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
Unbelievable
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's inconceivable it could happen to you.
You go north and you go south
Just like bait in the fish's mouth.
Ya must be livin' in the shadow of some kind of evil star.
It's unbelievable it would get this far.
It's undeniable what they'd have you to think,
They said it was the land of milk and honey,
now they say it's the land of money.
Who ever thought they could ever make that stick.
It's unbelievable you can get this rich this quick.
Every head is so dignified, every moon is so sanctified,
Every urge is so satisfied as long as you're with me.
All the silver, all the gold, all the sweethearts you can hold
That don't come back with stories untold, are hanging on a tree.
It's unbelievable like a lead balloon,
It's so impossible to even learn the tune.
Kill that beast and feed that swine,
Scale that wall and smoke that vine,
Feed that horse and saddle up the drum.
It's unbelievable, the day would finally come.
Once there was a man who had no eyes,
Every lady in the land told him lies,
He stood beneath the silver skies
And his heart began to bleed.
Every brain is civilized,
Every nerve is analyzed,
Everything is criticized when you are in need.
It's unbelievable, it's fancy-free,
So interchangeable, so delightful to see.
Turn your back, wash your hands,
There's always someone who understands
It don't matter no more what you got to say
It's unbelievable it would go down this way.
Bob Dylan’s song Unbelievable is a commentary on the contradictions and lies that American society has come to be built upon. The lyrics describe a world where the things people have always trusted, such as the American Dream, are no longer a reality. Instead, the world is full of lies and cruel tricks, where people’s lives are twisted by myths that they believe in. The song challenges the listener to question the world we live in, and to take a second look at the things that we’ve come to accept as fact.
The chorus is particularly impactful, with Dylan singing “It’s unbelievable it would get this far”, and “It’s unbelievable you can get this rich this quick”. These lines challenge the idea that America is still the land of opportunity, and if you can only work hard enough, success is guaranteed. The singer is incredulous that the myth has been so well-accepted, despite the fact that the evidence is so clear to the contrary.
Interestingly, the song ends with an unresolved sense of chaos, with Dylan singing about a man who has been blinded by lies, and how “every brain is civilized, every nerve is analyzed, everything is criticized when you are in need.” It’s clear that the singer is trying to draw attention to the lies that have become so deeply ingrained in American society, but it’s unresolved how to change it. The only thing left to do is to sing the song, and to hope that someday it will be enough to change the world.
Line by Line Meaning
It's unbelievable, it's strange but true,
It's hard to believe, but it's true nonetheless.
It's inconceivable it could happen to you.
You would have never expected it to happen to you.
You go north and you go south,
You keep moving in every possible direction.
Just like bait in the fish's mouth.
You're like bait that's easy to catch and attract attention.
Ya must be livin' in the shadow of some kind of evil star.
You seem to be cursed or unlucky.
It's unbelievable it would get this far.
It's hard to believe it got to this extreme level.
It's undeniable what they'd have you to think,
What they want you to believe is unquestionable.
It's indescribable it can drive you to drink.
It's so difficult to express that it can push you to the verge of drinking.
They said it was the land of milk and honey,
They promoted it to be a land of abundance and prosperity.
Now they say it's the land of money.
Currently, it's promoted as a land of riches and wealth.
Who ever thought they could ever make that stick.
Whoever imagined that they could sell this idea convincingly?
It's unbelievable you can get this rich this quick.
It's hard to believe one can become this rich so quickly.
Every head is so dignified, every moon is so sanctified,
Everything seems to be perfect, holy, and respectable.
Every urge is so satisfied as long as you're with me.
All your desires and cravings are gratified when you're with me.
All the silver, all the gold, all the sweethearts you can hold
You have access to all the precious things, material wealth, and lovers you want.
That don't come back with stories untold, are hanging on a tree.
Those who don't conform are punished, and their fate is left hanging in the balance.
It's unbelievable like a lead balloon,
It's so unlikely that you can compare it to a heavy, failed object like a lead balloon.
It's so impossible to even learn the tune.
It's so complicated or rigid that it's completely unapproachable.
Kill that beast and feed that swine,
Get rid of the problem and make the most of everything else.
Scale that wall and smoke that vine,
Overcome obstacles and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Feed that horse and saddle up the drum.
Take care of your responsibilities and be ready for whatever comes next.
It's unbelievable, the day would finally come.
It's hard to believe that this particular day or event would actually come to pass.
Once there was a man who had no eyes,
There was a man who was completely blind.
Every lady in the land told him lies,
All the women in the land deceived him.
He stood beneath the silver skies
He was standing under the nighttime sky.
And his heart began to bleed.
He felt emotionally wounded.
Every brain is civilized,
Every person is intelligent and cultured.
Every nerve is analyzed,
Every emotion and sensation is scrutinized and examined.
Everything is criticized when you are in need.
People will judge you for everything when you're in a position of vulnerability or hardship.
It's unbelievable, it's fancy-free,
It's carefree and light-hearted, which is hard to believe.
So interchangeable, so delightful to see.
Things are so easily replaceable and customizable, which is enjoyable to witness.
Turn your back, wash your hands,
Disregard the situation and move on.
There's always someone who understands
There's always someone who can empathize with you.
It don't matter no more what you got to say
Your opinions and thoughts no longer hold any significance.
It's unbelievable it would go down this way.
It's hard to believe that this particular situation would turn out this way.
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
fred kitchen
1. You go north and you go south
2. Just like bait in the fish’s mouth
3. You must be living in the shadow of some kind of evil star
1. Literally - polar opposites. Figuratively - viewing the world in absolutes. Divided, intransigent
2. "And jesus called andrew and simon and said, I will make you fishers of men" - bob's annoyed at himself for enthusiastically getting into Christianity before he knew enough about it.
"IMO, the song 'man gave names to all the animals' from the album 'slow train coming' justifies Dylan's dalliance with the vineyard christian fellowship church during his christian phase" - johnny rogan
3. Evil star is a dc comic book character from the 1960s ce who harnesses the power of the stars which gives him super powers. He has an army of "starlings" who are miniature versions of himself
Massimiliano Guidotti
It's unbelievable, it's strange but true,
It's inconceivable it could happen to you.
You go north and you go south
Just like bait in the fish's mouth.
Ya must be livin' in the shadow of some kind of evil star.
It's unbelievable it would get this far.
It's undeniable what they'd have you to think,
It's indescribable it can drive you to drink.
They said it was the land of milk and honey,
now they say it's the land of money.
Who ever thought they could ever make that stick.
It's unbelievable you can get this rich this quick.
Every head is so dignified, every moon is so sanctified,
Every urge is so satisfied as long as you're with me.
All the silver, all the gold, all the sweethearts you can hold
That don't come back with stories untold, are hanging on a tree.
It's unbelievable like a lead balloon,
It's so impossible to even learn the tune.
Kill that beast and feed that swine,
Scale that wall and smoke that vine,
Feed that horse and saddle up the drum.
It's unbelievable, the day would finally come.
Once there was a man who had no eyes,
Every lady in the land told him lies,
He stood beneath the silver skies
And his heart began to bleed.
Every brain is civilized,
Every nerve is analyzed,
Everything is criticized when you are in need.
It's unbelievable, it's fancy-free,
So interchangeable, so delightful to see.
Turn your back, wash your hands,
There's always someone who understands
It don't matter no more what you got to say
It's unbelievable it would go down this way.
Mônica Miranda
Video made to send understanding askew.
Key: living under the shadow of an evil star
Car plate : LSD = Lucifer in the Sky with Diamonds
Lead balloon : how much does it cost to keep a lead balloon afloat. Think Lead Zeppelin. Lead is a very heavy metal.
Now think this the other way.
My burden is light = Jesus. He ain't heavy, he's my brother. He will not inccumber me.
Steve Phillips
Unbeleavable song so good, and loved the video too! Bob Dylan somehow keeps hope alive with his music.
Gary Smith
Bob Dylan deserved the nobel prize. He's a genius. Brilliance
Nathan Maaka
Yes how could you not like this terrific album with mucisians of the highest standard who have their work cut out trying to keep up Dylan's lightening quick ability to change and change again lyrically and musically to cover all bases possible.
Log Hilman
music is a psyop
Allen Avila
Bob can do any kind of music. With any kind of beat.
Jackson DeMarre
I know a lot of people look down on this album, but it's honestly in my top 10 favorites for Bob Dylan's studio albums.
Paul Black
bobby D greatest ever only Bach comes close 2nd highway61 revisted #1 anything Dylan is favorite song when listening to desolation row genius, he went through several metamorphosis over life & career.Went the distance 100 years from now music will still be hip like bachs still is.
Jackson DeMarre
Paul Black For sure, Dylan forever!
Paul Black
Been with me in spirit all my life. Iove how he plays media as good as he writes. They always twist his words so he spin back at them. He likes his personal life and privacy & never let them in his head never mixed business & pleasure 56years and still cloaked from scrupless media. Love his diffiance, pigen hole him never. He's cool they are not. He keeps it real.
Jackson DeMarre
Paul Black Agreed.