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 Usual
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girlfriend just ran off with the DJ
I give her everything, but she refused it
It doesn't matter, she don't know how to use it
My confidence is dwindling
Look at the shape I'm in
Where's my pearls, where's my swine?
I'm not thirsty, but I'm standing in line.
I'll have the usual
I'll have the usual
Fifty silhouettes bumpin' on the dance floor
Pink elephants fallin' through a trap door
Sixty cigarettes a day 'cause I'm nervous
When will that bitch serve us?
I used to be a good boy, livin' the good life
Fifty thousand kisses later she was a housewife
She was good, I was unkind
I'm not thirsty, but I'm standin' in line
I'll have the usual
I'll have the usual
(on the rocks)
(two ice cubes)
(and a little umbrella)
Big Jim says the second comin's comin'
I think he's just seein' double or something
Or something
You can hang around waiting for the also rans
I can't win, but I've seen enough, man
A fifth of whiskey he could knock it away
I drink some more and it's judgment day
I had a future, but she just passed out
I'm gonna drink until I see what it is I wanna think about
I'll have the usual
I'll have the usual
I'll have the usual
On the rocks
With a twist
The lyrics to Bob Dylan's song "The Usual" describe a desperate and troubled narrator who has hit a low point in his life. He is at a party where he is constantly getting in the way of and tripping over drunk people. His girlfriend has run off with the DJ, despite him giving her everything. His confidence is low, and he is left feeling needy and standing in line, despite not really being thirsty. The singer is heavily reliant on the routine of the bar or alcohol to distract himself from his problems.
The song addresses themes of addiction, dependence, and loneliness. The singer finds solace in his dependency on alcohol, as he is able to order the same drink every time, giving him a sense of regularity in his life. The lyrics also reference his past relationship, in which he was unkind, and the woman eventually became a housewife. His desperation for alcohol makes him drink to the point of blacking out and numbing his feelings. The phrase "I'll have the usual" is repeated frequently, representing the singer's dependence on his routine and the escape that alcohol provides him.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm trippin' over dumb drunks at a party
I'm at a party surrounded by inebriated people and it's become difficult to navigate
Girlfriend just ran off with the DJ
My girlfriend has left me for the DJ
I give her everything, but she refused it
Even though I offered everything to my girlfriend, she chose to leave me
It doesn't matter, she don't know how to use it
It's irrelevant since she doesn't know how to make use of the things I offer her
My confidence is dwindling
My self-assurance is fading away
Look at the shape I'm in
My well-being is declining, just look at me
Where's my pearls, where's my swine?
I'm not able to find all of my valuable possessions
I'm not thirsty, but I'm standing in line.
I don't want anything to drink, but I'm queuing up anyway
I'll have the usual
I'll take what I always do
Fifty silhouettes bumpin' on the dance floor
Fifty shadowy figures are dancing on the dance floor
Pink elephants fallin' through a trap door
Imaginary pink elephants are tumbling down through a trapdoor
Sixty cigarettes a day 'cause I'm nervous
I smoke as many as 60 cigarettes per day because I'm anxious
When will that bitch serve us?
We're waiting for someone to serve us drinks
I used to be a good boy, livin' the good life
I used to be well-behaved, leading a pleasurable life
Fifty thousand kisses later she was a housewife
After receiving affection from me 50000 times, my partner settled for being a housewife
She was good, I was unkind
She behaved well while I was unkind
I'll have the usual
I'll take what I always do
Big Jim says the second comin's comin'
Big Jim thinks that the second coming of Christ is near
I think he's just seein' double or something
I believe he's delusional or seeing double
You can hang around waiting for the also rans
You can stay and wait for the failures
I can't win, but I've seen enough, man
I can't win, but I know when I've seen enough
A fifth of whiskey he could knock it away
Someone can drink a fifth of whiskey without a problem
I drink some more and it's judgment day
If I drink some more, it will be the end of me
I had a future, but she just passed out
I was once optimistic about the future, but now I feel hopeless
I'm gonna drink until I see what it is I wanna think about
I'm going to keep drinking until I decide what to focus on
I'll have the usual
I'll take what I always do
On the rocks
I would like it served over ice
With a twist
I would like it served with a twist of lemon
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN HIATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cornell Green
Don't care what anybody says - this is the definitive version of this song...
Jason William Lee....
Sure is...
aitech nasus
The Usual Is An Absolutely Awesome Spectacular Great Straight Up KickAss Rock N Roll Song By Bob Dylan And Totally Rocks It Needs To Be Fully Cranked Up All The Way To Full Maximum Volume.🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Pete Jones
I was in that film & Dylan was great in it !he has always refused it's dvd release! Strangely ,I had the original by John hiatt before this was cut, I do love Dylan's version 😉
Jason William Lee....
It just needed more Bob songs..ok film
Jason William Lee....
Great version...
Barry Warner
wow .tapping my feet. rock and roll straight up. play it loud
Jason William Lee....
Great song..
Mike Myros
My favorite Dylan song, Written by Hiatt...
Luke Stromberg
Clapton is on fire!