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
New York City
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shipmates listen unto me. I'll tell you in my song of things that happened to me when I come home from Hong Kong.
Chorus:
To me way, you Santy, my dear Annie. Oh, you New York girls, can't you dance the polka?
As I walked down to Chatham Street, a fair maid I did meet.
Now, if you'll only come with me, you can have a treat.
You can have a glass of brandy and something nice to eat.
(Chorus)
Before we sat down to eat, we had sev'ral drinks.
The liquor was so awful strong, I quickly fell asleep.
(Chorus)
When I awoke next mornin, I had an achin' head.
My gold watch and my pocketbook and the lady friend had fled.
Now dressed in the lady's apron, I wandered most forlorn
'Till Martin Churchill took me in and he sent me round Cape Horn.
(Chorus)
Bob Dylan's "New Danville Girl" is a song with multiple interpretations, and Burl Ives' "New York Girls" serves as an important source for the song. The 1840 song is a parody of a poem from the minstrel show era in which a sailor meets a woman in New York, and his experiences with her soon become the subject for drunk singing by a crew of sailors. Both songs feature a chorus about the women's dancing abilities and detail the singer's drunkenness and susceptibility to being robbed. In contrast, Dylan places the singer within a larger narrative that includes allusions to pop culture figures like Gregory Peck and Patty Hearst. Throughout the song, Dylan plays with the distinction between reality and fiction and reflects about the meaning of nostalgia and memory.
The reference to Burl Ives is significant because Ives' interpretation was one of the versions of "New York Girls" that Dylan encountered during his research for the song. Dylan also references Ives' "Blue Tail Fly" and emphasizes the allusion to the song's theme of the capriciousness of fate. The woman who lures the singer into her home only to rob him and skip town is emblematic of the ways in which life's fortunes can turn in an instant. Dylan further emphasizes the theme of the unknowability of fate by introducing characters from movies and television shows who are cast into unfamiliar situations.
The song is full of references to movies, television shows, and literature, which makes it one of Dylan's most complex works. However, at its core, "New Danville Girl" is about the fleeting nature of human relationships and the unreliability of fate. Dylan uses pop culture references and the narrative structure of Burl Ives' song to create a sense of nostalgia while also questioning the authenticity of memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Shipmates listen unto me. I'll tell you in my song of things that happened to me when I come home from Hong Kong.
Attention please. I'm going to sing about the events that occurred on my return from Hong Kong.
Chorus: To me way, you Santy, my dear Annie. Oh, you New York girls, can't you dance the polka?
Chorus: Hey there, Santy and Annie, let's dance the polka, New York-style!
As I walked down to Chatham Street, a fair maid I did meet. She asked me, please, to see her home. She lived on Bleecker Street
I met a beautiful lady while strolling down Chatham Street. She requested me to accompany her to her humble abode on Bleecker Street.
Now, if you'll only come with me, you can have a treat. You can have a glass of brandy and something nice to eat.
If you agree to come with me, I'll offer you some delightful refreshments like brandy and delicious food.
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
Before we sat down to eat, we had sev'ral drinks. The liquor was so awful strong, I quickly fell asleep.
Before dining, we consumed a few drinks. The alcohol was incredibly potent that I dozed off instantly.
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
When I awoke next mornin, I had an achin' head. My gold watch and my pocketbook and the lady friend had fled.
The next morning, I woke up with a severe headache, and to my surprise, both the lady and my valuables including watch and money had vanished.
Now dressed in the lady's apron, I wandered most forlorn. 'Till Martin Churchill took me in and he sent me round Cape Horn.
I wore the woman's apron and roamed aimlessly feeling dejected until Martin Churchill provided me with shelter and got me aboard a ship that sailed around Cape Horn.
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
Lyrics © WAYFARER GEMINI INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
Rambling out of the Wild West
Leaving the towns I love the best
Thought I'd seen some ups and downs
'Till I come into New York town
People going down to the ground
Buildings going up to the sky
Wintertime in New York town
The wind blowing snow around
Walk around with nowhere to go
Somebody could freeze right to the bone
I froze right to the bone
New York Times said it was the coldest winter in seventeen years
I didn't feel so cold then
I swung on to my old guitar
Grabbed hold of a subway car
After rocking, reeling, rolling ride
I landed up on the downtown side
Greenwich Village
I walked down there and ended up
In one of them coffee-houses on the block
I get on the stage to sing and play
Man there said, "Come back some other day
You sound like a hillbilly
We want folksingers here"
Well, I got a harmonica job, begun to play
Blowing my lungs out for a dollar a day
I blowed inside out and upside down
The man there said he loved my sound
He was raving about he loved my sound
Dollar a day's worth
After weeks and weeks of hanging around
I finally got a job in New York town
In a bigger place, bigger money too
Even joined the Union and paid my dues
Now, a very great man once said
That some people rob you with a fountain pen
It don't take too long to find out
Just what he was talking about
A lot of people don't have much food on their table
But they got a lot of forks and knives
And they gotta cut somethin'
So one morning when the sun was warm
I rambled out of New York town
Pulled my cap down over my eyes
And headed out for the western skies
So long, New York
Howdy, East Orange
@jimw.4161
Whimsical... and brilliant!
Listening to this song brings back lots of pleasant memories.
I don't think there will ever be another Bob Dylan.
The influence he exerted over an entire generation is incalculable.
Thanks, Bob!
@lyrauny
Try not to laugh with joy listening to this piece of art! <3
@Anglynn74
I used to hang out in the village in the early 90s, a lot. been to all of the well known places there. best time of my life.
@craigoren4475
Haven't heard this song in over 50 years; my sister and I had the album when we were teen-agers. It was little-known; it was the next album, the Free-Wheelin' Bob Dylan, that really brought him to public attention. I also loved his Song to Woody and his version of House of the Rising Sun, also on this album.
@snowleopard5343
same <3
@mrsramsden
I love this! So witty and funny.
@727jk
You mean Dave van Ronk’s version of House of the Rising Sun
@craigoren4475
@@727jk I'm not sure what you're saying. I know that Dave van Ronk recorded the song first. All I was saying that the Dylan album had "his version of House of the Rising Sun;" I phrased it that way to make clear that I knew Dylan hadn't written it. I know that Woody Guthrie also recorded it, and (I understand) wrote a new melody for it. It's been a long time since I've had the album, but I think that in the liner notes Dylan credited van Ronk with bringing the song to his attention.
@tomparker6210
GOOD PICKIN BOB!!👍 GOOD HARP!! GOOD ALBUM!!
@desallen2174
The original Bob Dylan. Had the vinyl album. God knows where it is after almost 60 years. Still the best. Even Woody called him a folk singer, whilst Pete Seegar only sang folk songs.