Bob Dylan and The Band was a long-lived collaboration with few official rel… Read Full Bio ↴Bob Dylan and The Band was a long-lived collaboration with few official releases, their recordings together often released under Dylan's name alone.

The members of The Band first worked together as The Hawks, the backing band of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins from 1959 until 1963. Shortly afterwards, Bob Dylan came to Toronto and recruited the quintet for his history-making 1965/1966 world tour. The Band also worked with Dylan on the initial Blonde on Blonde sessions which, bar two tracks, were ultimately abandoned in favour of versions recorded with Nashville session musicians.

After a motorcycle accident in mid-1966, Dylan retreated from the public eye to his country house near Woodstock, New York. He was joined by the Band for some informal jam sessions starting in the autumn of 1967, nearly all of which were recorded. After being heavily bootleged, Columbia Records finally released The Basement Tapes in 1975, a selection of the better tracks recorded during the sessions along with new recordings by The Band.

Bob Dylan and The Band were reunited in 1974, recording Planet Waves for Asylum Records, Dylan's first album recorded for a record label other than Columbia. Although the album was released under Dylan's name alone, The Band joined Dylan for his first tour in eight years in support of Planet Waves, with some of the material recorded and released on the 1975 concert record Before the Flood.

Columbia Records finally released The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete in November 2014, featuring every surving recording from the original sessions in Woodstock.

All American Boy
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics

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We're all-American and proud to be
For we're the soldiers of liberty
Some fly their gliders through the enemy
Others are sky paratroopers

We're all-American and fight we will
Till all the guns of the foe are still (get ready)
Airborne from skies of blue, we're coming through, let's go

Put on your boots, your parachutes
Get all those gliders ready to attack today
For we'll be gone, into the dawn
To fight them all the 82nd way, hey, hey

We're all-American and proud to be
For we're the soldiers of liberty
Some fly their gliders through the enemy
Others are sky paratroopers

We're all-American and fight we will

Till all the guns of the foe are still (get ready)
Airborne from skies of blue, we're coming through, let's Go

Overall Meaning

The song All American Boy by Bob Dylan and The Band is a patriotic song that celebrates the American soldiers fighting in the war. The lyrics of the song convey a sense of unity and pride among the soldiers. The first and second verses talk about the various ways in which the soldiers are fighting the enemy, including flying gliders and skydiving. The chorus emphasizes the soldiers' determination to fight till the enemy's guns are silent, and they all come out victorious. The third and the last verse urge the soldiers to prepare themselves for the ensuing battle and fight for their country's liberty.

The song's lyrics are an ode to the soldiers' bravery and dedication to the country. The song's all-American spirit was well-received by the American audience, and it became an instant hit. The song's upbeat rhythm and catchy lyrics make it a perfect marching song, and it is often played during the military parades and events.

All American BoyBob Dylan and The Band Lyrics

All American Boy
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics