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
Oh Sister
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You should not treat me like a stranger
Our Father would not like the way that you act
And you must realize the danger
Oh, sister, am I not a brother to you
And one deserving of affection
And is our purpose not the same on this earth
We grew up together
From the cradle to the grave
We died and were reborn
And then mysteriously saved
Oh, sister, when I come to knock on your door
Don't turn away, you'll create sorrow
Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore
You may not see me tomorrow
The song "Oh Sister" by Bob Dylan is a touching and thought-provoking piece that delves deep into the complexities of familial relationships. The first stanza of the song reveals the singer's desire for acceptance from his sister. He asks her not to treat him like a stranger when he comes to lie in her arms. He believes that their Father wouldn't approve of her cold behavior towards him, and she must realize the danger in it. He wishes to be treated with affection and care since they are siblings and shares the same purpose on this earth - to love and follow God's direction.
In the second stanza, Dylan sings about their relationship from a young age, growing up together and facing death and rebirth. The singer tells his sister that she shouldn't turn him away if he comes to her door as it would create sorrow. He compares time to an ocean that ends at the shore, and that she might not see him tomorrow. These lines inspire feelings of the brevity of life, and how it is essential to cherish and nurture our relationships while we still have time.
In summary, "Oh Sister" is a plea from a brother to his sister, asking her to treat him with the love and respect he deserves as her kin. He highlights the importance of familial bonds and acknowledges the impermanence of life, urging her to embrace their relationship fully.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, sister, when I come to lie in your arms
When I seek comfort and solace in your embrace,
You should not treat me like a stranger
Please do not act as if we are not related or close,
Our Father would not like the way that you act
God would not approve of your behavior towards me,
And you must realize the danger
You should be aware of the potential harm
Oh, sister, am I not a brother to you
Aren't we bonded as siblings,
And one deserving of affection
And don't I deserve your love and support,
And is our purpose not the same on this earth
Don't we have the same purpose in life,
To love and follow his direction
which is to love one another and follow God's teachings.
We grew up together
We were raised side by side,
From the cradle to the grave
Since our birth until our eventual death,
We died and were reborn
We also went through drastic changes in life and perspective,
And then mysteriously saved
Only to be saved from unknown dangers or challenges.
Oh, sister, when I come to knock on your door
If I come to you seeking help or support,
Don't turn away, you'll create sorrow
Please do not turn me away and cause either of us pain,
Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore
Time may feel vast, but it all comes to an eventual end,
You may not see me tomorrow
And we do not know what the future holds, we may never see each other again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
Oh, sister, when I come to lie in your arms
You should not treat me like a stranger
Our Father would not like the way that you act
And you must realize the danger
Oh, sister, am I not a brother to you
And one deserving of affection
And is our purpose not the same on this earth
To love and follow his direction
We grew up together
From the cradle to the grave
We died and were reborn
And then mysteriously saved
Oh, sister, when I come to knock on your door
Don't turn away, you'll create sorrow
Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore
You may not see me tomorrow
@ramazkhatiashvili5440
Mid-1970s was the second breath of Dylan. Blood on the Tracks and Desire. Two masterpieces.
@user-mf5by6bu7f
For me, the "comeback album" was Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
@oompaloompadoompa-de-doo3614
More like the 7th or 8th breath
@hermanmunster714
Dylan captured gypsy spirit on this lp more than any other. Emmy lou singing with him is killa. Brings tear 😢 to the eyes.
@patriciamorris3853
“Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore.” Profound lyric, encrypted meaning. Dylan is America’s poet!
@verastiopul1150
Uk modern poetry and Bob Dylan poetry the best ever
@abhishek-euphony-and-euphoria
@@verastiopul1150you must read Rabindranath Tagore - then grasp you what poetry is.
@divalivingston1664
I’ve heard this song and that line before but today it really hit me and I felt like a hard shell around my heart was breaking open and releasing me. Very emotional.
@wearypirates
One of the most beautiful songs ever written
@jamesdorasamy5751
So sorry for your loss..
If there’s one thing i’ve learnt from Life is that that life is too short.. we need to let go forgive and love more..❤