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
Went to See the Gypsy
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stayin' in a big hotel
He smiled when he saw me coming
And he said, "Well, well, well"
His room was dark and crowded
Lights were low and dim
"How are you?" he said to me
I said it back to him
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out
A pretty dancing girl was there
And she began to shout
"Go on back to see the gypsy
He can move you from the rear
Drive you from your fear
Bring you through the mirror
He did it in Las Vegas
And he can do it here"
Outside the lights were shining
On the river of tears
I watched them from the distance
With music in my ears
I went back to see the gypsy
It was nearly early dawn
The gypsy's door was open wide
But the gypsy was gone
And that pretty dancing girl
She could not be found
So I watched that sun come rising
From that little Minnesota town
The song "Went to See the Gypsy" by Bob Dylan is a deep and subdued exploration of the mysteries of the human psyche. The singer of the song, presumably Dylan himself, is staying in a big hotel and goes to visit a gypsy. As he enters the room, the atmosphere is dark and crowded, and the gypsy greets him with a smile. The gypsy and the singer ask how each other is doing, and the song continues.
The singer goes down to the lobby to make a call and meets a pretty dancing girl who tells him to go back and see the gypsy. She claims that he can move the singer "from the rear" and "bring [him] through the mirror." She references Las Vegas, implying that the gypsy has performed a similar miracle there. The singer is intrigued and goes back to see the gypsy once more.
As he walks outside, he sees "lights...shining on the river of tears," which could refer to the tears shed by people in their struggles to navigate life. He watches from afar, with music in his ears. When he returns to the gypsy's room, it is nearly dawn, and the door is open wide, but the gypsy is gone. The pretty dancing girl can't be found either. As the sun rises over the little Minnesota town, the singer is left with a sense of wonder and mystery.
The song seems to explore themes of seeking answers to life's mysteries, finding comfort in the unknown, and accepting the contradictions and paradoxes within oneself. The gypsy, with his ability to move people "from the rear" and "through the mirror," could be a symbol for the power of the unconscious mind. The pretty dancing girl, who disappears without a trace, could represent the fleeting nature of human connection and the transience of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Went to see the gypsy
The singer went to visit a fortune teller.
Stayin' in a big hotel
The fortune teller is staying in a luxurious hotel.
He smiled when he saw me coming
The fortune teller is happy to see the singer.
And he said, "Well, well, well"
The fortune teller seems surprised or intrigued by the artist's visit.
His room was dark and crowded
The fortune teller's room is full of people and poorly lit.
Lights were low and dim
The lighting in the room is low and dim.
"How are you?" he said to me
The fortune teller asks how the singer is doing.
I said it back to him
The artist responds with a simple greeting.
I went down to the lobby
The artist goes to the hotel lobby.
To make a small call out
The artist wants to make a quick phone call.
A pretty dancing girl was there
There is an attractive dancer in the lobby.
And she began to shout
The dancer starts to yell.
"Go on back to see the gypsy
The dancer advises the singer to return to the fortune teller.
He can move you from the rear
The fortune teller can help the singer with something unexpected or hidden.
Drive you from your fear
The fortune teller can help the singer overcome their fears.
Bring you through the mirror
The fortune teller can help the artist see things from a new perspective.
He did it in Las Vegas
The fortune teller has helped people before in Las Vegas.
And he can do it here"
The dancer is confident that the fortune teller can help the singer.
Outside the lights were shining
The outside world is bright and illuminated.
On the river of tears
The artist sees tears flowing like a river.
I watched them from the distance
The artist is observing the tears from far away.
With music in my ears
The artist is listening to music at the same time.
I went back to see the gypsy
The singer returns to the fortune teller.
It was nearly early dawn
It is very early in the morning, just before sunrise.
The gypsy's door was open wide
The fortune teller's door is open and welcoming.
But the gypsy was gone
The fortune teller is nowhere to be found.
And that pretty dancing girl
The attractive dancer from earlier.
She could not be found
The dancer is nowhere to be found.
So I watched that sun come rising
The artist watches the sunrise.
From that little Minnesota town
The singer is in a small town in Minnesota.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
Went to see the gypsy
Stayin' in a big hotel
He smiled when he saw me coming
And he said, "Well, well, well"
His room was dark and crowded
Lights were low and dim
"How are you?" he said to me
I said it back to him
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out
A pretty dancing girl was there
And she began to shout
"Go on back to see the gypsy
He can move you from the rear
Drive you from your fear
Bring you through the mirror
He did it in Las Vegas
And he can do it here"
Outside the lights were shining
On the river of tears
I watched them from the distance
With music in my ears
I went back to see the gypsy
It was nearly early dawn
The gypsy's door was open wide
But the gypsy was gone
And that pretty dancing girl
She could not be found
So I watched that sun come rising
From that little Minnesota town
@krisscanlon4051
After hearing this for the 1st time this past summer is the 1st thing to genuinely put a smile on my face in 10 years
@ninjavigilante5311
I used to have this on record along blood on the Tracks.. 2 best Bob album's
@davidpringuer
@ninja vigilante totally
@stephendaparma3303
Classic
@dickiemv
Sweet memories , very catchy tune .
so picturesque ......
simple but sweet .
Bought this album the year it came out .
Dickie , East (Los) LA ✌️ ✝️
@estebanmartinez6553
I love when he says "he did it in Las Vegas and he can do it here" 1:19
@robbiemontgomery581
It's about Elvis, right?
@estebanmartinez6553
@Robbie Montgomery idk some people say it is, others say it's not. it makes sense if it is about him though.
@ceceliae.vaughan1898
@Robbie Montgomery yes.
@bobmarleystoe
yes it is