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
Stuck Inside Of Mobile
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up and down the block
I'd ask him what the matter was
But I know that he don't talk
And the ladies treat me kindly
And furnish me with tape
But deep inside my heart
I know I can't escape
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Well, Shakespeare, he's in the alley
With his pointed shoes and his bells
Speaking to some French girl
Who says she knows me well
And I would send a message
To find out if she's talked
But the post office has been stolen
And the mailbox is locked
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Mona tried to tell me
To stay away from the train line
She said that all the railroad men
Just drink up your blood like wine
An' I said, "Oh, I didn't know that
But then again, there's only one I've met
An' he just smoked my eyelids
An' punched my cigarette"
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Grandpa died last week
And now he's buried in the rocks
But everybody still talks about
How badly they were shocked
But me, I expected it to happen
I knew he'd lost control
When he built a fire on Main Street
And shot it full of holes
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the senator came down here
Showing ev'ryone his gun
Handing out free tickets
To the wedding of his son
An' me, I nearly got busted
An' wouldn't it be my luck?
To get caught without a ticket
And be discovered beneath a truck
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the preacher looked so baffled
When I asked him why he dressed
With twenty pounds of headlines
Stapled to his chest
But he cursed me when I proved it to him
Then I whispered, "Not even you can hide
You see, you're just like me
I hope you're satisfied"
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the rain man gave me two cures
Then he said, "Jump right in"
The one was Texas medicine
The other was just railroad gin
An' like a fool I mixed them
An' it strangled up my mind
An' now people just get uglier
An' I have no sense of time
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
When Ruthie says come see her
In her honky-tonk lagoon
Where I can watch her waltz for free
'Neath her Panamanian moon
An' I say, "Aw come on now
You must know about my debutante"
An' she says, "Your debutante just knows what you need
But I know what you want"
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
Now the bricks lay on Grand Street
Where the neon madmen climb
They all fall there so perfectly
It all seems so well timed
An' here I sit so patiently
Waiting to find out what price
You have to pay to get out of
Going through all these things twice
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end?
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
In Bob Dylan's song "Stuck Inside a Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again," Dylan depicts himself as being stuck in a surreal world where everything seems bizarre and confusing. The song's lyrics are full of odd characters and situations that are reminiscent of a dream world. The ragman drawing circles up and down the block, the Shakespearean character in the alley with pointed shoes and bells, and the rain man who gives two cures are all bizarre characters that Dylan encounters in this peculiar dream-like world.
The song is full of paradoxical situations where reality is completely twisted. For example, the ladies treat the singer kindly and furnish him with tape, but deep inside his heart, he knows that he can't escape. Similarly, when people talk about Grandpa's death and how shocked they were, Dylan expected it to happen, as he knew he had lost control when he built a fire on Main Street.
The chorus of the song, “Oh Mama, can this really be the end,” adds to the surreal world Dylan finds himself in, making the listener question what exactly is happening. Throughout the song, Dylan explores themes of loss, control, reality, and expectations, creating a vivid and strange world.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the ragman draws circles Up and down the block
The ragman is aimlessly wandering the neighborhood, with no clear direction or purpose.
I'd ask him what the matter was But I know that he don't talk
Although curious about the ragman, the singer knows that he won't receive an answer as the ragman is non-communicative.
And the ladies treat me kindly And furnish me with tape
Despite the chaos and confusion around him, women in the area are showing compassion and providing aid.
But deep inside my heart I know I can't escape
Despite the kindness of others, the artist can't shake the feeling of being trapped in his current situation.
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end? To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again
The artist is pleading with his mama to help, as he feels trapped and lost in Mobile with the Memphis blues.
Well, Shakespeare, he's in the alley With his pointed shoes and his bells Speaking to some French girl Who says she knows me well
Even iconic figures like Shakespeare are present in this disorienting world, engaging in strange conversations with vague acquaintances.
And I would send a message To find out if she's talked But the post office has been stolen And the mailbox is locked
The singer wants to know what is being said about him but cannot communicate as the post office has been robbed and the mailbox is inaccessible.
Mona tried to tell me To stay away from the train line She said that all the railroad men Just drink up your blood like wine
Mona warned the artist about the danger of railroad men, who are violent, unpredictable and often in the grip of substance abuse.
An' I said, 'Oh, I didn't know that But then again, there's only one I've met An' he just smoked my eyelids An' punched my cigarette'
Though Mona's cautionary tale scares the artist, he asserts that he has only met one railroad man who was mild-mannered and enigmatic.
Grandpa died last week And now he's buried in the rocks But everybody still talks about How badly they were shocked
Grandpa's recent death is still the talk of the town; although his demise may have been inevitable, people were still deeply affected by it.
But me, I expected it to happen I knew he'd lost control When he built a fire on Main Street And shot it full of holes
While others were shocked by Grandpa's actions leading up to his death, the singer saw it coming as Grandpa had become increasingly unhinged and erratic.
Now the senator came down here Showing ev'ryone his gun Handing out free tickets To the wedding of his son
The senator is brandishing weapons while distributing outwardly-generous gifts for his son's wedding.
An' me, I nearly got busted An' wouldn't it be my luck? To get caught without a ticket And be discovered beneath a truck
The singer was nearly caught without a ticket, and comments on how typical it would be for him to be found hiding under a truck in this unpredictable world.
Now the preacher looked so baffled When I asked him why he dressed With twenty pounds of headlines Stapled to his chest
The preacher's choice of dress perplexes the singer, as the preacher seems to be advertising the headlines stapled to his chest.
But he cursed me when I proved it to him Then I whispered, 'Not even you can hide You see, you're just like me I hope you're satisfied'
The singer observes that even the most seemingly reputable people (such as preachers) are just as lost and confused as he is, but when he points this out, he is met with resistance and hostility from the preacher.
Now the rain man gave me two cures Then he said, 'Jump right in' The one was Texas medicine The other was just railroad gin An' like a fool I mixed them An' it strangled up my mind An' now people just get uglier An' I have no sense of time
The rain man offers the artist contradictory cures, which the artist foolishly combines, leading to him losing his sense of time and finding people to be less attractive.
When Ruthie says come see her In her honky-tonk lagoon Where I can watch her waltz for free 'Neath her Panamanian moon An' I say, 'Aw come on now You must know about my debutante' An' she says, 'Your debutante just knows what you need But I know what you want'
Ruthie invites the artist to come to her honky-tonk and promises a free show featuring a Panamanian moon. The artist attempts to boast about his debutante, but Ruthie cuts him short, asserting that she knows what the artist truly wants.
Now the bricks lay on Grand Street Where the neon madmen climb They all fall there so perfectly It all seems so well timed An' here I sit so patiently Waiting to find out what price You have to pay to get out of Going through all these things twice
The madness and chaos of Grand Street is highlighted by the imagery of 'neon madmen' climbing; their movements seem so perfect and well-timed even though the actions are reckless. The singer is waiting for issues to resolve themselves and wonders what he'll have to do to avoid going through the madness and confusion all over again.
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gregoryberrycone6937
this is one of the greatest songs of all time without a doubt. all the wires just crossed perfectly, composition, improvisation, absolute lyrical genius, wry sarcastic wit, puns and metaphors most people could only dream of coming up with, the way it paints a tableau of entropy and chaos like something out of a picaresque novel
@user-tf4yy7qx4f
Right.
@tenzinsmith7991
And the music sounds great too
@MaxPower-if3yz
Inxs ?
@angieneal7070
You should be a writer!!!
@gregoryberrycone6937
@@angieneal7070 you're much too kind! That is my dream though
@joebanish7517
Blonde on Blonde is one of the best, if not the best, albums in popular music history. This song, along with “Visions of Johanna”, “Just like a Woman”, and “Absolutely Sweet Marie”, are cultural treasures that will be listened to for generations to come.
@anne-mariemeiffren7090
Oh tellement oui!
@giampaoloodinelli1785
Una canzone straordinaria.
@koko-pu5vn
Amen!!