But music isn’t his only forte. Dylan has published several books of his drawings and paintings many of which have also been exhibited in major art galleries. Along with selling over 100 million records, he’s received numerous awards including a Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award. He’s been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, received the Pulitzer Prize, presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Bob Dylan’s influence will forever be held in musical lore, and his lyrical wisdom will be treasured for lifetimes.

“Come mothers and fathers, Throughout the land, And don’t criticize, What you can’t understand.” Album: The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964)

“Yes, I wish that for just one time, You could stand inside my shoes, You’d know what a drag it is, To see you.” Single: Positively 4th Street (1965)

“Don’t have the inclination to look back on any mistake.” Album: Shot Of Love (1981)

“Strange how people who suffer together have stronger connections than people who are most content.” Album: Knocked Out Loaded (1986)

“May your hands always be busy, May your feet always be swift, May you have a strong foundation, When the winds of changes shift.” Album: Planet Waves (1974)

“As human gods aim for their mark, Make everything from toy guns that spark, To flesh-coloured Christs that glow in the dark, Easy to see without looking too far, That not much is really sacred.” Album: Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

“I am a lonesome hobo, Without family or friends… …Stay free from petty jealousies, Live by no man’s code, And hold your judgment for yourself, Lest you wind up on this road.” Album: John Wesley Harding (1967)

“Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth, None of them along the line know what any of it is worth.” Album: John Wesley Harding (1967)

“Why wait any longer for the one you love When he’s standing in front of you.” Album: Nashville Skyline (1969)

“Well, I try my best, To be just like I am, But everybody wants you, To be just like them.” Album: Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

“Democracy don’t rule the world, You’d better get that in your head, This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that’s better left unsaid.” Album: Infidels (1983)

“The man in me will hide sometimes to keep from bein’ seen, But that’s just because he doesn’t want to turn into some machine.” Album: New Morning (1970)

“When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.” Album: Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

“Trust yourself, Trust yourself to do the things that only you know best. Trust yourself, Trust yourself to do what’s right and not be second-guessed.” Album: Empire Burlesque (1985)

“I’m not sorry for nothin’ I’ve done, I’m glad I fought—I only wish we’d won.” Album: “Love And Theft” (2001)

“Well, they’ll stone ya when you’re trying to be so good, They’ll stone ya just a-like they said they would, They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to go home, Then they’ll stone ya when you’re there all alone, But I would not feel so all alone, Everybody must get stoned.” Album: Blonde On Blonde (1966)

“Don’t turn away, you’ll create sorrow, Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore, You may not see me tomorrow.” Album: Desire (1976)

“…to live outside the law you must be honest.” Album: Blonde On Blonde (1966)

Via Google Creative Commons/Chris Hakkens “We had a falling-out, like lovers often will, And to think of how she left that night, it still brings me a chill. And though our separation, it pierced me to the heart, She still lives inside of me, we’ve never been apart.” Album: Blood On The Tracks (1975)

Via Wiki Creative Commons “So when you see your neighbour carryin’ somethin’, Help him with his load, And don’t go mistaking Paradise, For that home across the road.” Album: John Wesley Harding (1967)

“…every man’s conscience is vile and depraved, You cannot depend on it to be your guide, When it’s you who must keep it satisfied.” Album: Oh Mercy (1989)

“I can’t help it, If you might think I’m odd, If I say I’m not loving you for what you are, But for what you’re not.” Album: Biograph (1985) / Bootleg Series Vol. 9 (2010)

“Behind every beautiful thing there’s been some kind of pain.” Album: Time Out Of Mind (1997)

“Half of the people can be part right all of the time, Some of the people can be all right part of the time, But all of the people can’t be all right all of the time, I think Abraham Lincoln said that, “I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours”, I said that.” Album: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)

“’Take care of all your memories,’ Said my friend, Mick, ‘For you cannot relive them.’” Album: The Basement Tapes (1975)

“The flowers of the city, Though breathlike, get deathlike at times. And there’s no use in tryin’, To deal with the dyin’, Though I cannot explain that in lines.” Album: Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1965)

“Life is sad, Life is a bust, All ya can do is do what you must.” Album: Blood On The Tracks (1975)

“An innocent man in a living hell, That’s the story of the Hurricane, But it won’t be over till they clear his name, And give him back the time he’s done…” Album: Desire (1976) *These lyrics referred to imprisoned boxer Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter who was wrongfully charged in 1967.

“When you’re sad and when you’re lonely, And you haven’t got a friend, Just remember that death is not the end. And all that you’ve held sacred, Falls down and does not mend, Just remember that death is not the end.” Album: Down In The Groove (1988)

“…I wanna be your lover, baby, I don’t wanna be your boss.” Album: Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

“So many roads, so much at stake, So many dead ends, I’m at the edge of the lake. Sometimes I wonder what it’s gonna take, To find dignity.” Album: Greatest Hits Volume 3 (1994)

“Love is all there is, it makes the world go ’round, Love and only love, it can’t be denied, No matter what you think about it, You just won’t be able to do without it, Take a tip from one who’s tried.” Album: Nashville Skyline (1969)

“…old, young, age don’t carry weight, It doesn’t matter in the end.” Album: “Love And Theft” (2001)