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 Lucky Ol' Sun
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Work like the devil for my pay.
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day.
Had a fuss with my woman, an' I toil for my kids,
An' I sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray,
While that lucky old sun got nothin' to do
But roll around heaven all day.
Oh, Lord above, cant you see I'm in
Tears in my eyes.
Send in a cloud with a silver linin'
lift me to paradise.
Show me that river,
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun give me nothing to do
But roll around heaven all day.
Oh, Lord above, cant you see I'm in
Tears in my eyes.
Send in a cloud with a silver linin'
lift me to paradise.
Show me that river,
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
Like that lucky old sun give me nothing to do
But roll around heaven all day.
Bob Dylan's "That Lucky Old Sun" is a poignant and reflective song that captures the despair and exhaustion of everyday life. The opening verse of the song sees the singer waking up in the morning and heading off to work, where he labors tirelessly and relentlessly, "work like the devil for my pay". Though he's consumed by his daily toils and the weight of his responsibilities, the sun seems to have nothing to do except "roll around heaven all day". This juxtaposition of the singer's struggles with the sun's apparent inactivity highlights the monotony and unfulfilling nature of his life.
The chorus of the song, which sees the singer pleading with the Lord to lift him up and carry him away, shows his desperation for something better. He's invested in the hope that there is something more fulfilling and meaningful out there, something that can wipe away his tears and cleanse him of his troubles. The idea of a river is symbolic of this cleansing, offering a way to wash away the burdens of daily life and find a new, better path.
Ultimately, "That Lucky Old Sun" is a powerful commentary on the struggles and frustrations of everyday people, a somber reminder that despite the beauty and wonder of the world around us, life can often feel unrelentingly difficult and unfair.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in the mornin', out on the job
I wake up early and go to work
Work like the devil for my pay.
I work very hard to earn my salary
But that lucky old sun has nothin' to do
The sun does not have any responsibilities or duties
But roll around heaven all day.
The sun appears to effortlessly move through the sky
Had a fuss with my woman, an' I toil for my kids,
I argued with my partner and I work hard to support my children
An' I sweat 'til I'm wrinkled and gray,
I work so hard that it takes a toll on my physical appearance
While that lucky old sun got nothin' to do
The sun does not have any responsibilities or worries like I do
But roll around heaven all day.
The sun appears to effortlessly move through the sky
Oh, Lord above, cant you see I'm in
I am in a desperate situation and I am praying for help
Tears in my eyes.
I am crying because of the struggles I'm facing
Send in a cloud with a silver linin'
I am asking for a ray of hope in my life
lift me to paradise.
I am hoping for a better life, free of struggles and hardships
Show me that river,
I am looking for a way to escape my troubles
Take me across and wash all my troubles away
I wish to leave my problems behind and start afresh
Like that lucky old sun give me nothing to do
I want a life free from hardships and worries like the sun appears to have
But roll around heaven all day.
The sun appears to effortlessly move through the sky
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Beasley Smith, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind