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
On a Night Like This
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So glad you came around
Hold on to me so tight
And heat up some coffee grounds
We got much to talk about
And much to reminisce
It sure is right
On a night like this
On a night like this
So glad you've come to stay
Hold on to me, pretty miss
Say you'll never go away to stray
Run your fingers down my spine
Bring me a touch of bliss
It sure feels right
On a night like this
On a night like this
I can't get any sleep
The air is so cold outside
And the snow's so deep
Build a fire, throw on logs
And listen to it hiss
And let it burn, burn, burn, burn
On a night like this
Put your body next to mine
And keep me company,
There is plenty a room for all
So please don't elbow me
Let the four winds blow
Around this old cabin door
If I'm not too far off
I think we did this once before
There's more frost on the window glass
With each new tender kiss
But it sure feels right
On a night like this
In Bob Dylan's song "On a Night Like This", the singer is expressing his joy and excitement towards the company of someone special on a cold winter night. The opening verse is an invitation to hold on tightly and keep warm with some coffee while they talk and reminisce. The second verse continues the romantic tone as the singer implores his partner to stay close and never leave. He describes a desire for physical touch and suggests that they build a fire to keep warm while they share intimate moments.
The final verse of the song speaks to the tranquil and almost poetic beauty of the winter night. The singer pleads with his partner to stay near him and keep him company in the cabin on this snowy, cold evening. The metaphor of the frost on the window glass representing the depth and growth of their love is a testament to their relationship despite the harshness of the outside world.
Line by Line Meaning
On a night like this
The singer is setting the scene for the listener
So glad you came around
The singer is expressing gratitude for the listener's presence
Hold on to me so tight
The singer wants to feel close and connected to the listener
And heat up some coffee grounds
The singer wants to share a warm beverage with the listener
We got much to talk about
The singer has a lot they want to share with the listener
And much to reminisce
The singer wants to look back on their shared experiences
It sure is right
The singer believes that being together on this night is meaningful
So glad you've come to stay
The singer is expressing gratitude for the listener's extended presence
Hold on to me, pretty miss
The singer wants to feel close and connected to the listener, using a term of endearment
Say you'll never go away to stray
The singer wants the listener to promise to always stay by their side
Run your fingers down my spine
The singer wants the listener to touch them in a comforting way
Bring me a touch of bliss
The singer wants to feel a sense of happiness and contentment
It sure feels right
The singer believes that being together on this night is meaningful
I can't get any sleep
The singer is having trouble falling asleep
The air is so cold outside
The weather outside is harsh and uninviting
And the snow's so deep
The snowfall is significant, making it feel especially wintry
Build a fire, throw on logs
The singer wants to create warmth and ambiance by starting a fire
And listen to it hiss
The singer enjoys the sound of the fire crackling
And let it burn, burn, burn, burn
The singer wants the fire to keep burning brightly
Put your body next to mine
The singer wants physical closeness with the listener
And keep me company,
The singer wants emotional and physical support
There is plenty a room for all
The singer wants the listener to feel included and welcome
So please don't elbow me
The singer is jokingly asking the listener to give them space
Let the four winds blow
The singer is embracing the wildness of the weather outside
Around this old cabin door
The singer is painting a vivid picture of the setting of the song
If I'm not too far off
The singer is uncertain but thinks they might have been in this situation before
I think we did this once before
The singer believes that they have shared a similar experience with the listener previously
There's more frost on the window glass
The cold weather is getting more intense
With each new tender kiss
The singer wants to renew their connection with the listener in an affectionate way
But it sure feels right
The singer believes that being together on this night and expressing affection is meaningful
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@keithphilo6255
You can just sense Bob and the boys really enjoying themselves on this one, just love it.
@OliviaDI
I have not heard this in a long time! I’m saving it to my Bob Dylan playlist!
@steveharry9045
I always enjoy what you share on here but I never got the chance to say Hello 👋
@kanjiwooowooo3202
This is the closest we will get to an "indie" album from Bobby. No big message, no groundbreaking music (depends on what you call groundbreaking)'
Just Bob and the boys jamming and having fun.
@JorgeLMarquezsM
Siento alegría de reconsiderar por ejemplo este gran disco. Planet Waves es enorme y humilde en su sonido, en su alcance emocional.
@rippi37
Back getting my fill of this awesome album....song by song...falling in love with it all over again....and so are my neighbours , whether they want to or not .....best album EVER !! Love ya Bob xxx
@crystalbluewire3339
Legendary awesome song. Bob Dylan wrote so many great tunes. This is a great album.
@antiartista
I love this album
@xapocotacox
This album was so ahead of its time it’s insane
@gabrieleercolessi6192
The sound that comes out when Dylan plays with the Band is like no other