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
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, there's one kind-a favor I'll ask of you
There's just one kind favor I'll ask of you
You can see that my grave is kept clean
And there's two white horses following me
And there's two white horses following me
I got two white horses following me
Did you ever hear that coughin' sound?
Did you ever hear that coughin' sound?
Did you ever hear that coughin' sound?
Means another poor boy is underground
Did you ever hear them church bells tone?
Have you ever hear that church bells tone?
Did you ever hear them church bells tone?
Means another poor boy is dead and gone
And my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
And my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
And my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
Now I believe what the Bible told
There's just one last favor I'll ask of you
And there's one last favor I'll ask of you
There's just one last favor I'll ask of you
See that my grave is kept clean
The song "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" by Bob Dylan is a haunting and reflective piece that reflects on death and dying. The song speaks of a single request that the singer has of the listener - that they see that his grave is kept clean. The song speaks of how there will be two white horses following the singer, and how the sound of church bells will mark the passing of another poor boy. The singer reflects on how his heart has stopped beating and his hands have turned cold, and he speaks of how he now believes what the Bible foretold.
The song is a powerful reflection on death and dying, and it speaks to the way in which we all must inevitably confront our own mortality. The request that the singer has of the listener is a simple one, but it is a profound one. It speaks to the idea that even in death we can hope to be remembered and commemorated, that even in the face of the finality of our own passing we can still make a request of those we leave behind.
Overall, "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" is a haunting and evocative piece that speaks to the universal experience of death and dying. It is a song that has resonated with audiences for generations, and it continues to be a powerful reminder of the fragility of human life and the importance of remembrance.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, there's one kind-a favor I'll ask of you
I have a simple favor to ask of you
There's just one kind favor I'll ask of you
I only have one request
You can see that my grave is kept clean
When I pass away, please ensure my grave is well-maintained
And there's two white horses following me
As I make my final journey, two white horses will accompany me
Waiting on my burying ground
They will wait until I am laid to rest
Did you ever hear that coughin' sound?
Have you ever heard the sound of a coffin being lowered into the ground?
Means another poor boy is underground
The sound indicates that someone else has passed away
Have you ever hear that church bells tone?
Have you ever heard the somber chimes of funeral bells?
Means another poor boy is dead and gone
The bells signal the passing of another human being
And my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
When I die, my heart will stop and my body will grow cold
Now I believe what the Bible told
My experience has confirmed the truth of the Bible's teachings about death
There's just one last favor I'll ask of you
As a final request, there is one more thing I would like you to do for me
See that my grave is kept clean
Please ensure that my burial place is maintained and respected
Lyrics © Mute Song Limited
Written by: Blind Lemon Jefferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
Well, there's one kind of favor I'll ask you
Well, there's one kind of favor I'll ask you
There's just one kind of favor I'll ask you
You can see that my grave is kept clean
And there's two white horses followin' me
And there's two white horses followin' me
I got two white horses followin' me
Waiting on my buryin' ground
Did you ever hear that coffin sound?
Did you ever hear that coffin sound?
Did you ever hear that coffin sound?
Means another poor boy is underground
Did you ever hear them church bells toll?
Have you ever heard that church bells toll?
Did you ever hear them church bells toll?
Means another poor boy is dead and gone
Well, my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
And my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
And my heart stopped beating and my hands turned cold
Now I believe what the Bible told
There's just one last favor I'll ask you
And there's one last favor I'll ask you
There's just one last favor I'll ask of you
See that my grave is kept clean
@yogsenforfoth5948
Every time I visit my older brother’s gravesite, this song comes to my mind. I always bring a bottle of water and a towel, just in case I need to clean it off. I’ll always make sure his grave is kept clean. I miss you, Jimmy. Love you, Bubba. ❤
@mike2190
Minnesota. Nice listening.
@mistertibbs472
I’m a terrible hypochondriac and I also have year round allergies. When Covid first broke out I was constantly paranoid about whether or not I had it and I listened to this a lot along with In My Time of Dying to cope (weird I know). Crazy to think it’s almost been 3 years as of writing this since then.
@mistery-ed7900
One of the best on his debut album.
@paulgrobe1271
Absolutely correct!
@davidkariu2330
Dylan newbie here, and I cannot believe I've been oblivious to this man for 30 years.
I know Dylan would joke, that's 30 million tears for you.
@TyroneEpps
This debut album is hot ! 😊
@idontwanttosaymynameonyout1486
I’m reading a graphic novel called two graves and this song is what she played on a juke box in that novel so here I am seeing what it sounds like
@el_chief_dannyboy
Some good Texas blues
@bevgadsby8416
Great songs 🎸🎹🎹🙏🙏🎸🎸🎸🎸