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
Watching the River Flow
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't have much to say
Daylight sneakin' through the window
I'm still in this all-night cafe
Walkin' to and fro beneath the moon
Where the trucks are rollin' slow
Sit on this bank of sand
And watch the river flow
Wish I was back in the city
In my true love's arms
She like older men
They can't resist her charms
If I had wings and I could fly
I know where I would go
Right now I'll sit right here
Watch the river flow
People disappearing everywhere you look
Don't know where to draw the line
Only yesterday I seen somebody
Who was really in a bind
Oh, this ol' river keeps on rollin', though
Where it stop and where the wind might blow
I'll sit right here
And watch the river flow
People disappearing everywhere you look
Ever stop and wonder why
Only yesterday I seen somebody to say goodbye
This ol' river, keeps on rollin', though
Where it stop and where the wind might blow
I'll sit right here
And watch the river flow
The song “Watching the River Flow” by Bob Dylan is a powerful reflection on the transience of life, and the need to find joy in every moment while it lasts. The lyrics are simple, but they contain a great deal of meaning that can be interpreted in various ways. The opening lines “What's the matter with me, I don't have much to say” suggest a sense of ennui or dissatisfaction in the singer’s life. But as he watches the river flow, he finds contentment and peace.
The song also touches on themes of love and the bittersweet nature of memory. The singer wishes he was back in the city with his loved one, but is resigned to his current circumstances. The lines “If I had wings and I could fly, I know where I would go” suggest a longing to escape, but the singer is content to stay where he is, watching the river flow. The final verse notes the discord and strife in the world, but the singer remains undaunted, welcoming the constancy of the river’s flow.
The song can be seen as a meditation on mindfulness and living in the present moment. The singer is able to find happiness in the simple act of watching the river flow, regardless of whatever else is happening in the world. Dylan’s powerful, evocative lyrics and stripped-down instrumentation combine to create a deeply affecting piece of music that remains immensely popular to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
What's the matter with me
I am feeling unsettled and uncertain about something.
I don't have much to say
I am struggling to find the words to express what is on my mind.
Daylight sneakin' through the window
The morning light is starting to fill the room.
And I'm still in this all-night cafe
I've been up all night and haven't left this diner.
Walkin' to and fro beneath the moon
I'm pacing back and forth outside in the moonlight.
Out to where the trucks are rollin' slow
I'm going out to the edge of town where the trucks are moving slowly.
To sit down on this bank of sand
I'm sitting down on a sandy bank near the river.
And watch the river flow
I'm watching the peaceful movement of the river.
Wish I was back in the city
I miss the familiar comforts of city life.
Instead of this old bank of sand
I'm not satisfied with my current surroundings and wish I was somewhere else.
With the sun beating down over the chimney tops
I'm imagining the hot sun shining down on a city skyline.
And the one I love so close at hand
I miss having my loved one nearby.
If I had wings and I could fly
I wish I could transport myself to a different place and situation.
I know where I would go
I know exactly where I would choose to be.
But right now I'll just sit here so contentedly
For now, I'm alright with just sitting here and watching the river flow.
And watch the river flow
I'm taking comfort in observing the constant movement of the river.
People disagreeing on all just about everything, yeah
I observe a lot of conflict and differing opinions among people.
Makes you stop and all wonder why
It's thought-provoking and makes me question why there's so much discord.
Why only yesterday I saw somebody on the street
I remember seeing someone recently who was clearly upset.
Who just couldn't help but cry
This person was crying and unable to stop their tears.
Oh, this ol' river keeps on rollin', though
Despite all the conflict and upset in the world, the river keeps flowing steadily.
No matter what gets in the way and which way the wind does blow
The river remains constant and unperturbed.
And as long as it does I'll just sit here
I plan to keep watching the river for as long as it continues to flow.
Watch the river flow
I'm continuously observing the river moving along.
Watchin' the river flow
Still watching the river flow, it's become a source of comfort for me.
Watchin' the river flow
Continuing to observe the peaceful flow of the river.
But I'll sit down on this bank of sand
I'm going to remain seated on this sandy bank.
And watch the river flow
Watching the river is giving me a sense of calm and stability.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
What’s the matter with me
I don’t have much to say
Daylight sneakin’ through the window
And I’m still in this all-night café
Walkin’ to and fro beneath the moon
Out to where the trucks are rollin’ slow
To sit down on this bank of sand
And watch the river flow
Wish I was back in the city
Instead of this old bank of sand
With the sun beating down over the chimney tops
And the one I love so close at hand
If I had wings and I could fly
I know where I would go
But right now I’ll just sit here so contentedly
And watch the river flow
People disagreeing on all just about everything, yeah
Makes you stop and all wonder why
Why only yesterday I saw somebody on the street
Who just couldn’t help but cry
Oh, this ol’ river keeps on rollin’, though
No matter what gets in the way and which way the wind does blow
And as long as it does I’ll just sit here
And watch the river flow
People disagreeing everywhere you look
Makes you wanna stop and read a book
Why only yesterday I saw somebody on the street
That was really shook
But this ol’ river keeps on rollin’, though
No matter what gets in the way and which way the wind does blow
And as long as it does I’ll just sit here
And watch the river flow
Watch the river flow
Watchin’ the river flow
Watchin’ the river flow
But I’ll sit down on this bank of sand
And watch the river flow
@juancamacho5746
What's the matter with me
I can't really say
Standing on these darkened windows
From an all-night café
Lookin' over the moon
And watching the trucks go rollin' slow
I'ma sit on this bank of sand
And watch the river flow
🎵🎶🎵🎶
Wish I was back in the city
Instead of this bunch of sand
With the sun streaking down over the chimney tops
And the one I love so close at hand
Said if I had wings and I could fly
I know where I would go
But until that day, I'm gonna sit right here
And watch the river flow
People disagreeing on everything
Makes you stop and wonder why
Why only yesterday
I met somebody who couldn't help but cry
But this ol' world
Keeps on and slowly going
So I'm gonna sit here on this bank of sand
And watch the river flow
🎸🎸🎸🎸
Say folks disagreeing on everything
Makes you wanna stop and write a book
Say I saw somebody down the street
Who was really sure
Saying that this ol' world
Will keep rolling on you know
So I'm gonna sit right on this bank of sand
And watch the river flow
Watch the river flow
Said I'll watch the river flow
Yeah, sit up out on this sand
And watch the river flow
@rajeevthokchom842
Being such a Dylan addict, how did I miss this song all these years! One more fist time with Dylan and it is so refreshing!! Brilliant song!
@Blackgeoff1
Fate is being kind to you ... you're not getting all the good stuff in one go .... the future always holds more possible delights.
Yeah, it's a brilliant song alright; one of my own favourites. ...
@michaelcraig9449
Saw someone that was a REALLY SHOOK!!
@watts111
It's easy to miss, as it only appears on a few compilations, and on none of his 'regular' albums. Too bad: it's excellent.
@maryseery7824
I dunno know bro. 59 years a fan myself. This is one of my faves. Check out When I Paint My Masterpiece also.
@damienluxford4480
Thus album (Greatest Hits Vol 2) appeared in the second half of 71. This was the opening track, I seem to recall. I dug it instantly, even though it seemed like a bit of a stretch including a new release on an album of 'greatest hits'. I still love this song. So incredibly cool, and funny.
@JKRost
Leon Russel was brilliant. His piano style was somewhere between blues, rock n roll and roller derby.
@christinafazeli65
The one and only! 🎩 🌹💫💜 🌈
@stefymarty
Thought that piano style sounded familiar, thanks for saving me the Google search! Wonderful song, the early fade gets me every single time. That old bank of sand
@kbchaffin53
Geez, I was just wondering who that was. Day-um.