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
Stage Fright
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who suffered so much for what he did,
They gave this ploughboy his fortune and fame,
Since that day he ain't been the same.
See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
And he got caught in the spotlight,
He wants to start all over again.
I've got fire water right on my breath
And the doctor warned me I might catch a death.
Said, "You can make it in your disguise,
Just never show the fear that's in your eyes."
See the man with the stage fright,
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
He got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again.
Now if he says that he's afraid,
Take him at his word.
And for the price that the poor boy has paid,
He gets to sing just like a bird, oh, ooh ooh ooh.
Your brow is sweatin' and your mouth gets dry,
Fancy people go driftin' by.
The moment of truth is right at hand,
Just one more nightmare you can stand.
See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
And he got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again, hmm hmm,
You wanna try it once again, hmm hmm,
Please don't make him stop, hmm hmm,
Let him take it from the top, hmm hmm,
Let him start all over again.
Bob Dylan’s song, Stage Fright, is a commentary on the duality of fame, the pressures that come with it and the masks that the famous wear to hide their vulnerability. The song’s protagonist is described as a once plain and lonely individual, who suddenly gains fortune and fame, and becomes unrecognizable to those who knew him before. Dylan warns that the fear of the spotlight is real and debilitating, and even with copious levels of alcohol to mask it, it can still be present. The singer, however, is driven and determined to overcome his anxiety and continue his performances, but wishes to start over after every gig. Dylan pays homage to the reality of fame, where fans expect their idols to always perform at their best, whereas in reality, the fear and anxiety that comes with stage fright never truly disappears.
The first line paints a picture of a once-quiet kid who is now in the limelight, but the anxiety and pressure that come with such attention is a lot to handle. The second line emphasizes how the singer was transformed by his newfound success. His reality reminds us that not everyone can cope with life in the public eye. The chorus highlights the man’s struggle to overcome his fear of performing in front of a crowd. He seems unable to escape the spotlight and wants to start over again too many times to ignore. The next set of lyrics emphasizes just how much anxiety the singer is experiencing, with "fire water" on his breath, and his fear warned by his doctor. But he still puts on a disguise and doesn’t reveal his fear. Dylan seems to be cautioning against the idea of "fake it till you make it" mentality, as it can lead to a loss of self-identity. The next set of lyrics describes the fear and anxiety that the singer feels when performing, with the "moment of truth" being reminiscent of no longer being able to hide behind a facade. The last chorus returns to the idea that the singer wants to try again and start over after the pressure of the spotlight becomes too much to bear.
Line by Line Meaning
Now deep in the heart of a lonely kid
Who suffered so much for what he did,
They gave this ploughboy his fortune and fame,
Since that day he ain't been the same.
This is the story of a guy who suddenly became famous and his life changed completely. He used to be just a regular guy until people recognized his talent, and everything changed.
See the man with the stage fright
Just standin' up there to give it all his might.
And he got caught in the spotlight,
But when we get to the end
He wants to start all over again.
The song is about the anxiety that comes with being a performer, and how sometimes you just want to start over even after a successful show. It's not always easy being in the spotlight.
I've got fire water right on my breath
And the doctor warned me I might catch a death.
Said, "You can make it in your disguise,
Just never show the fear that's in your eyes."
The performer here is describing how he deals with stage fright, by drinking alcohol. His doctor has cautioned him against it, but he feels he needs it to disguise his fear of the audience.
Now if he says that he's afraid,
Take him at his word.
And for the price that the poor boy has paid,
He gets to sing just like a bird, oh, ooh ooh ooh.
When a performer says he's afraid, take him seriously. He may have paid a high price to be where he is, but he's still human and vulnerable. Despite that, he has the talent and ability to perform beautifully.
Your brow is sweatin' and your mouth gets dry,
Fancy people go driftin' by.
The moment of truth is right at hand,
Just one more nightmare you can stand.
This is a description of the anxiety a performer feels before going on stage. Even though the performer is anxious, he knows he can handle it, and is ready to face the moment of truth.
You wanna try it once again, hmm hmm,
Please don't make him stop, hmm hmm,
Let him take it from the top, hmm hmm,
Let him start all over again.
Despite the fear and anxiety of being on stage, the performer wants a chance to do it again, to make it perfect. It's his passion, and even though it's scary, he's willing to keep going.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBBIE ROBERTSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@floepiejane
Awww, man, I can still see Rick's elbows flapping with his grooves. I'm so blessed to have seen him sing this song so many times.
@timothyryan6018
Rick Danko- his bass is So Funky.. rest of the guys are on Fire.
Great stuff!
@morios1
I agree it, Rick, he play totally FUNK. and he always dose it!
@timnunn7653
I love bob dylan
@ritaymbernon5397
Also
@michaelhoffman5486
its like their whole sound was based around blessed garth and what a garth he was
@JorgeLMarquezsM
Excelente!
@user-ip9rg6cv9b
Robbie Robertson - RIP