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 âfor having created new poetic expressions within the great American song traditionâ. 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
Oxford Town
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody's got their heads bowed down
The sun don't shine above the ground
Ain't a-goin' down to Oxford Town
He went down to Oxford Town
Guns and clubs followed him down
All because his face was brown
Oxford Town around the bend
Come to the door, he couldn't get in
All because of the color of his skin
What do you think about that, my friend?
Me and my gal, my gal's son
We got met with a tear gas bomb
I don't even know why we come
Goin' back where we come from
Oxford Town in the afternoon
Everybody singin' a sorrowful tune
Two men died 'neath the Mississippi moon
Somebody better investigate soon
Bob Dylan's song Oxford Town was written in response to the events surrounding James Meredith's enrollment at the University of Mississippi in 1962, during a time of heated racial tensions in the United States. At the beginning of the song, Dylan sings that everyone has their heads bowed down and that the sun doesn't shine above the ground. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the oppressive atmosphere surrounding the events in Oxford. The chorus sets up the central motif of the song. The singer declares that he is "not going down to Oxford Town", implying that Oxford is a dangerous and hostile place.
In the second verse, Dylan sings that "guns and clubs followed him down" as he went to Oxford Town. This line paints a vivid picture of the violent opposition that James Meredith faced when he attempted to enroll at the University. Dylan doesn't mince words when he says that this opposition was "all because his face was brown." The third verse tells a more personal story about someone who couldn't get into a building in Oxford because of the color of their skin. The singer asks "What do you think about that, my friend?" seemingly challenging the listener to consider their own views on race relations.
The fourth verse tells a brief story about the singer, his girlfriend, and her son being met with a tear gas bomb. The singer is confused as to why they even bothered to come to Oxford. The final verse states that somebody needs to investigate the events that have taken place beneath the Mississippi moon. This line is a call to action for those who hear the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oxford Town, Oxford Town
The song is about Oxford, Mississippi, and its struggle with racial tension.
Everybody's got their heads bowed down
The citizens of Oxford are living with fear, uncertainty and are not able to speak their mind without trouble.
The sun don't shine above the ground
The reality of Oxford is harsh and oppressive, burying under its veil any hope of freedom or happiness.
Ain't a-goin' down to Oxford Town
The artist is quite clear that he wants nothing to do with Oxford.
He went down to Oxford Town
The song introduces a character who went to Oxford for unknown reasons.
Guns and clubs followed him down
The character was being followed or threatened by the police for reasons unknown (perhaps because of his ethnicity).
All because his face was brown
The song seems to suggest that the character was racially profiled and targeted by the police for his skin color.
Better get away from Oxford Town
The artist is encouraging the character to leave the dangerous town and return to a safer place.
Oxford Town around the bend
The song takes a turn and introduces a new setting somewhere in the same geographical area.
Come to the door, he couldn't get in
The song tells a story of someone being denied access to a home or building, presumably because of their race.
All because of the color of his skin
Again, the song highlights how racism and discrimination played a role in this character's experience.
What do you think about that, my friend?
The artist asks an open-ended and rhetorical question about racism, forcing listeners to reflect on the issues presented in the song thus far.
Me and my gal, my gal's son
The singer shifts to the first person and introduces two new characters, a man and his girlfriend with her son.
We got met with a tear gas bomb
The family experienced a violent attack (perhaps from the police), with tear gas being used as a weapon.
I don't even know why we come
The singer is questioning why they ever traveled to Oxford, given the danger and oppression they faced there.
Goin' back where we come from
The family is returning to their original home or destination, as Oxford proved to be too unsafe and unwelcoming.
Oxford Town in the afternoon
The song shifts to a new time of day, with Oxford still being the geographic location being sung about.
Everybody singin' a sorrowful tune
The singer observes people in Oxford showing their sadness and grief about something (perhaps related to racism and violence).
Two men died 'neath the Mississippi moon
The song confirms that violence and death occurred in Oxford, with two men losing their lives.
Somebody better investigate soon
The artist calls for some sort of intervention or inquiry into what transpired in Oxford, perhaps hoping that justice will be served.
Lyrics Š Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jackson Kingsbury
Oxford town, Oxford town
Everybody's got their heads bowed down
Sun don't shine above the ground
Ain't a-goin' down to Oxford town
He went down to Oxford town
Guns and clubs followed him down
All because his face was brown
Better get away from Oxford town
Oxford town around the bend
Come to the door, he couldn't get in
All because of the color of his skin
What do you think about that, my friend?
Me, my gal, and my gal's son
We got met with a tear gas bomb
Don't even know why we come
We're goin' back where we came from
Oxford town in the afternoon
Everybody's singin' a sorrowful tune
Two men died 'neath the Mississippi moon
Somebody better investigate soon.
Antonios Stefanou
Writing a masterpiece using ...two chords. Pure genius
FireInTheSun
Sometimes all you need is one or two chords to create a masterpiece! Wonderful stuff
laurelisaak
Who would have thought that nearly 60 years later, this song would be more relevant than ever.
plopplop
It's fucking sad, really.
Andrea Lanzillotta
Really sad. We'll continue the fight
jeancesar andrade
Raja55us, peaceful protesters are not them, you are misinformed in that. These are people taking advantage of the situation and youâll always have that in many situations, not always but something as big as this yes you definitely will. Itâs sad that mom and pop stores are being looted, and I personally donât condone this. Itâs discounting, but sadly the fact for this to take notice is to affect big Corp stores and places for something to take place. For people to be noticed but not heard. Being heard is peaceful protest and riots is being noticed and take seriously but not looting. Thatâs just taking advantage. In history this has always taken place but itâll show if the government or whoâs taken charge will lead. To absolute control with power and force or a change with a problematic occupancies that have happened. Regardless I want our officers to be safe and there will always will be crime and thatâs one of the reason for our officers to be implemented in our society. To protect but this isnât protection itâs a strict power dominance and not all of our law enforcements are like that of course. There just has to be a reform and better way to train, inform, select and help for our officers. Itâs an incredible hard and tough job, it takes itâs toll that us citizens donât understand other than actual serving or previously serving military members. Itâs knowledge and awareness. You have to take account many things but not be prudent to just look past and give judgment on something that personally I think you have no further knowledge of. Just do research or give time to see things for others perspective. Both colored citizens and law enforcement have to be on edge when interacting with eachother and it all depends on the people situation and given environment. People are at fault here but not all that we look upon just the slight few. We all want change and we are on high edge here todayâs age but if the whole world is protesting then it should tell you something. Hope we can talk more and Iâd love to take to consideration on your view point because I donât agree with somethings as well but this movement done the right and peaceful way I feel it will make wave for our future generations and we will get further than we have ever gone.
Branan Herndon
raja55us that just shows how important this issue tho...
Vincentvancraig
Itâs all blown all the hell out of proportion these days, itâs all for a narrative and political gain, thatâs whatâs truly sad, to see black people being used by the left in this way. A poll came out in February of 2021 asking people to estimate/guess/say how many unarmed black men they thought were killed by police in 2019 (the last year the data was complete), 80% of democrats polled guessed/assumed/said the number must be âwell over 1000â, the actual number?....27.....27 unarmed black men.....they were off by a factor of 40, the problem in the media is being blown all out of proportion to the point where people think its 40 times worse than it actually is........ These are CNN/MSNBC watchers who think this; propaganda works, telling a big lie over and over and over works. People just trust the media garbage and donât seek facts for themselves. Again, Blacks are being used for political gain by the left, and itâs tearing the country apart. It makes me sick because Iâm not on either side, I just want facts, and the media is not facts, BLMâs narrative is not facts. No one on the left wants to admit that America has come a long damn way from the 50âs and 60âs because it doesnât benefit them in elections.....saddest shit in the world.
Maximum Occupancy
Such an underrated Dylan masterpiece
Jesse Mcelroy
I agree so horribly overlooked