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
T.V. Talkin' Song
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Past a place called Hyde park where people talk
'Bout all kinds of different gods, they have their point of view
To anyone passing by, that's who they're talking to.
There was someone on a platform talking to the folks
About the T.V. god and all the pain that it invokes.
"It's too bright a light", he said, "For anybody's eyes,
I moved in closer, got up on my toes,
Two men in front of me were coming to blows
The man was saying something 'bout children when they're young
Being sacrificed to it while lullabies are being sung.
"The news of the day is on all the time,
All the latest gossip, all the latest rhyme,
Your mind is your temple, keep it beautiful and free,
Don't let an egg get laid in it by something you can't see."
"Pray for peace!". he said, you could feel it in the crowd.
My thoughts began to wander. His voice was ringing loud,
"It will destroy your family, your happy home is gone
No one can protect you fro it once you turn it on."
"It will led you into some strange pursuits,
Lead you to the land of forbidden fruits.
It will scramble up your head and drag your brain about,
Sometimes you gotta do like Elvis did and shoot the damn thing out."
"It's all been designed", he said, "To make you lose your mind,
And when you go back to find it, there's nothing there to find."
"Everytime you look at it, your situation's worse,
If you feel it grabbing out for you, send for the nurse."
The crowd began to riot and they grabbed hold of the man,
There was pushing, there was shoving and everybody ran.
The T.V. crew was there to film it, they jumped right over me,
Later on that evening, I watched it on T.V..
The song T.V. Talkin' Song by Bob Dylan is a commentary on the negative effects of television on society. Dylan narrates a personal experience of walking through Hyde park in London, where he witnessed a man speaking on a platform about the negative effects of television. The singer describes the television as a "T.V. god" that causes pain and destruction, destroying people's families and homes once they switch it on. The singer compares the television to a bright light, which is a blessing in disguise for those who have never experienced it. Dylan highlights the absurdity of the situation as he describes people in Hyde park talking about different gods according to their views, adding the TV god to the list.
As Dylan moves closer to the singer, two men in front of him start to argue about the effects of television on children. The singer suggests that children are being sacrificed to it while lullabies are being sung. He warns about the news and current events being on all the time, leading to strange pursuits and forbidden fruits. The singer adds that watching TV will scramble up one's head, dragging the brain about, just like what happened to Elvis, who decided to shoot the damn thing out. The singer emphasizes that television has been designed to make people lose their minds and when they go back to find it, there's nothing there to find. The singer observes that the audience starts to riot, and the TV crew films the incident for the news.
Overall, the song discusses how television should be viewed as dangerous for its negative effects on the human brain, leading people to pursue strange things and neglect their families. Dylan emphasizes the need to keep one's mind and thoughts "beautiful and free." He warns that it will lead to the destruction of the family and, once turned on, nobody can protect them from its power.
Line by Line Meaning
One time in London I'd gone out for a walk,
Past a place called Hyde park where people talk
'Bout all kinds of different gods, they have their point of view
To anyone passing by, that's who they're talking to.
The singer is narrating his trip to Hyde Park in London where he witnessed people having different opinions about religion and gods, and arguing about them in public. He notes that the people are vocalizing their views to anyone and everyone they encounter.
There was someone on a platform talking to the folks
About the T.V. god and all the pain that it invokes.
"It's too bright a light", he said, "For anybody's eyes,
If you've never seen one it's a blessing in disguise."
The singer observes a speaker preaching about the T.V. god, explaining the negative impact it has on people. The singer metaphorically refers to T.V. as a 'bright light' that can blind people. He further claims that if someone has never seen T.V., it is a good thing.
I moved in closer, got up on my toes,
Two men in front of me were coming to blows
The man was saying something 'bout children when they're young
Being sacrificed to it while lullabies are being sung.
The singer pushes himself forward to hear the conversation between two men standing near the singer. The argument is about how children are exposed to T.V. at a very young age and how it affects them. One of the men claims that children are robbed of their innocence and are 'sacrificed' to T.V. while being sung lullabies.
"The news of the day is on all the time,
All the latest gossip, all the latest rhyme,
Your mind is your temple, keep it beautiful and free,
Don't let an egg get laid in it by something you can't see."
The artist expresses how the news is always on T.V. and how it peddles gossip and rumors. He advises people to keep their minds pure and to not let something they cannot visualize affect them negatively.
"Pray for peace!". he said, you could feel it in the crowd.
My thoughts began to wander. His voice was ringing loud,
"It will destroy your family, your happy home is gone
No one can protect you fro it once you turn it on."
The artist requests the crowd to pray for peace, and the singer notes the uplifting effect it has on the gathering. The artist then warns them about the dangerous impact of T.V. on families and relationships, emphasizing that once it has a hold on them, no one can help them.
"It will led you into some strange pursuits,
Lead you to the land of forbidden fruits.
It will scramble up your head and drag your brain about,
Sometimes you gotta do like Elvis did and shoot the damn thing out."
The singer elucidates how T.V. can divert people to forbidden pursuits, leading them to become obsessed with things that are not good for them. It confuses their minds and causes disarray. He highlights how Elvis Presley 'got rid of T.V. by shooting it,' implying that people need to detach themselves from it to regain their sanity.
"It's all been designed", he said, "To make you lose your mind,
And when you go back to find it, there's nothing there to find."
"Everytime you look at it, your situation's worse,
If you feel it grabbing out for you, send for the nurse."
The singer proclaims how T.V. has been specifically created to drive people insane, and once they stop watching, their minds are gone. He advises people that every time they watch T.V., their situation will worsen. Furthermore, if they feel controlled by it, people should seek help like calling a nurse.
The crowd began to riot and they grabbed hold of the man,
There was pushing, there was shoving and everybody ran.
The T.V. crew was there to film it, they jumped right over me,
Later on that evening, I watched it on T.V..
The speech causes the crowd to become unruly and grab the artist. The commotion drew in a T.V. crew, and the chaos is being filmed. Later on, the singer saw the incident on T.V. while casually lounging, concluding that T.V. is an eternal cycle of madness and destruction.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind