Bob Dylan

Theme page Bob Dylan

This theme page presents lesson materials about the life and production of Bob Dylan, the winner of Nobel Peace Prize 2016

Background

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2016
Bob Dylan’s Official Homepage
ALL MUSIC lists everything there is to know about Bob Dylan

Warm-up

Bob Dylan Animated Video (1:41) The beginning of the song ‘Forever Young’ animated for a kids’ book
Top 10 Bob Dylan Songs (13:17) The songs presented with commentary

Songs

Lyrics and audio Scroll down the page to find many, if not all, Bob Dylan songs
Blowing in The Wind A page with links to the lyrics, the official music video and some discussion questions
Gotta Serve Somebody
The following links are to esl-bits.net, showing the lyrics and playing the song.
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
The Times They Are A-Changin’
It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
Talkin’ World War III Blues
A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
Boots Of Spanish Leather
One Too Many Mornings
Positively 4th Street
Blowin’ In The Wind
Bob Dylan’s Dream
It Ain’t Me, Babe
Corrina, Corrina
He was a friend of mine
A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
Romance in Durango

Worksheets

4 FREE ESL Bob Dylan worksheets
Like A Rolling Stone Gap-fill exercise for the song

Lesson Plans

English Lesson Plan on Bob Dylan A Reading/Listening text with various activities
Like A Rolling Stone A Reading/Listening text in two levels with various activities
Bob Dylan Teacher Resources You need to start a 10-day free trial to get your hands on these

Reading

Bob Dylan – Banquet Speech Bob Dylan’s speech at the Nobel Prize Banquet.
Bob Dylan to come to Stockholm, may perform Newspaper article from The Local
World exclusive Article about interviewing Bob Dylan through the years
‘Poetry for the ear’ Washington Post
Bob Dylan wins Nobel Literature Prize BBC News
Famous People: Bob Dylan A Reading Comprehension activity about Bob Dylan’s life
Bob Dylan Facts A biography of Bob Dylan

Listening

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan: His Musical Roots, and His Education in Greenwich Village (15:51) Listen to the Voice of America, the text visible
Things have changed An interactive quiz about the song
“New Poetic Expressions within the Great American Song Tradition” An article from Open Culture about Dylan’s poetry (yr 9 )
Nobel Lecture  Listen to Dylan’s Noble Lecture and read it below (yr 9)

Viewing

Subterranean Homesick Blues (2:12) Music video, with some words!
Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (3:07) Music video
Duquesne Whistle (5:42) Music video
Unbelievable (4:03) Music video
Beyond Here Lies Nothin’ (3:48) Music video
Visions of Johanna (3:58) Music video
Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door (4:32) Live Concert

More Materials

Trivia Quiz An interactive quiz for Dylan experts

Writing

Choose one of Dylan’s songs and analyse it; write how you understand it, who do you think it’s for and what is the message it wants to convey

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