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
That's The Way Of The World
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess I will, someday;
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
You asked me if I'll get along.
I guess I will, someway;
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
God gave me that girl to lean on;
Heaven, help me be a man and
Have the strength to stand alone.
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
You asked me if I'll miss her kisses.
I guess I will, everyday;
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
You asked me if I'll find another.
I don't know; I can't say;
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
God gave me that girl to lean on;
Then he put me on my own.
Heaven, help me be a man and
Have the strength to stand alone.
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
The lyrics of Johnny Cash's song "Guess Things Happen That Way" convey the sadness and uncertainty of a man facing a breakup with his lover. The singer is asked if he will miss his lover, get along without her, and find someone else. He admits that he will miss her and that he will have to find a way to move on, whether he likes it or not, as things happen that way. He reflects on how God gave him the girl to lean on, but then put him on his own, and he calls for Heaven's help to be able to stand alone as a man.
The song captures the struggle of accepting the loss of a relationship and facing the future with uncertainty. The humble and resigned tone of the lyrics perfectly complements the country-style music and Cash's distinctive voice. The song showcases the theme of loss and resilience that is embedded into country music.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you asked me if I'll forget my baby.
You want to know if I'll ever forget about my baby.
I guess I will, someday;
I suppose at some point in the future, I'll forget her.
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
I'm not happy about it, but I understand that's just the way life works.
You asked me if I'll get along.
You asked me if I'll be able to continue living my life.
I guess I will, someway;
I suppose I'll be able to find a way to keep going.
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
I'm not thrilled about it, but I recognize that's the way things go sometimes.
God gave me that girl to lean on;
I was given my baby to rely on in life.
Then he put me on my own.
But now I'm on my own.
Heaven, help me be a man and
I'm asking for help from above to be strong.
Have the strength to stand alone.
To be strong enough to stand on my own two feet.
You asked me if I'll miss her kisses.
You wanted to know if I'll miss the physical affection we shared.
I guess I will, everyday;
I assume I'll miss her every day.
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
Again, I'm not thrilled, but I understand that's just how it is.
You asked me if I'll find another.
You asked if I'll find someone new to share my life with.
I don't know; I can't say;
I honestly don't know; I can't predict the future.
I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way.
But whatever happens, good or bad, I know it's just the way things go.
God gave me that girl to lean on;
Once again, I was given someone to rely on in life.
Then he put me on my own.
But now I'm on my own again.
Heaven, help me be a man and
And again, I'm asking for strength from above to get through it all.
Have the strength to stand alone.
To be able to be strong standing on my own feet.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK CLEMENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johncausey9859
I've suffered from depression most of my life. Thank God I found John Prine's music/poetry. He's better than any pill or shrink as far as I'm concerned.
@misfit123abc
John Causey Indeed. You are not alone.
@trishyork-gillett4777
You also might find the work Dr. Amen of Brain Health MD helpful
@notgoingdownwithoutafight1606
He saved m a lot of stress
@davidpinney2474
I agree 100% the complete gratitude of contentment when I listen to him
@bricatguy140
I hear ya, John.
@karenwatson4153
R.I.P. Dear John… your music is timeless and you are sorely missed down here on earth!!😊
@karenwatson9945
I will listen to John Prine’s music for the rest of my life and have successfully passed that torch to my own children and grandkids… we all enjoy his ballads. The world is a sadder place for having lost this amazing talent. R.I.P. John Prine gone but never forgotten
@markclifford1857
Hello 👋 Karen. How are you doing? Hope you are fine. I'm Mark Clifford and am from Denver Colorado, where are you from? You seem like a real country girl
@Nlcrain
No