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
What Good Am I?
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I just turn away when I see how you're dressed
If I shut myself off so I can't hear you cry
What good am I?
What good am I if I know and don't do
If I see and don't say if I look right through you
If I turn a deaf ear to the thunderin' sky
What good am I while you softly weep
And I hear in my head what you say in your sleep
And I freeze in the moment like the rest who don't try
What good am I?
What good am I then to others and me
If I had every chance and yet still fail to see
If my hands are tied must I not wonder within
Who tied them and why and where must I have been
What good am I if I say foolish things
And I laugh in the face of what sorrow brings
And I just turn my back while you silently die
What good a I?
In Bob Dylan's song What Good Am I?, the singer struggles with feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt as he questions his own value and purpose in life. The song asks a series of rhetorical questions, highlighting the singer's shortcomings and suggesting a need for greater empathy, action, and self-reflection.
The first verse sets the tone for the song, as the singer wonders what good he is if he can't even extend basic human kindness and empathy to others. The second verse expands on this theme, asking what good it is to see injustice and fail to speak out against it. The third verse is perhaps the most poignant, as the singer hears the silent cries of someone he loves and yet fails to offer comfort or support. The final verse brings the song full circle, as the singer questions his own blindness and foolishness and wonders what he can do to become a better version of himself.
Ultimately, What Good Am I? is a powerful meditation on the nature of morality, empathy, and human connection. It poses important questions about the responsibilities we have to one another and begs us to look more deeply at our own behavior and motivations.
Line by Line Meaning
What good am I some like all the rest
If I am unremarkable and idle like most people
If I just turn away when I see how you're dressed
If I judge you by your appearance and ignore you
If I shut myself off so I can't hear you cry
If I avoid listening and empathizing with your pain
What good am I?
What is my purpose or value as a human being?
What good am I if I know and don't do
If I have knowledge but don't apply it in action
If I see and don't say if I look right through you
If I witness injustice and ignore it purposefully
If I turn a deaf ear to the thunderin' sky
If I ignore the warning signs of danger or turmoil
What good am I?
What is my purpose or value as a human being?
What good am I while you softly weep
If I fail to console you during your gentle cries
And I hear in my head what you say in your sleep
If I am aware of your innermost feelings but do not respond
And I freeze in the moment like the rest who don't try
If I am paralyzed in fear like others who do nothing
What good am I?
What is my purpose or value as a human being?
What good am I then to others and me
If I do not benefit myself or others with my existence
If I had every chance and yet still fail to see
If I am given opportunities but fail to recognize them
If my hands are tied must I not wonder within
If I am constrained and unable to act, should I not question why?
Who tied them and why and where must I have been
Who is responsible and what led me to this position?
What good am I if I say foolish things
If I speak without thinking and say things that are pointless, insensitive or incorrect
And I laugh in the face of what sorrow brings
If I ignore or belittle the pain and suffering of others
And I just turn my back while you silently die
If I abandon you in your time of need and remain indifferent
What good a I?
What is my purpose or value as a human being?
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bryan Keisling
Lyrics:
What good am I some like all the rest
If I just turn away when I see how you're dressed
If I shut myself off so I can't hear you cry
What good am I?
What good am I if I know and don't do
If I see and don't say if I look right through you
If I turn a deaf ear to the thunderin' sky
What good am I?
What good am I while you softly weep
And I hear in my head what you say in your sleep
And I freeze in the moment like the rest who don't try
What good am I?
What good am I then to others and me
If I had every chance and yet still fail to see
If my hands are tied must I not wonder within
Who tied them and why and where must I have been
What good am I if I say foolish things
And I laugh in the face of what sorrow brings
And I just turn my back while you silently die
What good a I?
Bryan Keisling
Lyrics:
What good am I some like all the rest
If I just turn away when I see how you're dressed
If I shut myself off so I can't hear you cry
What good am I?
What good am I if I know and don't do
If I see and don't say if I look right through you
If I turn a deaf ear to the thunderin' sky
What good am I?
What good am I while you softly weep
And I hear in my head what you say in your sleep
And I freeze in the moment like the rest who don't try
What good am I?
What good am I then to others and me
If I had every chance and yet still fail to see
If my hands are tied must I not wonder within
Who tied them and why and where must I have been
What good am I if I say foolish things
And I laugh in the face of what sorrow brings
And I just turn my back while you silently die
What good a I?
Doc Savage
Got the first line wrong...
JorgeLMarquez
Discazo de 1989! Reflexivo, calmo, iluminado, Bob!
Barbara southworth
“Doing Gods work”. Thank you Bob Dylan
Mariam Samadashvili
Thank you for uploading my favorite song 💛
Devin Alvarez
u know when ur wondering about something in life, hear a song for the first time, remember the name of the song and then look it up only to realize the answer your looking for was in the lyrics. music is crazy
Leo Ryan
Bob Dylan the best of all time ...Period!!
Joe W.
Thank you Bob.. God bless you brother...
Father Brown Band
Thank you for these uploads
Alan Scott
Daniel Lanois and Bob Dylan summoned up the magic didn't they?