BoB Dylan
BoB DylanRegarding significant musical movements in history,
more specifically
the twenty first century, few were more important than the
folk revolution that
took shape in the mid-nineteen hundreds. One of the
leaders of this
revolution was Robert Allen Zimmerman, known by his popular
assumed
name, Bob Dylan. Born in 1941 in Minnesota, Dylan grew up
the grandchild
of Jewish-Russian immigrants and had a surprisingly
unexceptional
childhood. His interest in music became evident in his
high school years
when he taught himself basic piano and guitar. From these
rudimentary skills
Dylan would build his knowledge and experience in music to
his present
status as a forefather of folk music in the rock era.
Accordingly, a song from
the pinnacle of his career embodies his style and poetic
capabilities, acting as
a reference point of the music it followed and the music
that was to come.
Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowland is an unmistakably remarkable
example of the
work of Bob Dylan in his finest hour.
To fully understand the influence of Bob Dylan on
the American folk
revolution and his importance in the pop culture of today�s
youth, one must
first understand his background and development musically.
First of all Bob
Dylan was born in Minnesota, not a particular hub of
musical activity.
Author Bob Spitz makes a good point concerning Dylan�s
birthplace.
History has taught us that no matter how we change the
environment it is impossible to change the man...After all,
anybody is as their land and air is....If that is so, it is
no
wonder that Bob Dylan became such a luminous amalgam
of showmanship and aloofness, spirituality and desolation,
eloquence and exaggeration, individuality and
schizophrenia. These seesawing extremes, among others,
are indigenous to the historical landscape of northern
Minnesota. (Spitz 9)
For others this might have been a setback but for Dylan it
was the perfect
environment to nurture his interests, in music
specifically. At the age of ten
he was writing poems and by thirteen was setting them to
music with
self-taught piano and guitar skills. Dylan�s interest in
music continued to
climb as he entered Hibbing High School. During his high
school years
Dylan would become involved in musical productions and
attempt forming
many bands with such names as the Golden Chords and Elston
Gunn and His
Rock Boppers. He began to idolize such new rock stars as
Elvis Presley and
Jerry Lee Lewis to the point that his high school yearbook
listed his goal in
life as �joining Little Richard�. An eighteen year old
Dylan left his hometown
of Hibbing in the fall of 1959...
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