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
You're Gonna Quit Me
Bob Dylan Lyrics
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Good as I been to you, lord, lord
Good as I been to you, lord, lord
Good as I been to you
Give you my money, honey
Buy you shoes and clothes, lord, lord
Buy you shoes and clothes, lord, lord
You're gonna quit me, baby
Put me outta doors, lord, lord
Put me outta doors, lord, lord
Put me outta doors
Six months on the chain gang
Believe me, it ain't no fun, lord, lord
Believe me, it ain't no fun, lord, lord
Believe me, it ain't no fun
Day you quit me, baby
That's the day you die, lord, lord
That's the day you die, lord, lord
That's the day you die
Jailhouse ain't no plaything
Believe me, ain't no lie, lord, lord
Believe me, ain't no lie, lord, lord
Believe me, ain't no lie
Day you quit me, baby
That's the day you die, lord, lord
That's the day you die, lord, lord
That's the day you die
Bob Dylan's song You're Gonna Quit Me is a warning to a woman that she will regret leaving him. The singer claims to have been good to her, buying her shoes and clothes and giving her money. He then says that if she leaves him, he'll be cast out into the streets and will have to serve six months on the chain gang, where he will have a miserable time. The singer warns the woman that the day she leaves him will be the day she dies, implying that he will have nothing left to live for and will be sent to jail or worse. The song essentially tells the story of a man who is begging a woman not to leave him, but threatening her with death if she does.
There are several reasons why this song is considered a classic. First, it is a great example of Bob Dylan's early work. The lyrics are raw and emotional, and the song is sung with a powerful intensity that makes it impossible to ignore. Second, the song deals with themes that are still relevant today, such as love, betrayal, and revenge. Finally, the song's simple structure and melodic hook make it easy to remember and sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
You're gonna quit me, baby
You're going to leave me, my love
Good as I been to you, lord, lord
Despite how well I've treated you, my dear
Give you my money, honey
I've given you all my money, my love
Buy you shoes and clothes, lord, lord
I've even bought you shoes and clothes, my dear
Put me outta doors, lord, lord
If you leave me, I'll be homeless
Six months on the chain gang
I don't want to end up on the chain gang for six months
Believe me, it ain't no fun, lord, lord
It's not a fun experience, my love
That's the day you die, lord, lord
If you leave me, it will be the end of you
Jailhouse ain't no plaything
Being in jail is not a game
Believe me, ain't no lie, lord, lord
I'm telling you the truth, my love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRADITIONAL, BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind