Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota… Read Full Bio ↴Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, United States) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning more than 60 years.
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

Talking Merchant Marine
Bob Dylan Lyrics

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Tomar namer ruddure
Ami dubechi somuddure
Jani na jabo kot-dure ekhono

Amar pura kopale
Aar amar shondhe shokale
Tumi keno ele jani na ekhono
Fondi aate mon palabaar

Bondhi ache kache she tomar

Jodi sotti jante chao
Tomake chai tomake chai
Jodi mitthe mante chao
Tomakei chai

Holo shuru shaat dine
Ei khela-dhulo raat-diner
Jani baron korar shaddi nei ar amar

Tomar namer mondire
Aar tomar naamer mosjide
Ami kotha diye esechi baare baar
Bindu theke shindhu hoye jaao
Tumi icche moto amake sajao

Jodi sotti jante chao
Tomake chai tomake chai
Jodi mitthe mante chao
Tomakei chai

Moner gobhire ghumer shorire
Tumake niye dube jaabo
Amar kaje karoner ache
Nijeke aami khujei nebo

Jodi sotti jante chao
Tomake chai tomake chai

Jodi mitthe mante chao
Tomakei chai

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song Talking Merchant Marine are a mixture of English and Bengali, stating the conflicting emotions of a sailor who seems to be lost at sea while thinking about someone he has left behind. The song begins with the lines Tomar namer ruddure Ami dubechi somuddure, which roughly translate to "In the depths of the sea, I am sinking due to the weight of your name." The sailor expresses his longing to reach the shore, but acknowledges that he doesn't know how far away it is. He then talks about his memories of his love's laughter and moments shared with her during dawn and dusk. He wonders why she has not come to rescue him from his loneliness.

The sailor then talks about a game of hiding and seeking that has been going on for seven days and mentions the fact that his wedding plans have been postponed. In the next stanza, he says that he has come to his love's place of worship, both Hindu and Islamic, many times to pledge his love. He requests his love to mend his broken heart and make him whole again. In the final stanza, he talks about going to sleep and dreaming about his love while hoping to find answers about his purpose in life. The song seems to be a blend of melancholy and hope as the sailor searches for a way back to his love and to his life.

Line by Line Meaning

Tomar namer ruddure
In the wake of your name, I am sinking in the vastness of the sea

Ami dubechi somuddure
I am drowning in the ocean

Jani na jabo kot-dure ekhono
I don't know how far I will go

Amar pura kopale
My entire body is exhausted

Aar amar shondhe shokale
In addition to my evening and morning

Tumi keno ele jani na ekhono
Why did you come? I don't know yet

Fondi aate mon palabaar
The waves rock my mind

Bondhi ache kache she tomar
You are close, yet so far away, bound

Jodi sotti jante chao
If you want to know the truth

Tomake chai tomake chai
I want you, I want you

Jodi mitthe mante chao
If you want to believe the sweet words