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 âfor having created new poetic expressions within the great American song traditionâ. 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 Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rain won't lift
Gate won't close
Railings froze
Get your mind off wintertime
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoowee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair
I don't care how many letters they sent
Morning came and morning went
Pick up your money
And pack up your tent
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoowee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair
Buy me a flute
And a gun that shoots
Tailgates and substitutes
Strap yourself to the tree with roots
You ain't goin' nowhere
Whoowee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair
Genghis Khan
He could not keep
All his kings
Supplied with sleep
We'll climb that hill, no matter how steep
When we come up to it
Whoowee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day
My bride's gonna come
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Down in the easy chair
The opening of the song "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" paints a picture of a cold and unforgiving winter landscape, with rain and frozen railings. However, the singer is encouraging the listener to get their mind off it - they ain't goin' nowhere. The song expresses a carefree attitude towards life with a sense of celebration that tomorrow will be a better day. The lyrics mention the singer's bride coming, and the excitement of flying down in the easy chair. The song is ultimately about living life in the moment, without worry about the future.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was first recorded during sessions for Bob Dylan's album, "The Basement Tapes," which he recorded with The Band in their home in upstate New York in 1967. The song was not included on the album, but the sessions produced numerous other songs that would be included on future Dylan albums, such as "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" and "Tears of Rage."
Another interesting fact is that the song has been covered by many artists over the years, including The Byrds, Glen Campbell, and Neil Diamond. The Byrds' version became a hit single in 1968, and it was the first version of the song to become widely known.
Additionally, the song's lyrics contain references to Genghis Khan, who was the founder and first emperor of the Mongol Empire. It's not entirely clear what the reference means in the context of the song, but it could be interpreted as a metaphor for the challenges that people face in life, and the need to keep climbing higher no matter the difficulty.
Here are the chords for the song:
(Instrumental intro)
G A D
Verse 1:
G A D G A D
Clouds so swift, rain won't lift, gate won't close,
G A D G A D
Railings froze, get your mind off wintertime,
G A D G A D
You ain't goin' nowhere.
Chorus:
G A D
Whoo-ee, ride me high,
G A D
Tomorrow's the day my bride's gonna come,
G A D
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
G A D
Down into the easy chair.
Verse 2:
G A D G A D
I don't care how many letters they sent, morning came,
G A D G A D
And morning went, pick up your money and pack up your tent,
G A D G A D
You ain't goin' nowhere.
(Chorus)
Verse 3:
G A D G A D
Buy me a flute and a gun that shoots, tailgates and substitutes,
G A D G A D
Strap yourself to a tree with roots, you ain't goin' nowhere.
(Chorus)
Verse 4:
G A D
Genghis Khan, he could not keep
G A D
All his kings supplied with sleep.
G A D
We'll climb that hill, no matter how steep
G A D
When we come up to it.
(Chorus)
Line by Line Meaning
Clouds so swift
The clouds are moving quickly.
Rain won't lift
It is raining and the rain is not letting up.
Gate won't close
The gate is not fully closing.
Railings froze
The railings are frozen and possibly slippery.
Get your mind off wintertime
Don't focus on winter and its hardships.
You ain't goin' nowhere
You aren't making any progress or going anywhere at this moment in time.
Whoowee, ride me high
Expressing excitement and eagerness to go somewhere.
Tomorrow's the day
Tomorrow is the day something will happen, a moment to anticipate.
My bride's gonna come
My partner is coming to join me.
Oh, oh, are we gonna fly
Expressing eagerness to move and excitement at the prospect.
Down in the easy chair
Relaxing and taking it easy.
I don't care how many letters they sent
The letters he received are of no importance at this moment, they have no bearing on his excitement.
Morning came and morning went
Time is moving on quickly and it's important to seize the moment.
Pick up your money
Gather your resources.
And pack up your tent
Be ready to move on at any moment.
Buy me a flute
Expressing a desire for a musical instrument.
And a gun that shoots
Expressing a desire for a firearm.
Tailgates and substitutes
Important parts that can be replaced or substituted, but that wouldn't be ideal.
Strap yourself to the tree with roots
Get firmly rooted and be prepared for anything.
Genghis Khan
A historical reference to a powerful figure.
He could not keep
Even someone as powerful as Genghis Khan couldn't fully control everything.
All his kings
Even his royalty had their own issues and concerns.
Supplied with sleep
Struggling with rest and being drained.
We'll climb that hill, no matter how steep
We'll work hard to overcome the challenges we face, no matter what they are.
When we come up to it
When we are faced with this particular challenge.
Lyrics Š Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@James-rq4rq
Bob Dylan
Clouds so swift, the rain falling in
Gonna see a movie called Gunga Din
Pack up your money, pull up your tent, McGuinn
You ain't goin' nowhere
Ooh-wee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a-gonna come
Ooh-wee, are we gonna fly
Down into the easy chair
Genghis Khan and his brother Don
Couldn't keep on keeping on
We'll climb that bridge after it's gone
After we're way past it
Ooh-wee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a-gonna come
Ooh-wee, are we gonna fly
Down into the easy chair
Buy me some rings and a gun that sings
A flute that toots and a bee that stings
The sky that cries and a bird that flies
A fish that walks and a dog that talks
Ooh-wee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a-gonna come
Ooh-wee, are we gonna fly
Down into the easy chair
Ooh-wee, ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a-gonna come
Ooh-wee, are we gonna fly
Down into the easy chair
@Anthony-hu3rj
Love this version for 2 reasons. 1) Harmonica reminds me of John Wesley Harding from 1967 as well. 2) The lyrics (which I've typed up below) are more fun than that "official" version, seem to be influenced by "Tattle O'Day" (aka "Little Brown Dog").
Clouds so swift
The rain fallin in
Gonna see a movie called Gunga Din
Pack up your money put up your tent in the wind
You ainât a goin nowhere
Ooh Wee ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a gonna come
Ooh wee, we gonna fly down in the easy chair
Genghis Khan and his brother Don
Couldnât keep on keepin on
Weâll climb that ridge after itâs gone
After weâre way past it
Ooh Wee ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a gonna come
Ooh wee, we gonna fly down in the easy chair
Buy me some rings and a gun that sings
A flute that toots and a bee that stings
A sky that cries and a bird that flies
A fish that walks and a dog that talks
Ooh Wee ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a gonna come
Ooh wee, we gonna fly down in the easy chair
Ooh Wee ride me high
Tomorrow's the day that my bride's a gonna come
Ooh wee, we gonna fly down in the easy chair
@Justlookingmostly
My father listened to Bob Dylan all my young life. My brother hates it now, but I love it. Feels like home to me. Miss you dear old Dad âŁď¸
@EdgarStyles1234
Rest in peace dad.
@archiet2205
The sheer joy and comfort this man has given me over the years is immeasurable. I thank dylan with all my heart for his brilliant pieces of artâŚ
@DH-xm3hc
I totally agree đ I'm so glad I got to see him, with the Band in '74. The best âď¸â¤ď¸đź
@carlkuss
joy and comfort. Exactly!!
@brianmiller9926
This song and I Shall Be Released were my go to songs on my player when I was having a bad day in prison.
@marcosmontalvo9589
Years ago my twin brother and I were listening to Bob Dylan while working on his 66 Chevy Impala. While doing so I happened to look up and noticed my father looking out the door of our home.
Shortly after my brother took his own life. I've never been the same.
Anyway years later I was listening to Dylan when my father sprung a conversation about that day years earlier. He told me he has never forgotten that day. It was the first time he'd heard of Bob Dylan. It was also that day he'd fallen in love with his music. My father has long been gone. What an incredible inspiration to have had such a cool father. I deeply miss them both.
@SpindlyScoudrel
Isn't it amazing that after 20+ years of listening to Dylan, reading books and magazines and seeing him live I can still find a song I've inexplicably never heard before and it's the best thing ever!?
@johnconway6976
Especially this one. Not exactly obscure. But good for you
@SidecarB
@@johnconway6976 đ