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
Weeping Willow
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Green, knocked your banner
Green, like the lands and
Superheroes, superheroes
Beats, living better
Green, knocked your banner
Green, like the lands and
Superheroes, superheroes
You can't say 1, 2, 3 and four
And I'm just being crazy over here
You're tryina change crazy on my hair
But I can't hear it, oh, oh, oh, oh
1, 2, 3, oh, oh, oh, oh
Superheroes, superheroes
Superheroes, superheroes
It's funny how this ties together
We're hanging out at the crib
Just reading some old show
I talk about those a lot
So we were sitting here
And I just randomly said
I said you know, my uncle would love you
And she asked me why
And I said he would have thought you were really pretty
And she just kinda smiled
Yeah...
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's song "Weeping Willow" seem to be a stream of consciousness that may not have a straightforward interpretation. The opening lines "Beats, living better/ Green, knocked your banner/ Green, like the lands and/ Superheroes, superheroes" suggest a sense of positivity and achievement that may derive from the singer's sense of being victorious over life's challenges. The repeated refrain of "Superheroes, superheroes" further emphasizes this idea of triumph.
The following lines "You can't say 1, 2, 3 and four/ And I'm just being crazy over here/ You're tryina change crazy on my hair/ But I can't hear it, oh, oh, oh, oh/ 1, 2, 3, oh, oh, oh, oh/ Superheroes, superheroes/ Superheroes, superheroes" are a bit more enigmatic. They could be interpreted as a critique of conformity and the singer's refusal to be controlled or silenced. The image of trying to change "crazy on my hair" could be a metaphor for trying to tame or contain the singer's creativity or individuality.
The final lines "It's funny how this ties together/ We're hanging out at the crib/ Just reading some old show/ I talk about those a lot/ So we were sitting here/ And I just randomly said/ I said you know, my uncle would love you/ And she asked me why/ And I said he would have thought you were really pretty/ And she just kinda smiled/ Yeah..." are contemplative and introspective. The singer seems to be reflecting on their relationships and making connections between seemingly disparate things. The mention of the uncle adds a more personal and nostalgic touch to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Beats, living better
Rhythm is positive, having an improved standard of living
Green, knocked your banner
Jealousy hit and destroyed your flag of success
Green, like the lands and
Jealousy is abundant, like the greenery of the lands
Superheroes, superheroes
Idealized versions of individuals who strive to be the best
You can't say 1, 2, 3 and four
Your words and actions do not match up or make sense
And I'm just being crazy over here
I am being perceived as insane for trying to make sense of this situation
You're tryina change crazy on my hair
You are attempting to change and control the essence of who I am
But I can't hear it, oh, oh, oh, oh
I am ignoring you and your attempts to control me
1, 2, 3, oh, oh, oh, oh
Your words are meaningless and contradictory
Superheroes, superheroes
Idealized versions of individuals who strive to be the best
It's funny how this ties together
It is amusing how it all connects
We're hanging out at the crib
We are spending time together at home
Just reading some old show
We are reading an old script or screenplay
I talk about those a lot
I frequently discuss these things
So we were sitting here
We were both present and in this moment
And I just randomly said
I spoke on impulse and without thinking
I said you know, my uncle would love you
I am expressing that a family member would approve of you
And she asked me why
She is curious and wants to know my reasoning behind it
And I said he would have thought you were really pretty
I am saying my uncle would find you to be attractive
And she just kinda smiled
She showed a small expression of pleasure, but did not say anything
Yeah...
A simple, affirmative sound
Writer(s): JOHN STEWART, NICK REYNOLDS, BOB SHANE
Contributed by Bailey D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@joannediehl9964
Extraordinary. Thanks for this!
@MikeBeerley
+Joanne Diehl, you're most welcome.
@sharonholland7062
Excellent share ♡ this one
@MikeBeerley
+Sharon Holland, thanks. Glad you like it.
@carstenen
Great stuff,MIKE thanks a lot
@MikeBeerley
You're very welcome, carstenen.
@musicofbobdylan5189
Yes great. Hello there, thank you for posting this track. It is included inside Bob Dylan's Music Box (search for The Bob Dylan Project 🎩 WEBSITE) Come and join us inside and listen to every song composed, recorded or performed by Bob Dylan, plus all the great covers streaming on YouTube, Spotify, Deezer and SoundCloud.
@schevling
Awww shucks