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
Long John
Bob Dylan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another bottle's empty
Another penny spent
He turned around and he slowly walked away
They shot him in the back and down he went
Shine your light,
Move it on,
Roll on John
From the Liverpool docks to the red light Hamburg streets
Down in the quarry with the Quarrymen.
Playing to the big crowds
Playing to the cheap seats
Another day in your life on your way to your journey's end
Shine your light,
Move it on,
You burned so bright,
Roll on John
Sailing through the trade winds bound for the sun
Rags on your back just like any other slave
They tied your hands and they clamped your mouth
Wasn't no way out of that deep dark cave
Shine your light,
Move it on,
You burned so bright,
Roll on John
I heard the news today, oh boy
They hauled your ship up on the shore
Now the city's gone dark
There is no more joy
They tore the heart right out and cut it to the core
Shine your light,
Move it on,
You burned so bright,
Roll on John
Put on your bags and get 'em packed
Leave right now you won't be far from wrong
The sooner you go, the quicker you'll be back
You've been cooped up on an island far too long
Shine your light,
Move it on,
You burned so bright,
Roll on John
Slow down you're moving way too fast
Come together right now over me
Your bones are weary you're about to breathe your last
Lord, you know how hard that it can be
Shine your light,
Move it on,
You burned so bright,
Roll on John
Roll on John, roll through the rain and snow
Take the right hand road and go where the buffalo roam
They'll trap you in an ambush before you know
Too late now to sail back home
Shine your light,
Move it on,
You burned so bright,
Roll on John
Tiger, Tiger burning bright
I pray the lord my soul to keep
In the forest of the night
Cover him over and let him sleep
Shine your light,
Move it on,
You burned so bright,
Roll on John
This Bob Dylan song is titled “Long John” and presented in the form of a lyrical narrative. The song begins by talking about a man who drinks a lot and then turns around to leave before being shot in the back. Dylan alludes to the fact that the man could be anybody and his death serves to highlight the themes of violence and fate in the song. Dylan then addresses Long John personally, who appears to be a representation of all people, from Liverpool docks to Hamburg streets, the Quarrymen to big crowds and cheap seats. He urges Long John to shine his light and move on, telling Long John that he burned bright and should continue shining.
The song then talks about being enslaved and trapped, with no way out of a deep, dark cave. Dylan seems to be suggesting that Long John is the symbol of the human condition- trying to escape a life of suffering with great difficulty. However, he encourages him to keep shining his light and moving on. He then talks about the news that Long John's ship has been hauled up on the shore, and the city is gone dark, torn apart, and cut to the core. It is not clear what this alludes to, but the image could be viewed as apocalyptic or foreboding.
Finally, Dylan encourages Long John to leave and not return, to keep moving on and rolling through the rain and snow. The song ends with an allusion to William Blake's poem “Tyger Tyger.” This line is a reference to nature and the idea of keeping safe in the wilderness of life. Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on the human condition, the ideas of fate and the struggle to escape suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Doctor, doctor, tell me the time of day
Bob Dylan asks for the current time of day.
Another bottle's empty
Bob Dylan has emptied another bottle of alcohol.
Another penny spent
Bob Dylan has spent another penny.
He turned around and he slowly walked away
A person turned around and walked away slowly.
They shot him in the back and down he went
An unknown person was shot in the back and fell.
Shine your light,
Bob Dylan is asking for someone to shine their light.
Move it on,
Bob Dylan is asking someone to move on.
You burned so bright,
Bob Dylan is describing that someone once had a strong presence.
Roll on John
Bob Dylan is telling someone named John to keep moving forward.
From the Liverpool docks to the red light Hamburg streets
Bob Dylan describes a journey from Liverpool to the red light district in Hamburg.
Down in the quarry with the Quarrymen.
Bob Dylan is referencing The Quarrymen, a band that John Lennon and Paul McCartney were members of.
Playing to the big crowds
Bob Dylan describes performing in front of larger audiences.
Playing to the cheap seats
Bob Dylan describes performing in front of smaller, cheaper audiences.
Another day in your life on your way to your journey's end
Bob Dylan is describing another day in someone's life as they move towards their eventual end.
Sailing through the trade winds bound for the sun
Bob Dylan describes sailing through trade winds towards the sun.
Rags on your back just like any other slave
Bob Dylan is comparing someone's clothing to that of a slave.
They tied your hands and they clamped your mouth
Someone had their hands tied and mouth clamped shut, leaving them unable to speak or act.
Wasn't no way out of that deep dark cave
There was no way out of a deep, dark cave.
I heard the news today, oh boy
Bob Dylan heard some news today.
They hauled your ship up on the shore
Someone's ship was brought to shore by others.
Now the city's gone dark
The city is no longer illuminated or joyful.
There is no more joy
There is no more joy.
They tore the heart right out and cut it to the core
Someone's heart was torn out and cut deeply.
Put on your bags and get 'em packed
Bob Dylan is telling someone to pack their bags and leave soon.
Leave right now you won't be far from wrong
Bob Dylan says that someone won't be too far from being right if they leave now.
The sooner you go, the quicker you'll be back
The faster someone leaves, the quicker they can return.
You've been cooped up on an island far too long
Someone has been isolated on an island for too long.
Slow down you're moving way too fast
Bob Dylan is telling someone to slow down.
Come together right now over me
Bob Dylan wants people to unite around him.
Your bones are weary you're about to breathe your last
Someone's bones are tired and they are close to death.
Lord, you know how hard that it can be
Bob Dylan acknowledges the difficulty of what someone is going through.
Roll on John, roll through the rain and snow
Bob Dylan wants John to keep going, even in rain and snow.
Take the right hand road and go where the buffalo roam
Bob Dylan is telling John to take a certain road and go where the buffalo live.
They'll trap you in an ambush before you know
Someone will be trapped in an ambush.
Too late now to sail back home
It's now too late for someone to return home by sea.
Tiger, Tiger burning bright
Bob Dylan is referencing the poem "The Tiger" by William Blake.
I pray the lord my soul to keep
Bob Dylan is reciting the commonly used phrase used in prayers at bedtime.
In the forest of the night
Bob Dylan is referencing William Blake's poem "The Tyger" again.
Cover him over and let him sleep
Bob Dylan wants someone to cover another person and let them sleep.
Writer(s): Pd Traditional, J Baird
Contributed by Nolan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JMDarkeyez
One of my earliest memories of Dylan is this song on a bootleg called "Strip Tease"
@zkafel
Long John from Bowling Green!!
@salvadorsanchez8130
Dylan es dylan