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
Roving Gambler
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wherever I meet with a deck of cards
I lay my money down
(I Lay my money down, lay my money down.)
I gambled up in Washington, gambled over in Spain
I'm on my way to Frisco town
To knock down my last game
I had not been in 'Frisco, many more days than three
I fell in love with a pretty little girl
And she fell in love with me
(Fell in love with me, fell in love with me.)
She took me in her parlor, she cooled me with a fan
She whispered low in her mama's ear
"I love this gamblin' man."
("Love this gamelin' man." "Love this gamblin' man.")
"Daughter, Oh! dear daughter, how could you treat me so?
And leave your dear old mother
And with a gambler go?"
(With a gambler go? with a gambler go?)
"Mother, Oh dear mother, I'll tell you if I can
If you ever see my face again,
I'll be with the gamblin' man"
(be with the gamblin' man" be with the gamblin' man)
In Bob Dylan's song Roving Gambler, the singer speaks about his life as a gambler, traveling from place to place to gamble and win money. He introduces himself as a "rovin gambler," who has gambled all over, and wherever he finds a deck of cards, he always bets his money on it. He talks about the different places he has traveled to in search of gambling opportunities, including Washington and Spain, and how he is now on his way to Frisco town to play one final game.
However, upon arriving in Frisco, he meets a woman whom he falls in love with, and she reciprocates his feelings. She takes him into her parlor and cools him with a fan while whispering in her mother's ear that she loves this "gamblin' man." Her mother expresses her disapproval, asking how her daughter could leave her to be with a gambler. The daughter responds that she will be with the gambler, and if her mother ever sees her again, she will be with him.
The song seems to be a commentary on the dangers of gambling and how it can consume people's lives, leading them to travel far and wide in search of their next win. The singer's love interest is seen as someone who is willing to take a risk and follow her heart, even if it means going against societal norms and upsetting her mother. Overall, the song can be seen as a cautionary tale about the risks of gambling and how it can affect someone's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a rovin' gambler, I've gambled all around
I am a wandering gambler who has gambled in different places.
Wherever I meet with a deck of cards
Whenever I come across a deck of cards.
I lay my money down
I bet and risk my money in the game.
I gambled up in Washington, gambled over in Spain
I have gambled in different places such as Washington and Spain.
I'm on my way to Frisco town
I am headed towards Frisco town.
To knock down my last game
To win my last game and earn money.
I had not been in 'Frisco, many more days than three
I have been in Frisco for only a few days.
I fell in love with a pretty little girl
I fell in love with a beautiful girl.
And she fell in love with me
She also fell in love with me.
She took me in her parlor, she cooled me with a fan
She brought me to her room and tried to make me more comfortable.
She whispered low in her mama's ear
She secretly whispered to her mom.
"I love this gamblin' man."
"I love this gambler."
"Daughter, Oh! dear daughter, how could you treat me so?
"Dear daughter, how could you do this to me?
And leave your dear old mother
And leave your mother behind.
And with a gambler go?"
And run away with a gambler?"
"Mother, Oh dear mother, I'll tell you if I can
"Mother, I will try to explain to you.
If you ever see my face again,
If we see each other again,
I'll be with the gamblin' man"
I will be with my gambler lover."
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MissTeach
We LOVE, LOVE, ❤️ 😍 💖 ❣️ 💕 💘 ❤️ BOB DYLAN ❤️ ! ! ! !
@MissTeach
I love ❤️ hearing Mr. D sing this! Not everyone loves a roving gambler, but everyone loves ❤️ a certain Mr. D.
@jblo76
Loved the “country southern gentleman” Dylan of the late ‘90’s/early ‘00’s! Those were great shows.
@0otee
Low Metal Bob Voice Nice singin’ along...
Gargle with the Bob Garglin’ Gargle and everything will be alright... He’s a gamblin’ man before you know it! Comin’ everywhere... Gamble yr last game.. but do so wíth that Banjo 💃🕺💫🎶💥🌹👌❤️ Thanks Jinal007🌺Thanks Dylan❤️🌞
@pekibuzz
Even though he had clearly gargled his throat with thumbtacks that day, I still love it! 🥰
@0otee
Hi peki butz ❣️Are you alright? Hope so❣️ Here a gratis tip:
Did you hear of Jinal007
Jokerman by Dylan played in the Brixton Academy titles Freedom just around the corner for you? Super to look and listen❣️ Enjoy🌹👋👋
@lindarobison7830
Good ole bob
@iansing5278
Love that gamblin man.
Thanks jinal007...
@DanFrechette
Sounds pretty close to Peter Rowan's album "Walls Of Time", also well worth checking out.
@toerag5475
I once asked a friend of mine why he gambled so much. He said , it's the only way I know how to get money quick.