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
The Cuckoo
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That wobbles as she flies
But she never says coo-coo
'Till the fourth day of July
I've gambled in England
I've gambled in Spain
An' I bet you ten dollars
I build me a cabin
On a mountain so high
So I can see Nelly
As she goes ridin' by
I wish I was a poet
An' could write a fine hand
I'd write my love a letter
Lord, she would understand
The first stanza of Dylan's "The Cuckoo Is a Pretty Bird" refers to the cuckoo bird and how it flies in a unique manner, but its distinct "coo-coo" sound is only heard once a year, on the fourth of July. The second stanza is about gambling and betting, with the singer boasting that he has gambled in multiple countries and is confident that he can win the next game. The third stanza talks about the singer's desire to build a cabin on a high mountain so that he can watch his love, Nelly, ride by. The final stanza expresses the singer's wish to be a talented poet, to write a beautiful letter to his love that she can fully understand.
Overall, the song doesn't have a clear, linear meaning, but rather strings together various thoughts and images associated with the singer's life. The lyrics are rich with country and folk imagery, including bird-watching, gambling, and living on a mountain. Dylan's distinctive voice and guitar work add to the song's rustic, down-home feel.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the cuckoo is a pretty bird
The singer is admiring the beauty of the cuckoo.
That wobbles as she flies
The cuckoo doesn't fly in a straight line.
But she never says coo-coo
The cuckoo doesn't always make the sound one would expect it to make, despite its name.
'Till the fourth day of July
The cuckoo only makes its distinctive call at a particular time of year.
I've gambled in England
The singer has gambled in England.
I've gambled in Spain
The singer has gambled in Spain.
An' I bet you ten dollars
The singer is proposing a wager.
That I'll beat you next game
The singer is confident in their ability to win at the game in question.
I build me a cabin
The singer has built a cabin.
On a mountain so high
The singer's cabin is located in a high place.
So I can see Nelly
The cabin's location allows the singer to see Nelly.
As she goes ridin' by
Nelly passes by on horseback.
I wish I was a poet
The singer wishes they had the skill to be a poet.
An' could write a fine hand
The singer wishes they could write beautifully.
I'd write my love a letter
The singer would write a letter to their beloved.
Lord, she would understand
The singer believes their beloved would understand the message in the letter.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRealForrestGeorge
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July
It is often that I wonder
Why women love men
And I look back and I wonder
Why men are men
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July
Gonna build me another castle
On a mountain so high
So then I can see my true love
As she passes by
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July
@MerlePsyA
What a pleasure to hear this recording of Bob Dylan from 52 years ago (today is August 6, 2014). He sure got the music then, and he sure does now. He's got the whole traditional style down cold.
@scent-bubbles
Definitely September 4th when you wrote that...
@dannyc1174
In it's own way, this is a great version. Love the way Bob "warbles" with his voice. Almost a slight Native American vocal inflection to it. Bob probably learned this song from Tom Ashley, but Bob has come up with some different verses. And, yes, this song is VERY old from Great Britain.
@nancyparsons2243
What a delight to get to hear Dylan performing this very old song! Thank you for making it available!
@lloydhighton4549
I didn’t even kno Dylan done a cover of this gem
@TheRealForrestGeorge
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July
It is often that I wonder
Why women love men
And I look back and I wonder
Why men are men
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July
Gonna build me another castle
On a mountain so high
So then I can see my true love
As she passes by
Oh, the cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She warbles as she flies
But I never give her water
Till the forth day of July
@jeannetteguerra3139
Gracias por compartir la letra de ésta canción y que mejor cantada por una leyenda. Un tesoro en la historia de la música.
@ThorntonMeloni
this song goes back to the 1840's. a lil before Woody's time....
@robertdownham4176
Probably closer to 1780, was published in a London Broadside around that time.
@angelusdraven6101
Been around a lot longer than that, just adapted to match the age of the day, was an old Scottish song, could go as far back as 15 or even 1400s