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
People Get Ready
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Theres a train a-coming
You dont need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Dont need no ticket
You just thank the lord
People get ready
For the train to jordan
Picking up passengers
From coast to coast
Faith is the key
Open the doors and board them
Theres room for all
Among the loved the most
There aint no room
For the hopeless sinner
Who would hurt all mankind just
To save his own
Have pity on those
Whose chances are thinner
Cause theres no hiding place
From the kingdoms throne
So people get ready
For the train a-comin
You dont need no baggage
You just get on board !
All you need is faith
To hear the diesels humming
Dont need no ticket
You just thank, you just thank the lord
Yeah
Ooh
Yeah
Ooh
Im getting ready
Im getting ready
This time Im ready
This time Im ready
Bob Dylan's song "People Get Ready" is a spiritual call to action, urging individuals to get ready for there is a train coming. The song begins with the line "People get ready, there's a train a-coming," symbolically referring to a train carrying people towards salvation or heaven. The train is symbolizing hope and redemption that is available for those who have faith in God. Dylan urges the listeners to get ready and board the train, as there is no need for any baggage, only faith will suffice. The song emphasizes that the train is open to everyone and the passengers are from "coast to coast," stressing the idea that salvation is available to all, regardless of who you are or where you come from.
In the second verse, Dylan refers to the "Train to Jordan" picking up passengers, which is commonly interpreted as the journey towards the promised land, the kingdom of God. Faith is the key to open the door to salvation and redemption, and there is room for everyone "among the loved the most." It's the call for all to be prepared, as the train is coming, and those who are not ready would be left behind.
The final verse sees a change in tone, as Dylan sings that there's no room for hopeless sinners, those who would hurt mankind to save themselves, as the kingdom's throne is the ultimate judge. He urges the listeners to have pity on those who have a thinner chance of being saved and emphasizes the fact that there is no hiding place from the kingdom's judgment.
Line by Line Meaning
People get ready
Prepare yourselves
Theres a train a-coming
A significant event is approaching
You dont need no baggage
Leave behind your worldly possessions
You just get on board
Be a part of the upcoming event
All you need is faith
Believe in something higher than oneself
To hear the diesels humming
Listen to the sound of progress and change
Dont need no ticket
No payment required
You just thank the lord
Be grateful for the opportunity
For the train to jordan
For the train to salvation
Picking up passengers
Collecting believers
From coast to coast
From all over
Faith is the key
Believing is the foundation
Open the doors and board them
Let them in
Theres room for all
Everyone is welcome
Among the loved the most
The most important people are included
There aint no room
There is no space
For the hopeless sinner
No place for those who do evil
Who would hurt all mankind just
Who hurt others to benefit themselves
To save his own
To protect oneself
Have pity on those
Show empathy for the less fortunate
Whose chances are thinner
Those who are struggling
Cause theres no hiding place
Can't avoid the judgment
From the kingdoms throne
From the ruler's power
So people get ready
Prepare yourselves
You dont need no baggage
Leave behind your worldly possessions
You just get on board !
Be a part of the upcoming event
All you need is faith
Believe in something higher than oneself
To hear the diesels humming
Listen to the sound of progress and change
Dont need no ticket
No payment required
You just thank, you just thank the lord
Be grateful for the opportunity
Im getting ready
I am preparing myself
This time Im ready
I am ready for this event
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
gobio
Great song, and great film
JESSE aka Yessik MAZZOLA
Why is it so difficult to find this version of this song streaming platforms like Spotify?