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 Weight
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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I just need some place where I can lay my head
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, and "No!", was all he said
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown."
She said, "I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around."
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day
Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me
Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
He said, "I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog
I said, wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man
He said, that's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me
Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me
The Weight, famously performed by Bob Dylan and The Band, tells the story of a weary traveler who stops in the small town of Nazareth, Pennsylvania. The singer is looking for a place to rest and asks a man if he knows where he can find a bed. The man simply responds with a smirk and a "No!" Then, the singer encounters several quirky characters, including Carmen and the Devil, Luke, Anna Lee, and Crazy Chester, who all have requests for him. Each time, the singer responds with a willingness to help, encouraging the others to "take a load off Fanny" and place their burdens on him.
The lyrics to The Weight are filled with allegorical and symbolic meaning. Each character represents a type of emotional or moral weight that people carry in their daily lives. For example, Carmen and the Devil could represent temptation, Luke could represent the weight of past decisions, Anna Lee could represent loneliness, and Crazy Chester could represent the burdens of mental illness. The repeated phrase "take a load off Fanny" is thought to be a reference to an African American worker who helped The Band with their sound equipment; they would tell her to "take a load off," and it eventually became a catchphrase in their music.
Line by Line Meaning
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead
I arrived in Nazareth and was extremely tired.
I just need some place where I can lay my head
I required some rest and a place to sleep.
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
I asked a man I met about where I could find a bed to rest.
He just grinned and shook my hand, and "No!", was all he said
The man simply refused to help me and laughed it off.
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Relieve yourself of your burden without cost.
Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me
My offer stands, put your burden on me and I'll carry it free of charge.
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
I grabbed my belongings and started searching for a place to conceal myself.
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I caught sight of a highly unlikely pair - Carmen and the Devil - walking together.
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown."
I invited Carmen to accompany me to downtown.
She said, "I gotta go, but m'friend can stick around."
Carmen declined my offer, but suggested that her friend could keep me company.
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
Miss Moses, please do not attempt to argue, there is no point.
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day
It's simply Luke, who is waiting for the Day of Judgment.
Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
I asked Luke about Anna Lee.
He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?
Luke requested me to keep Anna Lee company for a while.
Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
Crazy Chester caught me in the fog as he was following me.
He said, "I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog
Chester offered to fix my rack if I would take his dog Jack.
I said, wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man
I tried to explain to Chester that I was a peaceful person.
He said, that's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can
Chester asked me to feed Jack whenever I could.
Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
I requested a cannonball to take me further down the line.
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
I sensed my bag was heavy and it was time to move on.
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
I needed to return to Miss Fanny because she was the only person who had sent me there with her regards for everyone.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
Miss Fanny had sent me with her regards and greetings for everyone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, AUDIAM, INC
Written by: Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind