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
Neighborhood Bully
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His enemies say he's on their land
They got him outnumbered about a million to one
He got no place to escape to, no place to run
He's the neighborhood bully.
The neighborhood bully he just lives to survive
He's criticized and condemned for being alive
He's supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in
He's the neighborhood bully.
The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land
He's wandered the earth an exiled man
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn
He's always on trial for just being born
He's the neighborhood bully.
Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized
Old women condemned him, said he should apologize
Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad
The bombs were meant for him. He was supposed to feel bad
He's the neighborhood bully.
Well, the chances are against it, and the odds are slim
That he'll live by the rules that the world makes for him
'Cause there's a noose at his neck and a gun at his back
And a license to kill him is given out to every maniac
He's the neighborhood bully.
Well, he got no allies to really speak of
What he gets he must pay for, he don't get it out of love
He buys obsolete weapons and he won't be denied
But no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side
He's the neighborhood bully.
Well, he's surrounded by pacifists who all want peace
They pray for it nightly that the bloodshed must cease
Now, they wouldn't hurt a fly. To hurt one they would weep
They lay and they wait for this bully to fall asleep
He's the neighborhood bully.
Every empire that's enslaved him is gone
Egypt and Rome, even the great Babylon
He's made a garden of paradise in the desert sand
In bed with nobody, under no one's command
He's the neighborhood bully.
Now his holiest books have been trampled upon
No contract that he signed was worth that what it was written on
He took the crumbs of the world and he turned it into wealth
Took sickness and disease and he turned it into health
He's the neighborhood bully.
What's anybody indebted to him for?
Nothing, they say. He just likes to cause war
Pride and prejudice and superstition indeed
They wait for this bully like a dog waits for feed
He's the neighborhood bully.
What has he done to wear so many scars?
Does he change the course of rivers? Does he pollute the moon and stars?
Neighborhood bully, standing on the hill
Running out the clock, time standing still
Neighborhood bully.
The lyrics to Bob Dylan's song "Neighborhood Bully" seem to explore the controversy surrounding the state of Israel, specifically the perception of Israel as an aggressive and oppressive presence in the Middle East. The song supports the idea that Israel is not the bully in this situation, but rather a misunderstood and persecuted nation. The singer of the song insists that, despite being surrounded by enemies, Israel is simply trying to defend itself and survive in a hostile environment. The lyrics speak to the unfairness of the world's condemnation of Israel and its right to defend itself against those who would seek to destroy it.
The refrain of the song, "He's the neighborhood bully," is a bold and provocative statement. The use of the word "bully" implies aggression and violence, but the lyrics suggest that Israel is only reacting to the actions of its enemies. The line "He's not supposed to fight back" refers to the international expectation that Israel should simply accept attacks without defending itself. The song tries to portray Israel as a victim rather than a villain, surrounded by enemies who seek to destroy it.
The song has been interpreted in different ways by different people. Some see it as a strong defense of Israel, while others see it as a condemnation of America's role in the Middle East. Despite the controversy it has generated, the song is a powerful statement on the complex and often misunderstood situation in the Middle East.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, the neighborhood bully, he's just one man
The bully in the neighborhood is just one person.
His enemies say he's on their land
His opponents assert that he's on their property.
They got him outnumbered about a million to one
Those opposed to him have a considerable majority.
He got no place to escape to, no place to run
He has nowhere to escape or hide.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
The neighborhood bully he just lives to survive
The neighborhood bully is just trying to live and stay alive.
He's criticized and condemned for being alive
People criticize and denounce him just for living.
He's not supposed to fight back, he's supposed to have thick skin
People want him to take criticisms on the chin and not fight back.
He's supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in
People believe he should not resist when his door is broken down.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land
The bully has been banished from every place.
He's wandered the earth an exiled man
He's an exiled man who roams the earth.
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn
He's seen his family spread out and his people abused and oppressed.
He's always on trial for just being born
People blame him just for being alive.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized
When he knocked out a lynch mob, people criticized him.
Old women condemned him, said he should apologize
Old ladies blamed him and wanted him to say he's sorry.
Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad
When he demolished a bomb-making facility, nobody appreciated it.
The bombs were meant for him. He was supposed to feel bad
The bombs were created to kill him. They expected him to feel sorrow.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
Well, the chances are against it, and the odds are slim
There are less chances of his success and the odds are against him.
That he'll live by the rules that the world makes for him
He'll unlikely abide by the world's rules.
Cause there's a noose at his neck and a gun at his back
He has the fear of death and threats to his life.
And a license to kill him is given out to every maniac
Crazies get a pass to murder him.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
Well, he got no allies to really speak of
He doesn't really have any allies.
What he gets he must pay for, he don't get it out of love
Whatever he gets, he has to earn the hard way, and usually without love.
He buys obsolete weapons and he won't be denied
He buys antiquated arms and he's determined to have them.
But no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side
No one is willing to send their sons and daughters to help him in battle.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
Well, he's surrounded by pacifists who all want peace
He's encircled by peace-loving people who all want peace.
They pray for it nightly that the bloodshed must cease
They pray for an end to bloodshed.
Now, they wouldn't hurt a fly. To hurt one they would weep
They're very gentle and could never harm anyone.
They lay and they wait for this bully to fall asleep
They wait for the bully to sleep so they could do something.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
Every empire that's enslaved him is gone
Any empire that tried to enslave him had perished.
Egypt and Rome, even the great Babylon
Even empires as great as Egypt, Rome, and Babylon.
He's made a garden of paradise in the desert sand
He's transformed the desert sands into a paradise.
In bed with nobody, under no one's command
He's not friends with anyone and no one controls him.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
Now his holiest books have been trampled upon
His sacred texts have been desecrated.
No contract that he signed was worth that what it was written on
Promises made to him have never been kept.
He took the crumbs of the world and he turned it into wealth
He transformed the tiniest gestures of the world into wealth.
Took sickness and disease and he turned it into health
He has the power to turn disease into health.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
What's anybody indebted to him for?
Why does anyone owes him anything?
Nothing, they say. He just likes to cause war
People say nothing. He wants peace but is always in war.
Pride and prejudice and superstition indeed
It is indeed pride, prejudice, and superstition.
They wait for this bully like a dog waits for feed
They wait for him like dogs wait for food.
He's the neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
What has he done to wear so many scars?
What did he do to get so many wounds?
Does he change the course of rivers? Does he pollute the moon and stars?
Did he change the course of a river or pollute the moon and stars?
Neighborhood bully, standing on the hill
The bully stands on the hilltop.
Running out the clock, time standing still
Wasting time while time is standing still.
Neighborhood bully.
He's called the neighborhood bully.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
Well, the neighborhood bully, he’s just one man
His enemies say he’s on their land
They got him outnumbered about a million to one
He got no place to escape to, no place to run
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 2]
The neighborhood bully just lives to survive
He’s criticized and condemned for being alive
He’s not supposed to fight back, he’s supposed to have thick skin
He’s supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 3]
The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land
He’s wandered the earth an exiled man
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn
He’s always on trial for just being born
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 4]
Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized
Old women condemned him, said he should apologize
Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad
The bombs were meant for him. He was supposed to feel bad
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 5]
Well, the chances are against it and the odds are slim
That he’ll live by the rules that the world makes for him
Because there’s a noose at his neck and a gun at his back
And a license to kill him is given out to every maniac
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 6]
He got no allies to really speak of
What he gets he must pay for, he don’t get it out of love
He buys obsolete weapons and he won’t be denied
But no one sends flesh and blood to fight by his side
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 7]
Well, he’s surrounded by pacifists who all want peace
They pray for it nightly that the bloodshed must cease
Now, they wouldn’t hurt a fly. To hurt one they would weep
They lay and they wait for this bully to fall asleep
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 8]
Every empire that’s enslaved him is gone
Egypt and Rome, even the great Babylon
He’s made a garden of paradise in the desert sand
In bed with nobody, under no one’s command
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 9]
Now his holiest books have been trampled upon
No contract he signed was worth what it was written on
He took the crumbs of the world and he turned it into wealth
Took sickness and disease and he turned it into health
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 10]
What’s anybody indebted to him for?
Nothing, they say. He just likes to cause war
Pride and prejudice and superstition indeed
They wait for this bully like a dog waits to feed
He’s the neighborhood bully
[Verse 11]
What has he done to wear so many scars?
Does he change the course of rivers? Does he pollute the moon and stars?
Neighborhood bully, standing on the hill
Running out the clock, time standing still
Neighborhood bully
@itsikcarmona9845
He stands with Israel. ❤❤❤
@mattdurham4046
Did he not convert to islam?
@desertgerbil7589
@@mattdurham4046That was Cat Stevens
@mattdurham4046
@@desertgerbil7589 I have just realised my mistake. I TOTALLY apologise if my comment has offended anyone. If you look at my page you will see that I stand with ISREAL 100%🇬🇧🇮🇱🇬🇧💪🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
@edlawn5481
This song immediately came to mind when I heard of today's events.
@williamdnetherton3722
That's what brought me here.
@AliceSomwhereInWonderland
The same here.
@AsteraBenAryeh
Same!
@davidscott202
Agreed, sadly it's as timely as ever.
@user-if5km9dw3v
Stands the tests of time.