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 No Good
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody in the world can get along with you
You got the ways of a devil sleeping in a lion's den
I come home last night you wouldn't even let me in
Oh, sometimes you're as sweet as anybody want to be
Oh, when you get the crazy notion of jumping all over me
Well, you give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied
I helped you when you had no shoes on your feet, pretty mama
I helped you when you had no food to eat
Now you're that kind of woman that just don't understand
You're taking all my money and give it to another man
Well, you're that kind of woman makes a man lose his brains
You're that kind of woman drives a man insane
You give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied
You give me the blues, I want to lay down and die
Well, you give me the blues, I want to lay down and die
The lyrics of Bob Dylan's "You're No Good" are about a toxic and abusive relationship. The singer is confessing his love for someone who treats him poorly and is unsatisfied with everything he does. He compares his lover's nature to that of a devil, and suggests that nobody in the world can get along with her. He describes how he is sometimes affectionate towards her and wants to please her, but whenever she gets angry or "crazy", she takes it out on him and gives him the blues, making him feel miserable and worthless. Despite all of this, he still loves her and finds it hard to let go of someone who has become such a significant part of his life.
The verses describe the ways in which his lover mistreats him, taking all of his money and giving it to another man, and not allowing him to enter his own home. The singer claims to have helped her in the past when she was down and out, but now she is a woman who just doesn't understand how to treat her partner with respect and kindness. The chorus repeats the lines "You give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied / When you give me the blues I want to lay down and die", emphasizing the emotional impact that her behavior has on him.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I don't know why I love you like I do
I am unsure what makes me love you despite all the trouble you bring into my life.
Nobody in the world can get along with you
Your temperament is so difficult that nobody can tolerate or relate to you.
You got the ways of a devil sleeping in a lion's den
You possess the cunning and malevolent traits of a devil, hiding them beneath a façade of power and authority.
I come home last night you wouldn't even let me in
After returning home, you rudely prevented me from entering, even though I had done nothing wrong.
Oh, sometimes you're as sweet as anybody want to be
Occasionally, you display an agreeable and friendly nature that people usually appreciate.
Oh, when you get the crazy notion of jumping all over me
But, then your erratic behavior and sudden mood swings cause you to act aggressively towards me.
Well, you give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied
Your behavior troubles me to the point that I become sad and depressed, and it seems to make you happy.
When you give me the blues I want to lay down and die
Your behavior has become so unbearable that it makes me feel suicidal and devoid of hope.
I helped you when you had no shoes on your feet, pretty mama
In the past, I provided assistance to you when you were in need, my dear.
I helped you when you had no food to eat
I also helped you during a time when you were deprived of basic necessities like food.
Now you're that kind of woman that just don't understand
Unfortunately, you have become the type of woman who fails to comprehend or respect my feelings.
You're taking all my money and give it to another man
Moreover, you have been taking all the money that I earn and using it to support another man's needs or desires.
Well, you're that kind of woman makes a man lose his brains
Your actions and attitude have the power to drive a man insane and lose his sanity.
You're that kind of woman drives a man insane
The kind of woman you have become propels a man to the point of madness and irrationality.
You give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied
Your actions have again made me feel melancholic and sad, to the extent that it seems to provide you with pleasure.
You give me the blues, I want to lay down and die
The persistent distress that you cause in me has led me to feel like giving up on life altogether.
Well, you give me the blues, I want to lay down and die
Once again, you have overwhelmed me with feelings of sadness and despair, to the point where I feel like dying.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JESSE FULLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juancamacho5746
Well, I don't know why I love you like I do
Nobody in the world can get along with you
You got the ways of a devil sleeping in a lion's den
I come home last night you wouldn't even let me in
Oh, sometimes you're as sweet as anybody want to be
Oh, when you get the crazy notion of jumping all over me
Well, you give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied
When you give me the blues I want to lay down and die
🎵🎶🎵🎶
I helped you when you had no shoes on your feet, pretty mama
I helped you when you had no food to eat
Now you're that kind of woman that just don't understand
You're taking all my money and give it to another man
Well, you're that kind of woman makes a man lose his brains
You're that kind of woman drives a man insane
You give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied
You give me the blues, I want to lay down and die
Well, you give me the blues, I want to lay down and die
@melquizedec
Well, I don't know why I love you like I do
Nobody in the world can get along with you
You got the ways of a devil sleeping in a lion's den
I come home last night you wouldn't even let me in
Oh, sometimes you're as sweet as anybody want to be
Oh, when you get the crazy notion of jumping all over me
Well, you give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied
When you give me the blues I want to lay down and die
I helped you when you had no shoes on your feet, pretty mama
I helped you when you had no food to eat
Now you're that kind of woman that just don't understand
You're taking all my money and give it to another man
Well, you're that kind of woman makes a man lose his brains
You're that kind of woman drives a man insane
You give me the blues, I guess you're satisfied
You give me the blues, I want to lay down and die
Well, you give me the blues, I want to lay down and die
@leemccaskill1649
Hell yeah! SUPER SICK! DYLAN BRINGS IT W/ AUTHORITY! I CANT IMAGINE BEING THERE IN 1961 THE FIRST TIME People saw him perform this radical new song. BALLS! MAN!
BIG SWINGING BRASS ONES. AWESOME!
@oldbatwit5102
Pure skiffle.
@bussystank1316
honestly this is one of my favorite bob dylan albums ever
@kanjiwooowooo3202
This is were it all started!
@corneliakapelinski
This young man with guitar and harmonica turns every train into a rocket
@yamapenny5960
👍🌠🐎💨
@Hernanroms
Yeah Cornelia!
@epicmassacre64
I like it bob don't worry
@valuecalc
Classic Dylan!
@Official_KC
The first song on his debut album. That harmonica solo is so crazy