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
Sarah Jane
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna take a trip on the big McMillan
With Sarah Jane
Sarah Jane
Ain't nothin' to do
But to sit down and sing
And rock about my Sarah Jane.
Captain gone through the hole-in-the-wall
Oh Sarah Jane
Sarah Jane
Ain't nothin' to do
But to set down and sing
And rock about my Sarah Jane.
Yankee built boats to shoot them Rebels
My gun's steady gonna hold it level
Sarah Jane
Sarah Jane
Ain't nothin' to do
But to set down and sing
And rock about my Sarah Jane.
I've got a wife and five little children
I'm gonna take a trip on the big McMillan
Sarah Jane
Sarah Jane
Ain't nothin' to do
But to set down and sing
And rock about my Sarah Jane.
Bob Dylan's song "Sarah Jane" is a poignant folk ballad that tells the story of a man who is about to embark on a journey. Despite having a wife and five children, the man decides to take a trip on the big McMillan. The song notes that the only thing he has to do is to sit down and sing about his beloved Sarah Jane. The man cannot help but talk about her, and he is excited about the journey he is about to take.
As the song progresses, we learn that Sarah Jane is a beloved figure in his life, and the journey he is about to take has something to do with the war. He sings about the whistle that blows and the fiddler who squalls as the captain goes through the hole-in-the-wall. The boat they are on was built by Yankees to shoot the Rebels, and his gun is steady; he is confident in the outcomes of the war.
The song "Sarah Jane" is a celebration of love and loyalty, but it is also a tribute to the courage of those who went through the American Civil War. Many of Dylan's songs are protests, political commentaries, or social critiques. In contrast, "Sarah Jane" is a simple ode that celebrates the human spirit and the little things in life that keep us going.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a wife and five little children
I have a family to support and take care of
I'm gonna take a trip on the big McMillan
I'm planning to work on the big McMillan boat
With Sarah Jane
With my beloved Sarah Jane
Sarah Jane
Refers to the artist's love interest
Ain't nothin' to do
But to sit down and sing
And rock about my Sarah Jane.
All there is to do is to sing and think about Sarah Jane
Whistle done blows and the fiddler squalls
Captain gone through the hole-in-the-wall
Oh Sarah Jane
Sarah Jane
The ship's whistle has blown, and the captain has gone, all the singer can do is think of Sarah Jane
Ain't nothin' to do
But to set down and sing
And rock about my Sarah Jane.
All there is to do is to sit and sing while thinking about Sarah Jane
Yankee built boats to shoot them Rebels
My gun's steady gonna hold it level
Sarah Jane
Sarah Jane
Even in war, the artist is thinking of Sarah Jane and is ready to fight for her
I've got a wife and five little children
I'm gonna take a trip on the big McMillan
Sarah Jane
Sarah Jane
Despite having a family to support, the artist is still thinking of Sarah Jane and going to work on the big McMillan boat
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind