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 the Ship Comes In
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the winds will stop
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'
Like the stillness in the wind
Before the hurricane begins
The hour that the ship comes in
And the seas will split
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking
Then the tide will sound
And the wind will pound
And the morning will be breaking
Oh, the fishes will laugh
As they swim out of the path
And the seagulls they'll be smiling
And the rocks on the sand
Will proudly stand
The hour that the ship comes in
And the words that are used
For to get the ship confused
Will not be understood as they're spoken
For the chains of the sea
Will have busted in the night
And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean
A song will lift
As the mainsail shifts
And the boat drifts on to the shoreline
And the sun will respect
Every face on the deck
The hour that the ship comes in
Then the sands will roll
Out a carpet of gold
For your weary toes to be a-touchin'
And the ship's wise men
Will remind you once again
That the whole wide world is watchin'
Oh, the foes will rise
With the sleep still in their eyes
And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And know that it's for real
The hour when the ship comes in
Then they'll raise their hands
Sayin' we'll meet all your demands
But we'll shout from the bow your days are numbered
And like Pharaoh's tribe
They'll be drownded in the tide
And like Goliath, they'll be conquered
"When the Ship Comes In" was written and recorded by Bob Dylan, released on his 1964 album The Times They Are a-Changin'. This song is about the anticipation and hope of redemption and reward that comes with hard work and perseverance. Dylan uses powerful imagery to describe a time of great upheaval when the oppressed shall be redeemed and the oppressors shall be overthrown.
The first verse deals with the calm before the storm, the stillness that descends before something big and powerful happens. The line "The hour that the ship comes in" indicates that something momentous is about to happen. In the second verse, Dylan describes a powerful storm, and the waves splitting as the ship arrives. The third verse talks about the wicked being brought low, and the chains of the sea being broken, allowing the ship to sail safely to shore. In this verse, Dylan says that those who once held power will be overthrown by those who were once under their heel. Finally, in the fourth verse, Dylan talks about the ship's arrival bringing wealth and prosperity to all those who have waited for it.
This song gained popularity during the Civil Rights Movement, and it became an anthem for equal rights, with Dylan's lyrics inspired by a biblical story. Through his lyrics, Dylan presented hope to those who were downtrodden, and he hinted that the oppressors would be overthrown soon. The song has been covered by several artists over the years, including Johnny Cash, The Clancy Brothers, and The Byrds.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the time will come up
The moment of impending change is near
When the winds will stop
There will be a sudden calm
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'
The stillness of the air will be felt
Like the stillness in the wind
Similar to the calm before a storm
Before the hurricane begins
Just before the change happens
The hour that the ship comes in
The moment of arrival of something big and transformative
And the seas will split
A miraculous event will occur
And the ship will hit
A big ship will arrive
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking
The earth will tremble with the arrival
Then the tide will sound
The sea will roar
And the wind will pound
Whipping winds will come
And the morning will be breaking
The new day will dawn
Oh, the fishes will laugh
Even the creatures of the sea will be amused
As they swim out of the path
The animals will scatter
And the seagulls they'll be smiling
Birds will be happy
And the rocks on the sand
Inanimate objects will stand still
Will proudly stand
They will not move despite the commotion
The hour that the ship comes in
The moment of arrival will be momentous
And the words that are used
Attempts to mislead
For to get the ship confused
To confuse the situation
Will not be understood as they're spoken
Deceit will be seen through
For the chains of the sea
The things that bind us will be destroyed
Will have busted in the night
They will be broken in secret
And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean
The chains will be forgotten forever
A song will lift
A song will be sung
As the mainsail shifts
The ship will turn
And the boat drifts on to the shoreline
The ship will gently approach the shore
And the sun will respect
The sun will shine with reverence
Every face on the deck
Everyone on board will be recognized
The hour that the ship comes in
The moment of arrival will be profound
Then the sands will roll
The beach will be altered
Out a carpet of gold
The sand will shine brilliantly
For your weary toes to be a-touchin'
You will be able to rest on the warm beach
And the ship's wise men
Those in leadership roles
Will remind you once again
They will reiterate
That the whole wide world is watchin'
The eyes of the world are upon us
Oh, the foes will rise
Those who oppose us will appear
With the sleep still in their eyes
They will be caught unaware
And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'
They will be in disbelief
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
They will realize it is real
And know that it's for real
It will sink in that it is really happening
The hour when the ship comes in
The moment of change and arrival
Then they'll raise their hands
They will surrender
Sayin' we'll meet all your demands
They will comply with us
But we'll shout from the bow your days are numbered
We will warn them of their inevitable defeat
And like Pharaoh's tribe
Like those before them
They'll be drownded in the tide
They will meet their end in the sea
And like Goliath, they'll be conquered
They will be defeated just like in the story of David and Goliath
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Juan Camacho
Oh, the time will come up
When the winds will stop
And the breeze will cease to be breathin'
Like the stillness in the wind
Before the hurricane begins
The hour that the ship comes in
And the seas will split
And the ship will hit
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking
Then the tide will sound
And the wind will pound
And the morning will be breaking
Oh, the fishes will laugh
As they swim out of the path
And the seagulls they'll be smiling
And the rocks on the sand
Will proudly stand
The hour that the ship comes in
And the words that are used
For to get the ship confused
Will not be understood as they're spoken
For the chains of the sea
Will have busted in the night
And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean
A song will lift
As the mainsail shifts
And the boat drifts on to the shoreline
And the sun will respect
Every face on the deck
The hour that the ship comes in
Then the sands will roll
Out a carpet of gold
For your weary toes to be a-touchin'
And the ship's wise men
Will remind you once again
That the whole wide world is watchin'
🎵🎶🎵🎶
Oh, the foes will rise
With the sleep still in their eyes
And they'll jerk from their beds and think they're dreamin'
But they'll pinch themselves and squeal
And know that it's for real
The hour when the ship comes in
Then they'll raise their hands
Sayin' we'll meet all your demands
But we'll shout from the bow your days are numbered
And like Pharaoh's tribe
They'll be drownded in the tide
And like Goliath, they'll be conquered
Bruno Lizama Guzman
Oh the time will come up
Oh, el momento llegará
When the winds will stop
en el que los vientos se detendrán
And the breeze will cease to be breathin’
y en el que la brisa dejará de respirar.
Like the stillness in the wind
Como la calma en el viento,
’Fore the hurricane begins
antes de que el huracán comience,
The hour when the ship comes in
será la hora en la que el barco llegue.
Oh the seas will split and the ship will hit
El mar se dividirá, el barco chocará
And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking
las arenas del litoral se estremecerán,
Then the tide will sound
luego la marea retumbará
And the wind will pound
y las olas golpearán,
And the morning will be breaking
y la mañana se quebrará.
Oh the fishes will laugh
Los peces reirán
As they swim out of the path
mientras nadan fuera de la senda,
And the seagulls they’ll be smiling
las gaviotas estarán sonriendo.
And the rocks on the sand
Y las piedras sobre la arena
Will proudly stand
se erguirán orgullosas.
The hour that the ship comes in
Es la hora de que el barco llegue.
And the words that are used
Y las palabras que se usen
For to get the ship confused
para confundir al barco
Will not be understood as they’re spoken
no serán comprendidas cuando se digan,
For the chains of the sea
pues las cadenas del mar
Will have busted in the night
habrán cedido en la noche
And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean
y habrán sido enterradas en el fondo del océano.
A song will lift
Se elevará una canción
As the mainsail shifts
mientras se enmiende la vela,
And the boat drifts on to the shoreline
el barco es arrastrado hasta la orilla.
And the sun will respect
Y el sol respetará
Every face on the deck
cada uno de los rostros en cubierta.
The hour that the ship comes in
Es la hora de que el barco llegue.
Then the sands will roll
Luego las arenas explotarán
Out a carpet of gold
una alfombra dorada
For your weary toes to be a-touchin’
para que nuestros cansados pies puedan pisarla.
And the ship’s wise men
Y los hombres sabios del barco
Will remind you once again
te recordarán una vez más
That the whole wide world is watchin’
que el mundo entero está observando.
Oh the foes will rise
Se levantarán los enemigos
With the sleep still in their eyes
con el sueño aún en sus ojos
And they’ll jerk from their beds and think they’re dreamin’
y saltarán de sus camas pensando que están soñando,
But they’ll pinch themselves and squeal
pero luego se pellizcarán y chillarán,
And know that it’s for real
y sabrán que es real.
The hour when the ship comes in
Es la hora de que el barco llegue.
Then they’ll raise their hands
Entonces elevarán las manos
Sayin’ we’ll meet all your demands
diciendo que aceptan sus exigencias,
But we’ll shout from the bow your days are numbered
pero desde la proa nosotros gritaremos que sus días están contados.
And like Pharoah’s tribe
Y, como el ejército del Faraón,
They’ll be drownded in the tide
se ahogarán en la marea;
And like Goliath, they’ll be conquered
y como Goliat, serán derrotados.
Michael Cannon
When he wrote 'When the ship comes in', he was a folk star with a huge audience, and a golden shore was beneath his feet:
"and the sands will roll out a carpet of gold, for your weary toes to be a touching,
and the ships wise men will remind you once again, that the whole wide world is watching"
At the time I thought this was about a young Jewish man, mocking old enemies at his moment of triumph.
Some years later, I heard he wrote the song one morning in a blaze of anger, after the hotel manager refused to allow him to share a room with Joan Baez.
No wonder the song is so optimistic. He knew that a short journey to another hotel, would bring a better result.
Beaucoup Ahsweepe'
. I love it. I'll be the
Dylan fan looking for meaning in one of his songs!
Now that's funny! Hokey, sure, Sad? Bit its what ive always done. How can you not delve into it. To get the meaning or meanings in his stuff is like self evident.
not sure how to put it.
music = contemplate .."what was that" ..."does he mean" ..".how's that relate to..." and evem of i thought i knew , he'd lilely say it means what ever you understand it as.
you know.
his meaning , my meaning, the meaning it has for my life.
one of the reasons I feel he's so genius.
baahaahaaha the linknbelow, if you havent seen the show check it oit.
its special to me because the gig is at highes stadium in my homeyown of Fory Collins,CO
i guess they practiced aand got their shit togetjer to go on the Rolling Thunder tour.
a big deal since he was laying low for so long.
theres legends of tapes of practices at local elks club like places.
the town was small then l. Colorado State Unibersity is there. the stadium eas oit along the foot hills outside of town. High school buddy got bit by a rattle snake right there.
Anyway. i was maybe 9-10 y.o.
I remember my uncles went , and they being so psyched.
another fact..the Rolling Stones started their 1969 tour in that stadium. i mention it because, well that tour fodnt end so well.
i ramble...
its all the new stuff and versions all the folks.
Dylan looks as if he just crossed the desert and Joan Baez looks like a central american freedom fighter. red head band to gether they sing, "..i pity the poor immigramt...."
so choice.
enjoy
ill get right on
Tombstone Blues.
https://youtu.be/q0o_0b5abwA
fans! check out Jay Farrar.
his words and music speak for us now and over the past couple decades.
(see- Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Gob Iron, solo stuff)
mary oconnor
I grew up listening to Bob's music , lyrics , paid attention to what event he would play at and so admired what he stood for.
I am 68 yrs old and I am revisiting it all. It's again Inspiring , nostalgic and a bit sad. But I believe the day we've waited for will soon dawn. He gave us so much to think about. I feel such gratitude for this man.
He's only Human . A Human that used his humble mystical gift to inspire the World .
Major Tom
A lot of Dylan songs can bring tears to your eyes. But with this one, these are tears of hope and joy
Ken Bellchambers
Almost all of his songs bring tears to my eyes. Corina, Dark Eyes, Girl From the North Country...........and so many more.
Ken Bellchambers
@Oddity I am not saying it is bad, I am saying it moves me deeply. I am waiting expectantly for that ship to come in.
big bictors
I love the word " tears " thank you, love all, big
Ken Bellchambers
@The Metaphysical Midwife You're right. I misread his joke first time. Sure wish that ship would come soon.
RaxOldies
@Ken Bellchambers I think it better come soon !! Funny because when this song was written it was to vanquish a different foe than the ones we are dealing with now....I remember because I was right in the thick of things back then. Hope we find some peace soon....all around.
TheMarshmelloKing
I've been friends with this song since I first heard it. It hit me like a bolt of lightning. Music can shape lives.
Andrew Parry
I love it's your friend
Ken Bellchambers
I was blessed to hear this song when it first was published, I was beginning my magical mystery tour. It still electrifies me. Listen to 'Dark Eyes' it is sooooo good!