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
Positively 4th Street
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I was down you just stood there grinnin'
You've got a lotta nerve to say you got a helping hand to lend
You just want to be on the side that's winnin'
You say I let you down, ya know its not like that
If you're so hurt, why then don't you show it?
You say you've lost your faith, but that's not where its at
I know the reason, that you talked behind my back
I used to be among the crowd you're in with
Do you take me for such a fool, to think I'd make contact
With the one who tries to hide what he don't know to begin with?
You see me on the street, you always act surprised
You say "how are you?", "good luck", but ya don't mean it
When you know as well as me, you'd rather see me paralyzed
Why don't you just come out once and scream it
No, I do not feel that good when I see the heartbreaks you embrace
If I was a master thief perhaps I'd rob them
And tho I know you're dissatisfied with your position and your place
Don't you understand, its not my problem?
I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment I could be you
Yes, I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes
You'd know what a drag it is to see you
The song Positively 4th Street by Bob Dylan is a scathing criticism of a former friend of Dylan's who has betrayed him, shifting allegiances to be with those who are winning in success. The opening lines begin with Dylan's claim that the former friend has committed the ultimate betrayal: saying that he is a friend, but not providing support when Dylan needed it most. Dylan goes on to argue that this former friend has no right to criticize him because he has never offered any support or help in the first place. The second verse offers a hint as to why the former friend betrayed Dylan. Dylan suggests that the former friend talked behind his back because Dylan used to be in the same social group as the friend. This implies that the friend betrayed Dylan in order to gain approval from their mutual friends.
The third verse returns to the friend's hypocrisy, highlighting the fact that the friend always acts surprised to see Dylan when they meet in public, while secretly hoping that Dylan would fail. Dylan points out that the friend is not genuine, always wishing bad luck upon him. The fourth and final verse contains Dylan's ultimate wish for this friend: to see things from Dylan's perspective, to understand the pain and disappointment that comes with betrayal. But, he knows that the friend will never understand, and hence the song concludes with Dylan saying that he finds the friend's heartbreaks too much to witness.
Line by Line Meaning
You've got a lotta nerve to say you are my friend
You are being audacious to claim that you are my friend
When I was down you just stood there grinnin'
When I was facing adversity, you simply watched on with a smirk on your face
You've got a lotta nerve to say you got a helping hand to lend
To assert that you have a hand to lend is excessive
You just want to be on the side that's winnin'
You are merely seeking to align yourself with the winning party
You say I let you down, ya know its not like that
You claim that I let you down, but that is not factual
If you're so hurt, why then don't you show it?
If you are supposedly in agony, then why is it you do not express it?
You say you've lost your faith, but that's not where its at
You state that you have lost your faith, but it is not situated there
You have no faith to lose, and ya know it
You have no faith to lose, and it is apparent
I know the reason, that you talked behind my back
I am cognizant of the reason as to why you spoke about me behind my back
I used to be among the crowd you're in with
I used to be part of the social group you belong to
Do you take me for such a fool, to think I'd make contact
Do you hold such a low opinion of my intelligence to think I would make contact
With the one who tries to hide what he don't know to begin with?
With the person who works to conceal their lack of knowledge from the outset?
You see me on the street, you always act surprised
When you spot me in public, you invariably put on a facade of shock
You say "how are you?", "good luck", but ya don't mean it
You articulate "how are you?" and "good luck", but your utterances are insincere
When you know as well as me, you'd rather see me paralyzed
You are aware, as much as I am, that you would prefer to witness me being permanently immobilized
Why don't you just come out once and scream it
Why don't you speak out plainly and scream what you truly believe
No, I do not feel that good when I see the heartbreaks you embrace
It does not bring me pleasure to observe the heartbreaks that you welcome
If I was a master thief perhaps I'd rob them
If I possessed a high level of skill in thievery, I may consider stealing from them
And tho I know you're dissatisfied with your position and your place
Despite my awareness of your discontentment with your situation and standing
Don't you understand, its not my problem?
Do you not comprehend that it is not my concern?
I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes
I yearn for you to experience my circumstances once
And just for that one moment I could be you
And for that exclusive moment, I could inhabit your persona
Yes, I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes
Indeed, I hope for you to relish my experiences for a solitary moment
You'd know what a drag it is to see you
Then you would grasp how wearisome it is to observe you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
linda rogers
"I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes...you'd know what a drag it is to see you." Greatest line ever written.
pinanti
Indeed.
It's a line you 'll never forget..
Dylan is a genius.
Chris Campbell
It's the kicker to the song. Always stuck inside my head.
Paul Licciardo
His xristian rebirth since and born in time is more optimistic
Carl Bitney
Linda,
yep indeed,
& that line is not esoteric or
crooked, just hits that nail solid,
we all know clear & true what it means
carnia mellato
@Chris Campbell he wrote: I merely remember you, I go on without you, every one of us may detached of persons and situations.
Jeff Rogut
It’s now 2022 and after listening to Bob Dylan for over half a century this is still one of my favourites. Says it all to those who use and then discard you when you serve no purpose for them. Happy new year to all of you who truly appreciate the genius of Dylan …….
Javier Mendoza
Ah, well spoken. We hold some truths, to be self evident. " Your Honor, the defense rests ".
Alan Sparx
Wish you were a woman living in Australia... I'd love to meet you
Alan Sparx
OH! Wait? Insensitive content? If so, you have my apologies! One must be so tuned into the sensitivities of each person. That is if you are mesmerized by woke shite.