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
Where Teardrops Fall
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Far away from it all
There is a place you go
Where teardrops fall
Far away in the stormy night
Far away and over the wall
You are there in the flickering light
We banged the drums slowly
And played the fife lowly
You know the song in my heart
In the turning of twilight
In the shadows of moonlight
You can show me anew place to start
I've torn my clothes and I've drained the cup
Strippin' away at it all
Thinking of you when the sun comes up
Where teardrops fall
By rivers of blindness
In love and with kindness
We could hold up a toast if we meet
To the cuttin' of fences
To sharpen the senses
That linger in the fireball heat
Roses are red violets are blue
And times is beginning to crawl
I just might have come to see you
Where teardrops fall
In Bob Dylan's song Where Teardrops Fall, the lyrics paint a picture of a far-off place, distant from the turmoil of everyday life, where the environment is serene and peaceful. The place being evoked is somewhere where you can find solace, somewhere where you can cry and let your emotions out. This place, however, is not easy to find, as it requires you to overcome walls and stormy nights, as well as to let go of material possessions and pleasures. The song also talks about the power of music, as the singer explains that he and a group of others played music softly during times of sadness.
As the song progresses, it becomes clear that the place being described is both physical and metaphorical. It is a place of emotional healing, where the singer has the opportunity to start again. The line "I just might have come to see you" is especially haunting, suggesting that the person being addressed is someone they have yet to meet but know they will at some point.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of longing for a place of refuge, a place where one can confront their emotions and begin to heal. It also highlights the power of connection and music in finding such a place.
Line by Line Meaning
Far away where the soft winds blow
There exists a distant place that is far removed from our troubles where gentle winds blow
Far away from it all
This place is remote and isolated from everyday life
There is a place you go
This place is a destination, one you intentionally travel to
Where teardrops fall
In this place, tears are shed and emotions are raw
Far away in the stormy night
This place is so far removed that even in a stormy night, it remains untouched
Far away and over the wall
The distance is so great that a wall is also crossed in order to reach it
You are there in the flickering light
Despite the distance and darkness, this place is somehow illuminated and you are there
We banged the drums slowly
We mourned in a slow, solemn way
And played the fife lowly
We expressed our sadness in a gentle, mournful tune
You know the song in my heart
You understand me deeply, even my unspoken sentiments
In the turning of twilight
At the exact moment of dusk, when daylight fades into darkness
In the shadows of moonlight
As the moon casts its shadows in the night, there is a different perspective gained
You can show me anew place to start
In this new light, you can help me discover a new direction in life
I've torn my clothes and I've drained the cup
I've stripped myself bare, completely exhausted my resources and my emotions
Strippin' away at it all
I'm deliberately, meticulously paring away all that's unnecessary
Thinking of you when the sun comes up
You are always on my mind, even when a new day begins
By rivers of blindness
This place is also marked by blindness, both literal and metaphorical
In love and with kindness
Despite this blindness, we can still show each other love and kindness
We could hold up a toast if we meet
If we ever reunite, we can celebrate together
To the cuttin' of fences
We can tear down the barriers that keep us distant
To sharpen the senses
By doing so, we can heighten our awareness and become more attuned to our own feelings
That linger in the fireball heat
Even when our emotions are intense and overwhelming, we can still hold onto them and process them in a healthy way
Roses are red violets are blue
A common saying used to express love, but used here to indicate the passage of time
And times is beginning to crawl
Time seems to be slowing down, moving at a snail's pace
I just might have come to see you
Despite the distance and difficulty, I am willing to make the journey to see you again
Where teardrops fall
Even though it's a place of sadness, it's where we can be ourselves and process our emotions honestly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
andrew james Bunting
Lyrics
Far away where the soft winds blow
Far away from it all
There is a place you go
Where teardrops fall.
Far away in the stormy night
Far away and over the wall
You are there in the flickering light
Where teardrops fall.
We banged the drum slowly
And played the fife lowly
You know the song in my heart
In the turning of twilight
In the shadows of moonlight
You can show me a new place to start.
I've torn my clothes and I've drained the cup
Strippin' away at it all
Thinking of you when the sun comes up
Where teardrops fall.
By rivers of blindness
In love and with kindness
We could hold up a toast if we meet
To the cuttin' of fences
To sharpen the senses
That linger in the fireball heat.
Roses are red violets are blue
And times is beginning to crawl
I just might have to come to see you
Where teardrops fall.
Bruno Pinto
Every song from this album is great, I also loved the description of the recording process in the chronicles.
Jim Palmer
Highly agreed. Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, Oh Mercy, Time Out of Mind and Love and Theft would be my picks.
Bruno Pinto
@Jim Palmer great choices indeed.
Ron L
give some credit to Danny Lanois the producer he also did Time Out of Mind
Luke l
Chronicles? What is this? I wanna see it
Maltese Tony
Even the "minor" songs on this album are superb. That sax break at the end is perfect. Viva Bob Dylan!
Nicholas Rosebush
This album is definitely in the top 5 records he ever made
andrew james Bunting
Lyrics
Far away where the soft winds blow
Far away from it all
There is a place you go
Where teardrops fall.
Far away in the stormy night
Far away and over the wall
You are there in the flickering light
Where teardrops fall.
We banged the drum slowly
And played the fife lowly
You know the song in my heart
In the turning of twilight
In the shadows of moonlight
You can show me a new place to start.
I've torn my clothes and I've drained the cup
Strippin' away at it all
Thinking of you when the sun comes up
Where teardrops fall.
By rivers of blindness
In love and with kindness
We could hold up a toast if we meet
To the cuttin' of fences
To sharpen the senses
That linger in the fireball heat.
Roses are red violets are blue
And times is beginning to crawl
I just might have to come to see you
Where teardrops fall.
Dr JOSEPH V D M B B S DEVASSIA
Thank you BOB DYLAN for showing us new places to start
Isabella
One of his best ever! I love how his voice sounds on this album.