts.
I fell down
To my bended knees,
Saying, "I dig farmers,
Don't shoot me, please!"
He cocked his rifle
And began to shout,
"You're that travelin' salesman
That I have heard about."
I said, "No! No! No!
I'm a doctor and it's true,
I'm a clean-cut kid
And I been to college, too."
Then in comes his daughter
Whose name was Rita.
She looked like she stepped out of
La Dolce Vita.
I immediately tried to cool it
With her dad,
And told him what a
Nice, pretty farm he had.
He said, "What do doctors
Know about farms, pray tell?"
I said, "I was born
At the bottom of a wishing well."
Well, by the dirt 'neath my nails
I guess he knew I wouldn't lie.
"I guess you're tired,"
He said, kinda sly.
I said, "Yes, ten thousand miles
Today I drove."
He said, "I got a bed for you
Underneath the stove.
Just one condition
And you go to sleep right now,
That you don't touch my daughter
And in the morning, milk the cow."
I was sleepin' like a rat
When I heard something jerkin'.
There stood Rita
Lookin' just like Tony Perkins.
She said, "Would you like to take a shower?
I'll show you up to the door."
I said, "Oh, no! no!
I've been through this before."
I knew I had to split
But I didn't know how,
When she said,
"Would you like to take that shower, now?"
Well, I couldn't leave
Unless the old man chased me out,
'Cause I'd already promised
That I'd milk his cows.
I had to say something
To strike him very weird,
So I yelled out,
"I like Fidel Castro and his beard."
Rita looked offended
But she got out of the way,
As he came charging down the stairs
Sayin', "What's that I heard you say?"
I said, "I like Fidel Castro,
I think you heard me right,"
And ducked as he swung
At me with all his might.
Rita mumbled something
'Bout her mother on the hill,
As his fist hit the icebox,
He said he's going to kill me
If I don't get out the door
In two seconds flat,
"You unpatriotic,
Rotten doctor Commie rat."
Well, he threw a Reader's Digest
At my head and I did run,
I did a somersault
As I seen him get his gun
And crashed through the window
At a hundred miles an hour,
And landed fully blast
In his garden flowers.
Rita said, "Come back!"
As he started to load
The sun was comin' up
And I was runnin' down the road.
Well, I don't figure I'll be back
There for a spell,
Even though Rita moved away
And got a job in a motel.
He still waits for me,
Constant, on the sly.
He wants to turn me in
To the F.B.I.
Me, I romp and stomp,
Thankful as I romp,
Without freedom of speech,
I might be in the swamp.
Bob Dylan's Motorpsycho Nightmare is a satirical take on the rural American experience. The song starts with the singer, who is probably a traveler, stopping by a farmhouse looking for a place to rest. However, the farmer mistakes him for a salesman and brandishes a gun at him. The singer then pretends to be a doctor and lays out his credentials to avoid getting shot. To his rescue comes Rita, the farmer's daughter, who intervenes and offers him a place to stay. She tries to seduce him, and he cleverly avoids the trap. However, he falls into another mess when he blurts out that he admires Fidel Castro. The farmer, who happens to be a patriotic American, tries to kill him, and the singer narrowly escapes.
The song takes a comedic tone throughout its run, with Dylan lampooning the naivety and ignorance of rural Americans towards the world outside their farms. The opening line, "I pounded on a farmhouse looking for a place to stay" is a classic scenario from a horror movie, where the singer stumbles upon a creepy, isolated place to his peril. The farmer's initial aggression towards the singer takes a swipe at the paranoia-saturated rural America. Additionally, the satirical take on the American dream and patriotism in the song is a nod to Dylan's counter-culture beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
I pounded on a farmhouse
I knocked on the door of a farmhouse
Lookin' for a place to stay.
I was searching for a place to rest
I was mighty, mighty tired,
I was extremely exhausted
I had gone a long, long way.
I had travelled a great distance
I said, "Hey, hey, in there,
I called out to see if anyone was home
Is there anybody home?"
I asked if anyone was in the house
I was standin' on the steps
I was standing at the front door
Feelin' most alone.
Feeling very lonely
Well, out comes a farmer,
A farmer came out of the house
He must have thought that I was nuts.
He probably thought I was crazy
He immediately looked at me
He quickly focused on me
And stuck a gun into my guts.
He pointed a gun at me
I fell down
I dropped to the ground
To my bended knees,
I was on my knees
Saying, "I dig farmers,
I appreciate farmers
Don't shoot me, please!"
Please don't shoot me
He cocked his rifle
He loaded his gun
And began to shout,
He started yelling
"You're that travelin' salesman
He recognized me as a salesman
That I have heard about."
That he had heard of before
I said, "No! No! No!
I denied being a salesman
I'm a doctor and it's true,
I told him I was a doctor
I'm a clean-cut kid
I'm innocent
And I been to college, too."
I mentioned that I had gone to college
Then in comes his daughter
His daughter entered the room
Whose name was Rita.
Her name was Rita
She looked like she stepped out of
She appeared as though she came from
La Dolce Vita.
A 1960 Italian film
I immediately tried to cool it
I tried to calm down
With her dad,
With her father
And told him what a
And complimented him on his
Nice, pretty farm he had.
Nice and beautiful farm
He said, "What do doctors
He asked what doctors
Know about farms, pray tell?"
Know about farms, please tell me?
I said, "I was born
I explained to him that I was born
At the bottom of a wishing well."
At the bottom of a well that people throw coins into
Well, by the dirt 'neath my nails
Judging from the dirt on my hands
I guess he knew I wouldn't lie.
I think he trusted me
"I guess you're tired,"
He assumed I was tired
He said, kinda sly.
He said it slyly
I said, "Yes, ten thousand miles
I confirmed that I had driven
Today I drove."
Ten thousand miles today alone
He said, "I got a bed for you
He offered me a bed for the night
Underneath the stove.
Located under the stove
Just one condition
There was one condition
And you go to sleep right now,
Sleep immediately
That you don't touch my daughter
He doesn't want me to touch his daughter
And in the morning, milk the cow."
And milk his cow in the morning
I was sleepin' like a rat
I was sleeping very soundly
When I heard something jerkin'.
When I heard something move
There stood Rita
I saw Rita standing there
Lookin' just like Tony Perkins.
Looking like Tony Perkins, an American actor
She said, "Would you like to take a shower?
She offered me a shower
I'll show you up to the door."
And show me the way
I said, "Oh, no! no!
I declined the offer
I've been through this before."
I've experienced this situation before
I knew I had to split
I knew I had to leave
But I didn't know how,
But I didn't know how to leave
When she said,
But then she offered
"Would you like to take that shower, now?"
If I'd like to take the shower now
Well, I couldn't leave
I couldn't leave, because
Unless the old man chased me out,
Unless the farmer forced me to leave
'Cause I'd already promised
Because I had already agreed
That I'd milk his cows.
To milk the cows in the morning
I had to say something
I had to say something strange
To strike him very weird,
To confuse him
So I yelled out,
So I shouted loudly
"I like Fidel Castro and his beard."
That I like Fidel Castro and his long beard
Rita looked offended
Rita was upset
But she got out of the way,
She moved out of the way
As he came charging down the stairs
As the farmer came down the stairs quickly
Sayin', "What's that I heard you say?"
Asking what I said about Fidel Castro
I said, "I like Fidel Castro,
I repeated what I had said
I think you heard me right,
That I was serious
"And ducked as he swung
I avoided his attack
At me with all his might.
As he tried to hit me as hard as he could
Rita mumbled something
Rita muttered something
'Bout her mother on the hill,
Something about her mother who lived on a hill
As his fist hit the icebox,
As he punched the refrigerator
He said he's going to kill me
He threatened to kill me
If I don't get out the door
If I don't leave the house right now
In two seconds flat,
Very quickly
"You unpatriotic,
He insults me calling me unpatriotic
Rotten doctor Commie rat."
And a rotten communist, being a doctor
Well, he threw a Reader's Digest
Then he threw a magazine at me
At my head and I did run,
Which made me run away quickly
I did a somersault
I did a roll in the air
As I seen him get his gun
When I saw him get his gun
And crashed through the window
I broke through the window
At a hundred miles an hour,
Very quickly
And landed fully blast
And hit the ground hard
In his garden flowers.
In a garden full of flowers
Rita said, "Come back!"
Rita called after me to come back
As he started to load
As the farmer loaded his gun
The sun was comin' up
The sun was rising
And I was runnin' down the road.
And I was running on the road
Well, I don't figure I'll be back
I don't plan on returning
There for a spell,
There for a while
Even though Rita moved away
Although Rita left the farm
And got a job in a motel.
And started working at a motel
He still waits for me,
The farmer still waits for me
Constant, on the sly.
Secretly but persistently
He wants to turn me in
He wants to report me
To the F.B.I.
To the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Me, I romp and stomp,
As for me, I dance and celebrate
Thankful as I romp,
Grateful as I dance and jump around
Without freedom of speech,
If we didn't have the right to speak freely
I might be in the swamp.
I could be in a dangerous place
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
I pounded on a farmhouse, lookin' for a place to stay
I was mighty, mighty tired, I had come a long, long way
I said, "Hey, hey, in there, is there anybody home?"
I was standin' on the steps, feelin' most alone
When out comes a farmer, he must have thought that I was nuts
He immediately looked at me and stuck a gun into my guts
I fell down to my bended knees
Sayin', "I dig farmers, don't shoot me, please"
He cocked his rifle and began to shout
"Are you that travelin' salesman that I have heard about?"
I said, "No, no, no, I'm a doctor and it's true
I'm a clean-cut kid and I been to college, too"
Then in comes his daughter whose name was Rita
She looked like she stepped out of La Dolce Vita
I immediately tried to cool it with her dad
And told him what a nice, pretty farm he had
He said, "What do doctors know about farms, pray tell?"
I said, "I's born at the bottom of a wishing well"
Well, by the dirt 'neath my nails I guess he knew I wouldn't lie
He said, "I guess you're tired, " he said it kinda sly
I said, "Yes, ten thousand miles today I drove"
He said, "I got a bed for you underneath the stove
Just one condition an' you can go to sleep right now
That you don't touch my daughter
And in the morning, milk the cows"
I was sleepin' like a rat when I heard something jerkin'
There stood Rita, lookin' just like Tony Perkins
She said, "Would you like to take a shower?
I'll show you up to the door"
I said, "Oh, no, no, I've been through this movie before"
I knew I had to split, but I did not know how
When she said, "Would you like to take that shower now?"
Well, I couldn't leave unless the old man chased me out
'Cause I'd already promised that I'd milk his cows
I had to say something to strike him very weird
So I yelled, "I like Fidel Castro and his beard"
Rita looked offended, but she got out of the way
As he came chargin' down the stairs
Sayin', "What's that I heard you say?"
I said, "I like Fidel Castro, I think you heard me right"
And I ducked as he swung at me with all his might
Rita mumbled somethin' 'bout her mother on the hill
As his fist had hit the icebox, he said he's gonna kill me
If I don't get out the door in two seconds flat
"You unpatriotic, rotten doctor, commie rat"
Well, he threw a Reader's Digest at my head and I did run
I did a somersault as I seen him get his gun
And crashed through the window at a hundred miles an hour
And landed fully blast in his garden flowers
Rita said, "Come back" and he started to load
The sun was comin' up and I was runnin' down the road
Well, I don't figure I'll be back there for a spell
Even though Rita moved away and got a job at a motel
He still waits for me, constant, on the sly
He wants to turn me in to the F.B.I.
Me, I romp and stomp, thankful as I romp
Without freedom of speech I might be in the swamp
@alainpoire4007
Comme j'avais beaucoup marché
J'étais très très fatigué
J'aperçois une ferme
Je me dis j'vais m'arrêter
J'ai dit hé hé là-d'dans
Y a-t-il quelqu'un de vivant
Je me sentais vraiment seul
Devant la maison
Quand soudain devant moi
Un grand gaillard de fermier
Vient me braquer son canon
À la hauteur du menton
Je tombai sur les genoux
En criant mais vous êtes fou
Moi j'aime bien les fermiers
Ne me tuez pas s'il-vous-plaît
Il s'en est fallu d'un rien
Qu'il ne me tire comme un lapin
C'est vous l'espèce de vagabond
Qui vient pour mendier
J'ai dit non non non
Je n'suis pas c'que vous croyez
En droit je suis licencié
J'ai fait l'Université
Alors arriva la fille
Qui s'app'lait Rita
Elle semblait tout droit sortie
D'la Dolce Vita
Et je me mis en devoir
De l'amadouer comme son père
Je lui dis la jolie ferme
Que vous avez là
Dites-moi qu'est-ce qu'un étudiant
Connaît à l'agriculture
J'ai répondu braves gens
Je suis un puits de culture
En voyant mes ongles sales
Il sut que je travaillais
Il me dit d'un air futé
Vous avez l'air fatigué
Oh oui j'ai fait huit cent bornes
Et j'en ai vraiment plein l'dos
Il me jeta sur la paille
Avec les bestiaux
Tâchez de rester tranquille
Ou sinon moi je me fâche
Ne touchez pas à ma fille
Et demain faut traire les vaches
Je ne dormais que d'un oeil
Quand Rita vint me secouer
Elle me faisait de l'oeil
Comme Tony Perkins
Elle me dit viens prendre une douche
Je vais te montrer où c'est
J'ai répondu hey hey hey
C'coup là on m'la déjà fait
J'essayais d'me défiler
Je n'savais pas trop comment
Mais Rita a insisté
Vraiment très très gentiment
Je n'pouvais plus m'en tirer
J'avais l'air d'un lâche
J'aurais pas dû accepter
D'aller demain traire les vaches
Pour sortir de cette histoire
Fallait trouver un moyen
J'ai crié Fidel Castro
C'est un bon copain
Rita parut suffoquée
J'ai cru que c'était gagné
Quand le fermier soudain surgit
En hurlant qu'est-ce que t'as dit
J'ai dit vive Fidel Castro
Vous m'avez compris
Il me tomba sur le dos
À bras raccourcis
Rita parla de sa mère
Qui dormait au cimetière
Tandis qu'le vieux me flanquait
Un coup dans l'buffet
En enfer je t'expédie
Si tu n't'en vas pas tout d'suite
Espèce d'étudiant pourri
Espèce de rat communiste
Il me jeta à la tête
Un paquet d'Readers Digest
Moi je fis une pirouette
Le vieux prit son escopette
J'décampai par la fenêtre
À cent-quatre-vingt à l'heure
Et j'atterris en tempête
Dans un pot de fleurs
Revenez criait Rita
Le père chargeait son engin
Quand le soleil se leva
Moi j'étais déjà très loin
Même si Rita est partie
Je n'reviendrai pas d'sitôt
Chez ce vieux fermier maudit
Car j'ai trouvé un boulot
Mais la sacrée vieille canaille
Espère bien me faire cueillir
Un jour par son FBI
Mais il peut courir
Je continue à penser
Envers et contre tous
Sans liberté de parler
On est moins que rien du tout
Source : Musixmatch
Paroliers : Bob Dylan
@edharbas4828
You know this song is so topical you would be forgiven for mistakenly thinking it was written today.
A timeless classic with a relevance that has yet to be realised.
Thank you Mr Dylan, a true gem.
@kevanbrown7620
"I dig farmers don't shoot me please"
I was going to get that printed onto a t-shirt many years ago in my youth.
Excellent line.
@dschroeder7354
There stood Rita, lookin' just like Tony Perkins
She said, "Would you like to take a shower?!!
@21hazza
These lyrics are unbelievably good. What a song!
@42awww
Of all the great lines Bob has given us, for some reason this song seems to pop up in daily life. Someone will say something unrelated, but a phrase will come up, and it reminds me of this tune bc of 3 words for example. Like, "two seconds flat", will get me humming this tune right away. Maybe Bob has been too much of an influence on me?
@20th_century_refugee80
I love this song so much.
@alexdantas2228
Eu encontrei um livro hoje na biblioteca (por mais estranho que possa parecer isso nos dias atuais) e tinha essa musica en inglês e em português. Achei tão magnífica e vim procurar.
Simplesmente magnífica
@easyed-guywholovesmusic8915
Wtf does this album get so much flak? It’s so good!
@nissi.k
So brilliantly written and sang. Like a mini movie that discusses serious political issues (esp. those days) in a comedic and swashbuckling way and is like an elevation of old jokes and tales and even old westerns about the farmer and his daughter! I could picture it clearly unfolding complete with Bob’s somersault Buster Keaton style! Wow! 🙌😃
@liamg.2731
This will forever be an entertaining story/song.