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
Ramblin' on my mind
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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An' coverin' the crossroads I'm standing at
Or maybe it's the weather or something like that
But mama, you are just on my mind.
I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset
I am not pleadin' or sayin', I can't forget
I do not walk the floor bowed down an' bent, but yet
Even though my mind is hazy an' my thoughts they might be narrow
Where you been don't bother me nor bring me down in sorrow
It don't even matter to me where you're wakin' up tomorrow
But mama, you're just on my mind
When you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror
You know I won't be next to you, you know I won't be near
I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
As someone who has had you on his mind
Maybe it's the color of the sun cut flat
An' coverin' the crossroads I'm standing at
Or maybe it's the weather or something like that
But mama, you are just on my mind
Mama, you are just on my mind
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song "Mama You Been on My Mind" express his emotional state and the impact his mother has had on him. He opens the song by suggesting that his contemplative state may be linked to the color of the sun or the weather. Regardless of the reason, he cannot shake the thought of his mother from his mind.
Dylan is keen to clarify that he means no harm and is not asking for pity, but simply acknowledging the fact that his mother is constantly on his mind. His mind may be hazy and narrow, but her whereabouts do not bring him down. Although he is not physically present to see her reflection in the mirror, he wonders if she can recognize the love he has for her through the clarity of her own reflection.
Overall, "Mama You Been on My Mind" is a beautiful tribute to Dylan's mother, who was a huge influence on his music and lyrics. By their nature, mothers represent unconditional love and support, and Dylan recognizes the impact his mother's love has had on him.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe it's the color of the sun cut flat
Perhaps it's the way the sun is shining on this flat area that reminds me of you.
An' coverin' the crossroads I'm standing at
It feels like the sun is shining down on the crossroads where I'm standing and it's blocking my path, just like thoughts of you are.
Or maybe it's the weather or something like that
Could be the weather making me feel this way or anything else, but I can't seem to shake you off my mind.
But mama, you are just on my mind.
No matter what the reason is, I can't stop thinking about you, Mama. It's just involuntary.
I don't mean trouble, please don't put me down or get upset
I'm not trying to cause any trouble or hurt, Mama. Please don't be mad at me for thinking about you.
I am not pleadin' or sayin', I can't forget
I'm not begging you to come back to me or telling you that I can't forget you. I'm just acknowledging that I'm thinking of you.
I do not walk the floor bowed down an' bent, but yet
I'm not physically tormented by thoughts of you, but they are always present in my mind.
Mama, you are just on my mind.
No matter how much I try to push you out, you are always in my thoughts, Mama.
Even though my mind is hazy an' my thoughts they might be narrow
Even though I'm not always thinking clearly, and my thoughts may be limited or one-track, you are always on my mind, Mama.
Where you been don't bother me nor bring me down in sorrow
I'm not sad or worried about where you are or what you're doing. Your absence doesn't bring me down, but I still can't stop thinking about you.
It don't even matter to me where you're wakin' up tomorrow
I'm not concerned with where you will be or what you'll be doing tomorrow. You are still on my mind, regardless of those details.
But mama, you're just on my mind
No matter how I try to distract myself, your memory continues to live in my mind and heart, Mama.
When you wake up in the mornin', baby, look inside your mirror
When you wake up in the morning, Mama, take a look at yourself in the mirror.
You know I won't be next to you, you know I won't be near
You know that I won't be by your side, Mama, physically or in your thoughts when you look at yourself.
I'd just be curious to know if you can see yourself as clear
I'm just curious if you see yourself clearly, without any interference of my presence in your mind, Mama.
As someone who has had you on his mind.
What I mean is, can you see yourself through the eyes of someone who has been thinking about you a lot, Mama?
Maybe it's the color of the sun cut flat
Just like before, it could be the way the sun is shining on this flat area that reminds me of you, Mama.
An' coverin' the crossroads I'm standing at
The sun seems to be blocking my path at this crossroad, just like your memory is constantly on my mind and blocking other thoughts from coming through, Mama.
Or maybe it's the weather or something like that
Once again, it could be the weather or anything else that's making me think of you, Mama.
But mama, you are just on my mind.
Regardless of the reason, you continue to occupy my thoughts, Mama.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
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