Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota… Read Full Bio ↴Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, United States) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career spanning more than 60 years.
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 Changed My Life
Bob Dylan Lyrics

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I was listening to the voices of death on parade
Singin' about conspiracy, wanted me to be afraid
Workin' for a system I couldn't understand or trust
Suffered ridicule and wanting to give it all up in disgust

But you changed my life
Came along in a time of strife
In hunger and need, you made my heart bleed

You changed my life

Talk about salvation, people suddenly get tired
They got a million things to do, they're all so inspired
You do the work of the devil, you got a million friends
They'll be there when you got something, they'll take it all in the end

But you changed my life
Came along in a time of strife
I was under the gun, clouds blocking the sun
You changed my life

Well, the nature of man is to beg and to steal
I do it myself, it's not so unreal
The call of the wild is forever at my door
Wants me to fly like an eagle while being chained to the floor

But you changed my life
You came along in a time of strife
From silver and gold to what man cannot hold
You changed my life

Well, I was eating with the pigs off a fancy tray
I was told I was looking good and to have a nice day
It all seemed so proper, it all seemed so elite
Eating that absolute garbage while being so discreet

But you changed my life
Came along in a time of strife
From silver and gold to what man cannot hold
You changed my life

You were glowing in the sun while being peaceably calm
While orphans of man danced to the beat of the palm
Your eyes were on fire, your feet were of brass
In the world you had made, they made you an outcast

You changed my life
Came along in a time of strife
From silver and gold to what man cannot hold
You changed my life

There was someone in my body that I could hardly see
Invading my privacy making my decisions for me
Holding me back, not letting me stand
Making me feel like a stranger in a strange land

But you changed my life
Came along in a time of strife
You came down the line, gave me a new mind
You changed my life

My Lord and my savior, my companion, my friend
Heart fixer, mind regulator, true to the end
My creator, my comforter, my cause for joy
What the world is set against but will never destroy

You changed my life
Came along in a time of strife
You came in like the wind, like Errol Flynn
You changed my life

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bob Dylan's "You Changed My Life" seem to be about a person who has come into the singer's life during a time of trouble and has made a huge impact on them. The song opens with the lyrics "You changed my life / Came along in a time of strife / In hunger and need / You made my heart bleed", which depicts a state of desperation and emotional turmoil that the singer was experiencing prior to this person's arrival. The next verse hints at the singer's darker side with the lyrics "Now the nature of man / Is to beg and to steal / I'd do it myself / It's not so unreal", showing his struggle to resist his base impulses, despite his admiration for the altruism and goodness of the person that has come into his life. The chorus repeats throughout the song, acting as a constant reminder of the profound impact this person has had on the singer's life, and how they have changed him fundamentally.

The third verse of the song features the lyrics "Eating with the pigs / Off a fancy tray / I was bold, I was looking good / And to have a nice day / It all seemed so proper / And so elite / Eating absolute garbage / While being so discreet", which suggests that the singer was initially fooled by the material advantages of his old way of life, but upon meeting this person, they were shown the true value of honesty, integrity and selflessness. The fourth verse speaks to the person's own qualities, with lyrics like "You were glowing in the light / Being peaceably calm / Well, how often does a man dance / To the beat of the balm? / Your eyes were on fire / Your feet were of brass / In a world that you made / You were an outcast", painting a picture of someone who is unconventional, and a little bit of a loner, but who nevertheless has an aura of serene confidence that is truly inspiring to those around them.

In the final verse, the lyrics "Truce makers and partakers / Of every selfish whim / Her running to meet me running to her / And you running back to him / Their destruction of my confidence / Was like a sharpness of the tongue / I said: Make my faith greater / But I was a little high strung" tell of a moment of crisis where the singer's faith in this person is tested. However, despite the many distractions of daily life and the machinations of other people, the impact that this person has had on the singer's life is enduring and powerful.

You Changed My LifeBob Dylan Lyrics

You Changed My Life
Bob Dylan Lyrics