Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota… Read Full Bio ↴Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, United States) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning more than 60 years.
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
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
Pretty Polly
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh Willie, oh Willie, I'm scared of your ways.
Oh Willie, oh Willie, I'm scared of your ways.
I'm scared you will lead my poor body astray.
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, you guessed just about right.
Well Polly, Pretty Polly, you guessed just about right.
For I dug on your grave the best part of last night.
She through her arms around him and she began to cry.
She through her arms around him and she began to cry.
I can't kill a woman that loves you such as I.
There's no time to talk now, there's no time to stand.
There's no time to talk now, there's no time to stand.
He drew out his dagger all in his right hand.
He pierced her in the heart and her lifeblood did run.
He pierced her in the heart the lifeblood did flow.
Deep in her grave Pretty Polly did go.
He threw the dirt around her and then he went home,
He threw the dirt around her and then he went home,
With nobody there but the wild birds to moan.
A debt to the devil Willie must pay.
A debt to the devil Willie must pay
For killing Pretty Polly and running away.
Oh where is Pretty Polly? Yonder she stands.
Oh where is Pretty Polly? Yonder she stands.
The rings on the fingers of her lilywhite hand.
The rings on the fingers of her lilywhite hand.
Oh Willie, oh Willie, I'm scared of your ways.
I'm scared you will lead my poor body astray.
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, you guessed just about right.
Well Polly, Pretty Polly, you guessed just about right.
For I dug on your grave the best part of last night.
She through her arms around him and she began to cry.
I can't kill a woman that loves you such as I.
There's no time to talk now, there's no time to stand.
There's no time to talk now, there's no time to stand.
He drew out his dagger all in his right hand.
He pierced her in the heart and her lifeblood did run.
He pierced her in the heart the lifeblood did flow.
Deep in her grave Pretty Polly did go.
He threw the dirt around her and then he went home,
He threw the dirt around her and then he went home,
With nobody there but the wild birds to moan.
A debt to the devil Willie must pay.
A debt to the devil Willie must pay
For killing Pretty Polly and running away.
Oh where is Pretty Polly? Yonder she stands.
Oh where is Pretty Polly? Yonder she stands.
The rings on the fingers of her lilywhite hand.
The rings on the fingers of her lilywhite hand.
The song Pretty Polly tells the story of a man named Willie who is smitten with a young woman named Polly. However, Polly is afraid of Willie's wild and dangerous ways. Willie admits to having recently been up to something suspicious and reveals that he has dug a grave for Polly. Despite this, Polly still loves Willie and pleads with him not to harm her. Willie, however, draws a dagger and kills her, burying her in the grave he has prepared. In the end, Willie must face the consequences of his actions and pay a debt to the devil for his sin.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Willie, oh Willie, I'm scared of your ways.
Polly is afraid of Willie and his intentions.
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly, you guessed just about right.
Willie confirms that Polly is right in assuming he is a killer.
She through her arms around him and she began to cry.
Polly tries to appeal to Willie's emotions in hopes of sparing her own life.
There's no time to talk now, there's no time to stand.
Willie is ready to take action and lure Polly to her death.
He pierced her in the heart and her lifeblood did run.
Willie murders Polly by stabbing her in the heart causing her to bleed out.
He threw the dirt around her and then he went home,
Willie buries Polly and leaves her alone in the wilderness.
A debt to the devil Willie must pay.
Willie is held accountable for his evil actions.
Oh where is Pretty Polly? Yonder she stands.
The artist is observing from afar and sees Polly's lifeless body.
The rings on the fingers of her lilywhite hand.
Evidence of Polly's innocence and lack of wrongdoing are found on her remains.
Contributed by Nathaniel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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@adolfryan1930
Lyrics: I used to be a rambler, I stayed around this town
I used to be a rambler, I stayed around in town
I courted Pretty Polly and the beauty has never been found
(break)
Oh where is Pretty Polly, oh yonder she stands
Oh where is Pretty Polly, oh yonder she stands
With rings on her fingers and lily-white hands
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly come take a walk with me
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly come take a walk with me
When we get married some pleasure to see
(break)
He led her over hills and valleys so deep
He led her over hills and valleys so deep
At last Pretty Polly, she began to weep
Oh Willie oh Willie I'm 'fraid of your way
Willie oh Willie I'm 'fraid of your way
Inclined to ramble and lead me astray
(break)
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly you guessin' about right
Pretty Polly, Pretty Polly you guessin' about right
I dug on your grave two-thirds of last night
They went on a piece farther and what did they spy?
Went on up (?) farther and what did they spy?
A new-dug grave and a spade lying by
(break)
She threw her arms around him and began for to weep
She threw her arms around him and began for to weep
At last Pretty Polly, she fell asleep
He threw the dirt over her, and turned away to go
Threw the dirt over her, and turned away to go
Down to the river where the deep water flow
@evansgate
love his humble "some people don't like the way I play but you can't expect everyone to like it". if only every musician had this perspective, Dock Boggs played in that style because he liked it, simple as that
@Conbonicle
I like his style the best
@emilbecker8970
Doc boggs playing is so haunting and deep. My favourite style of picking there is
@davidthedustyhampton690
I'm so glad we live in a time we can see video of people who made records in the 20s such as Doc Boggs and Clarence Ashley, even though it wasn't until the folk revival of the 60s the fact that we have videos such as these is nothing short of a miracle of history
@craiglammers7177
Though there's video of Jimmie Rodgers from 1931
@BlueGrassPeteF
After listening to Dock's 78s for years, it is delightful to be able to see him! His music has been a big influence on me. Thanks to Alan Lomax for filming Dock, and to Mike Seeger for all his recording work with him,
@timthetoolpoolberg4913
His voice is hypnotic.
@thomsmith9394
Absolutely mind blow to actually see him play this. Can’t believe I’ve never seen this footage before.
@TheFolkRevivalProject
This song is over 300 years old, and probably describes true events that took place in England.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Polly_(ballad)
@justforever96
Most old ballads are based on real events aren't they?