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
When I Paint My Masterpiece
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ancient footprints are everywhere
You can almost think that you're seein' double
On a cold, dark night by the Spanish Stairs
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
Gonna wash my clothes, scrape off all the grease
Gonna lock the doors and turn my back on the world for a while
Well, the hours I've spent inside the Coliseum
Dodging lions with that mean and hungry look
Those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see 'em
I could see 'em comin', I could read their faces like a book
Train wheels runnin' through the back of my memory
When I ran on the hilltop following a pack of wild geese
Someday, everything is gonna be different
When I paint, when I paint my masterpiece
Sailin' 'round the world full of crimson and clover
Sometimes I feel just like my cup isn't runnin' over
I left Rome and I pulled into Brussels
On a plane ride so bumpy that it made me ill
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles
Everyone was there to meet me, comin' down the hill
Newspapermen eating candy
Had to be held back by big police
Someday, everything is going to be beautiful
When I paint my masterpiece
"When I Paint My Masterpiece" by Bob Dylan is a song about a man’s constant search for inspiration and artistic brilliance. The song’s opening verse describes the streets of Rome filled with rubble, and how the ancient footprints on those streets are still visible centuries later. The singer of the song wanders through Rome, almost seeing double, as he contemplates the past and the present. The Spanish Steps remind him of cold, dark nights and his hotel room beckons as he has a date with Botticelli's niece, who promised to be with him when he paints his masterpiece.
In the second verse, Dylan describes being inside the Coliseum, dodging lions and wasting time. The mighty kings of the jungle would hardly stand to see them. His memory takes him back to the train wheels running and how the daylight hours do retreat. There is an underlying sense of frustration and disillusionment towards things that have not gone well so far in his life, but the singer remains hopeful that someday everything will be different. The song uses rich symbolism to represent the singer's creative struggles and his search for artistic perfection.
The final verse has the singer in Brussels, with a picture of a tall oak tree by his side. He describes clergymen in uniform and young girls pulling muscles, but no one is hiding. The newspapermen are eating candy, and big police have to hold them down. The singer concludes that someday everything will be different when he paints his masterpiece. The song ends with a sense of optimism, as the singer continues his quest for perfection and artistic success.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
The streets of Rome are destroyed and cluttered as if there has been an extensive fight or war.
Ancient footprints are everywhere
There are many remnants of Rome's rich history around.
You can almost think that you're seein' double
It's like you are seeing two identical sights.
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs
The scene takes place during an unwelcoming night on the Spanish Steps.
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
He needs to return to his hotel room as quickly as possible.
Where I've got me a date with Botticelli's niece
He is looking forward to seeing Botticelli's niece.
She promised that she'd be right there with me
She committed to sticking with him through thick and thin.
When I paint my masterpiece
He is planning on creating something spectacular soon.
Oh, the hours I've spent inside the Coliseum
He has spent a lot of time exploring and interacting with the Coliseum.
Dodging lions and wastin' time
He has had to avoid danger and kill time while there.
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see 'em
The animals were so powerful that he could barely tolerate looking at them.
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb
The journey has been arduous.
Train wheels runnin' through the back of my memory
The sound of trains has been resonating in his mind.
As the daylight hours do retreat
As the sun goes down in the west.
Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody
One day, everything will fall into place and be as beautiful as a piece of music.
When I paint my masterpiece
He believes that the moment he starts everything will get better.
I left Rome and landed in Brussels
He left Rome and went to Brussels.
With a picture of a tall oak tree by my side
He has a picture of a tall oak tree with him on his trip.
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles
There were both clergymen in uniform and girls exercising.
Everyone was there but nobody tried to hide
There were many people around, but nobody was hiding.
Newspapermen eating candy
Journalists were eating candy.
Had to be held down by big police
They had to be restrained by huge policemen.
Someday, everything is gonna be diff'rent
In the future, things will be completely different.
When I paint my masterpiece
He is convinced that once he creates his masterpiece, everything around him will become much better.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bryankeisling132
Lyrics:
Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
Ancient footprints are everywhere
You can almost think that you’re seeing double
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
Where I’ve got me a date with Botticelli’s niece
She promised that she’d be right there with me
When I paint my masterpiece
Oh, the hours we spent, inside the Coliseum.
Dodging lions, and a-wasting time
Oh those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see 'em
Yes it sure has been a long, hard drive.
Train wheels a-running thru the back of my memory
When I ran on a hilltop following a pack of wild geese
Someday everything is gonna sound like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece.
Sailing round the world in a dirty gondola
Oh to be back in the land of, Coca-cola.
Well I left Rome, and landed in Brussels
On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried
Clergy men in uniform, and young girls pulling mussels
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside
Newspaper men eating candy
Had to be held down by big police.
Someday, everything's gonna be different
When I paint my masterpiece.
@juancamacho5746
Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
Ancient footprints are everywhere
You can almost think that you're seein' double
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
Where I've got me a date with Botticelli's niece
She promised that she'd be right there with me
When I paint my masterpiece
🎵🎶🎵🎶
Oh, the hours I've spent inside the Coliseum
Dodging lions and wastin' time
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see 'em
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb
Train wheels runnin' through the back of my memory
As the daylight hours do retreat
Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece
🎵🎶🎵🎶
I left Rome and landed in Brussels
With a picture of a tall oak tree by my side
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles
Everyone was there but nobody tried to hide
Newspapermen eating candy
Had to be held down by big police
Someday, everything is gonna be diff'rent
When I paint my masterpiece
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
[Verse 1]Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
Ancient footprints are everywhere
You can almost think that you’re seeing double
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
Where I’ve got me a date with Botticelli’s niece
She promised that she’d be right there with me
When I paint my masterpiece
[Verse 2]Oh, the hours I’ve spent inside the Coliseum
Dodging lions and wasting time
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle, I could hardly stand to see them
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb
Train wheels running through the back of my memory
When I ran on the hilltop following a pack of wild geese
Someday, everything is going to be smooth like a rhapsody
[Bridge]Sailing 'round the world in a dirty gondola
Oh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola
[Verse 3]Well, I left Rome and landed in Brussels
On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pulling mussels
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside
Newspapermen eating candy
Had to be held down by big police
Someday, everything is going to be different
@ws_odysseus
Bob Dylan, you've already painted your Masterpiece many times over
@jonazo7188
I see this song as Bob having a bit of a good natured laugh at himself after producing such high-level, envelope-pushing, poetic, rebellious music for years. Here he’s kind of poking fun at that endless strive towards perfection, relevance, and immortality. And it results in yet another masterpiece
@stefanschleps8758
Love this song. One of the highlites of my life was to see this song performed by the Grateful Dead. Pure joy!
NFA
@ferr614
for me it was at Giants stadium, where was yours?
@OAKROADSKETCHES
Listening in Rome Mr B... fantastic backdrop ❤
@conorkennedy3304
I'm in Minnesota. Thank you for listening!
@rachellisette9183
You, Mr. Dylan, are a Masterpiece!
@Carlossantanamusicinc
Hello Dear, it’s nice meeting you on here!
@maryseery7824
I could not agree more Rachel. Ignore Bid Dylanmusicinc. Alt least a troll, probably a scammer
@Rave0851
Sure is...