Smith said of her performance: "I hadn’t forgotten the words that were now a part of me. I was simply unable to draw them out. This strange phenomenon did not diminish or pass but stayed cruelly with me. I was obliged to stop and ask pardon and then attempt again while in this state and sang with all my being, yet still stumbling. It was not lost on me that the narrative of the song begins with the words “I stumbled alongside of twelve misty mountains,” and ends with the line “And I’ll know my song well before I start singing.” As I took my seat, I felt the humiliating sting of failure, but also the strange realization that I had somehow entered and truly lived the world of the lyrics."
I loved the performance. Elliott Smith has recordings of performances where he forgot the lyrics to his own songs and also stumbles through, sometimes laughing at himself and those are great moments. It's what's real, that I love about artists. Patty Smith should great vulnerability and at the same time respect. Brave.
This song is beautiful. The lyrics are incredible. I always loved Bob Dylan. Patties rendition of the song is just so pure and powerful. Thank God for the artists in our world
She is a powerhouse. I have loved her since I first heard her music in 1977 at the age of 13. I am 58 now, and still paying close attention to her. She says important things to us all.
In that apology she became the song, she embodied every word that flows through its verses, in her humility she lay bare and naked its humble lyrics, she couldn’t have been better
Everyone who tried a Dylan song on stage knows how hard it is to become yourself in the midst of your voice and the words... that's why so very few risk it.
I’ve watched this 20 times and I think you capture my own sentiment. Her performance touched my soul. A rare example of a person who truly understood and felt the emotion of the song and delivered in a personal expression that even Dylan couldn’t equal. ♥️ Humbled by the beauty. ❤️
All pretense was sucked out of that room. We are vulnerable children wandering in an often brutal wilderness and Patti Smith reminded us - using Dylan's words - of that.
When she apologised with such genuine, child-like humility I burst into tears. Such an incredible performance made even more so by her incredible vulnerability and raw emotion. Wow...I LOVE YOU PATTI!!
It hit me every bit as hard. So real and humble. Absolutely beautiful. If anything it made the performance even more moving than she probably even intended.
Miles North imagine there is a World of People all with Different criteria for good. For Me I Loved it, it did Not break Up the moment , it Added to it. It’s nice to Know the people We respect Are Human with human problems. So......for Me it could Not have Been Any better, it is Pecfect
It was at the point at which she forgot the words, apologised with such beauty and humility, and began to sing again, that I really started to listen. Patti, you carry in your voice and in your heart the agonising insight into the depth and terror of those who feel. Wonderful, sexy, original and mesmerising, but above all, breathtakingly brave. Break the rules! Make mistakes! Begin again! You are the heart of light. Thank you.
I thought i had written that at first. apparently Dylan said something like;' nobody mixes up lyrics as much as I do.' what an anomalous audience with diamond encrusted royalty and saudi princes - the elite
Great elegy!!!!!!!!!!! I thought of the word eulogy but elegy is the better word as one is referring to iconic giants of music and poetry and literature who are everything but formal.By the way I think it was too formal a ceremony for Bob and Patty and the incident, even though unintentional,of course,was somehow good to break the ice.They absolutely beamed at the last part that was so breathtaking and some just sat there touched by her performance that was so poignant.Bob and Patty can both do that to different kinds of audiences .As a matter of fact Bob Dylan may have shrunk away at the very formality of the event as I don,t think anything so pressing could possibly have come up that might have kept him from being present.I guess that if geniuses didn,t do unexpected things they wouldn,t be geniuses !
Everyone is the kind of people who make the hard rain fall. Replace these people with young working class revolutionaries and history says they will just become them.
Yes, isn't it interesting that her disarmingly simple style of self-presentation here--especially (the not particularly attractive hair, the rather strange suit)--are the outward display of humility that allows her also to stop and honestly say, she has lost her way. I love revisiting this video--she's marvelously dear.
Lovely lady / Tito Sweden I felt really bad when she forgot the lyrics and got really nervous.. its understandable tho.. I would even be able to sing a song infront of a couple homeless people nodding of on heroine. I mean not even that... i couldnt handle the pressure. I would feel ashamed and start doing heroine myself to numb the cringe
And may God Bless you, and all the commenters on this page I am Truly Glad to have been Born in time to witness Bob Dylan...He has had a huge influence on my life.
I’m in temporary, but unfortunately oh-so-rare online Heaven/ Nirvana.. reading a multitude of positive, life affirming, life- GIVING beautiful sentiments- indicating there are still lots of wonderful souls out there- I would love to meet each and every one of you and express my gratitude at your much appreciated humanity and deep love, ( maybe with a few riffs on my guitar and a couple of lines of stream- of - consciousness verse)..I’m crying tears of quiet, deep joy inside- thank you all so much, and thank you Patti- for everything.. ❤️🌈🙏🎸🇨🇦
I can't watch or listen to this in public, I'll look like a 60 year old man in tears. Beautiful cover of a beautiful song, awesome performance. Worked for me today though, I had a little piece of fiberglass insulation in my eye, I think It's gone now.
The fact that Patti Smith is asked to perform this song in front of the "elite" says something. You must learn to seperate the creme de la creme from the financial war-mongering elite who actually pull the string and makes this world a living hell
Patti Smith is clearly transcendent here, but just want to add a shout out to whomever put together this beautiful arrangement. Stunning. The steel guitar is perfect and so brilliantly played. The guitar player is passionately perfect. The whole arrangement is nigh unto sublime.
@@joemcgill4436 Then Bob should have manned up and appeared rather than having his friend be embarrassed because she forgot his lyrics. Bob's "cooler than everyone" routine got old in the sixties, he is a coward for leaving her hanging.
I guess that they say definitions have to be concise and not overly elaborate and I think you really got it right and put it right.How else can you define and describe a Dylan song?
This performance is absolutely beautiful. It makes us realise that the perfection that we seek is unnatural. There is beauty in simplicity and honesty. Simply accepting that you have made a mistake really makes it okay.
Only a true legend like Patti Smith could turn a mistake into something even more beautiful than what was intended. Now it's both an iconic performance, and also a life lesson on how to respond to our own slip-ups.
She apologized about being “nervous,” and my mind reeled: that she’s so passionate about honoring Dylan and the audience and the spirit of the song and what the moment and the Prize means to her. And that elevated the whole thing and moved me deeply.
Of all the things Patti Smith may have envisioned for herself over the years, I say with a fair amount of confidence that, to be there, in that moment, for that reason, at that time, was about as far from her mind as anything could be. That she was the one invited had to be such an honor for her. Nervous? I should think so...For me, she was perfect...
She said in an interview she didn't forget the words she FROZE,and then Bob Dylans son said the family loved it and Dad says no one screws up as bad as him! Lol!
@@daniyalnaqvi2569 I saw the interview Julianne Dreamwand is referring to. In the interview it is Patti Smith that recalls the words Bob Dylan's son said to her. There may be, but I never saw an interview in which his son is talking about it himself. If you want to see that interview (w/ Smith not Dylan) just type in "Patti Smith on nobel prize performance".... it was on a Skavlan talk show. Sorry, I never posted a link before, so I figured this way would be foolproof lol.
I don't know if she forgot or not....but does display class with a capital "C"......as does the audience (a king and queen, ambassadors, scholars and on and on). Can anyone imagine if this were in front of an American audience? Those present certainly would not applaud - some may have laughed. Additionally, a multitude of "news" sites on the internet would have picked it up, politicized the entire event, trivializing it simultaneously. SNL would have satirized, cable news would have panel shows debate the matter ad naseum, The thinking public would be the poorer.
Patti, I have listened to this song over 500 times, yes over 500 times.. you are so humble and amazing.. Bob's song brought to life and always remembered... you are a Rock Star and Bob is our Poet Laurette ...I am so humbled to hear Bob's and your voice.. Amazing..so glad that I am alive ...we are the same generation... I grew up with both of you and I am so glad both of you have been a major part of my life. Maria
Seabrook the Magnificent she reckons she was overcome with emotion- she said she'd been singing the song since she was a teenager. agreed she handled it well though
At 2:05 the guitarist looks a bit worried, but after that humble and deeply moving "I apologize, sorry, I'm so nervous!", only a few seconds later he sweetly smiles (2:12). This whole moment is a perfect definition of humanity.
This is moving on so many levels. Barriers have been shattered with this performance. The ultimate punk-rock bohemian singing a folk genius' words at the Nobel prize ceremony, it's as if Rimbaud had read one of his poems at the french academy in the 1870s. Patti is very well read, she knew exactly what all this meant. Maybe that's why she got nervous. Brilliant performance anyway.
Patti herself is also an exceptionally gifted poet, she possesses the ability to make people think, cry, laugh, squirm, transcend and fall in love with her words.
the message of the song contains an open rebuke to the ruling class elites, those very elites who give the prize, those very elites who sit there listening, as the camera pans the audience you will see one young black woman wiping the tears from her face, for she gets it, she knows what the song really means.
It was at the time the minister of Culture in Sweden, is so hard to grow up in Sweden trying to feat in a society who is very racist in a very silent way. Beautiful Patti Smith ❤
If this makes you cry that means you're still human. I love you all! May our paths meet forevermore, and our roads lead to a light-driven future. You are not alone!
seeing this for the first time today. As someone who suffers from anxiety in front of crowds, I am so touched by her poise and grace as she recovers from that agonizing and debilitating rush of nervous adrenaline. I'll be watching this many many more times. Thank you Patti Smith!!!
That wasn't due to crowd anxiety and nervous adrenaline. It was from a spell that was cast a few seconds before. . That stern looking woman with the black hair tied back and the heavy eyeshadow in the audience who turned to face her and glared at her She is probably a witch and cast some sort of spell causing that to happen. Fortunately she recovered from the spell and gracefully finished the song.
The apology elevated this song and the lyrics to another level. I love and have heard this song many times by several different artist but have never cried before because of this song... until now.
@@MP-id2po It is a song that describes what is happening to people all over the world -- war will do that to you. After all is said and sung -- nuclear bombs are on the horizon......Singing this song in Sweden was a difficult one because the song was about peace and love and yet we still have a long ways to go my friend. It indeed is a hard rain gonna fall -- that is if we the people don't do something about it.
Coming to this in the late autumn of 2022, and am absolutely sure that this was not a senior moment or even forgetfulness or mistiming at all, but Patti being so profoundly moved by the words and who she was singing for and too that time suspended for her and the moment slipped away. Her recovery was brilliant, and her lapse in terms of performance was intensely moving, so the audience was pulled into the power of the words themselves and their timeless meaning. I did not see this at the time, I was going though my own hard rain. It seems very relevant to these precarious fraught times in ‘22. Dylan himself is a very flawed performer but a consummate poet. It was fitting that he did not attend this ceremony with its powerful audience, but later accepted the honour. And fitting that someone of his generation was powerfully able to move such people for that moment in time. Truly one of those moments in time when all the barriers come crashing down.
If you honestly think Dylan is a flawed performer, I will respectfully suggest that you take a few minutes to watch the RU-vid video of him performing this Masterpiece at The Concert for Bangladesh. In my little opinion, it's off-the-charts great and (if you watch it) I'm sure you'll agree! 🙂👍💝 January 19, 2023
Patty is my living inspiration. She is the most humble celebrity in the world. Her singing, her writing, her attitude, her thinking, is just awesome. Rare beauty in this hard world. If i get rich i will definitely build your statue in my dream sculpture park. LOVE YOU PATTS.
I've been a Dylan fan since 1964. i have listened to many of his songs over 1,000 times. I could never get all the lyrics right. I love Patti and love this performance.
By apologizing to start again she literally described the life long path of every winner their and everywhere. I am having one of those bad days. This practically made my day. Thank you.
Beautiful. As humans we trip, we fall, but we get back up and do it again. Humility is a beautiful thing. Not a weakness but a strength. Thank you Patti.
I saw Smith back up Dylan on tour. During her set she recited a poem, really just a flow of single words and short phrases. The audience was entirely thunderstruck, no cheering or applause, just a collective murmuring "oh my God". Everyone was slack-jaw paralyzed by her words. I never saw anything more powerful ever.
Bob Dylan couldn't have made a more impressive performance for his award,for his greatness,than having the all-encompassing sweet, humble siren Patti Smith showcase his genius with her own.
This is the most beautiful version of A Hard Rains Gonna. Fall because this artists authentic soul NEVER fails her. Patty Smyth inspires every generation lucky enough to show up and hear the timeless message sung by this awesome woman and by others born of a unique generation. Priceless.
Her nervous-hung interlude was the most penetrating moment of human tenderness that was lost on no-one...a timeless triumph of our united inner Secret unveiled.
After I heard Patti sing here I searched for her interviews over the years. I went as far back as the one with Tom Snyder (she was such a sweet and shy young girl). I discovered that she has depth beyond imagining. I am encouraged to keep believing in things that make life meaningful and that renew my resolve to find creative solutions to our problems today. When Patti speaks you can see that not every famous person has sold out to the highest bidder. All is not lost, my dear friends.
It is in our vulnerabilities that our perfection lies. She is so gracious and humble and real as well as an amazing artist, a beacon in these times of influencers and narcissism.
The words, the prosody, the meter, sublime. Patti Smith, bravo ! And what a song to choose for such an occasion ! Bob Dylan will be pleased if he chooses to watch this some day.
Yeah, there aren't many artists who can stumble and start again and then stumble again, and still come up with such a powerful and memorable performance.
I think it's the power of the lyrics that made her nervous. A poet herself, she does get stabbed and stopped by words. Still, indeed, a nice recovery, and a moving performance.
4:56 is such a powerful moment. The orchestra picks the song into a whole new level and people just cant stop their eyes tearing up. You can see a woman trying to wipe those tears while the man beside her is in just awe of the beauty of the soul that this song portrays . His face expression was similar to mine. There's no better appreciation than this . What a legend . Bob dylan , No one comes close to your songwriting mastery. What a melancholy. what a time to feel alive and feel such emotion.
When she messed up the second time and continued singing, her voice had so much emotion in it. This performance gave me the chills ! Patti's still got it
*Who HASN'T been nervous, had stage fright, been overwhelmed? Who HASN'T made a mistake, fumbled? But how many of us never even TRIED because of our fear, or NOT gotten back on the horse?! This would be a lovely video to show kids starting when they are little! Hey, you know what?You might stumble, bumble or fumble! EVERYONE does. Even in front of the King and Queen of Sweden. (And millions on the internet.) Oh well. Try it again. What's next? When is dinner? And even you TOO will help and comfort others! We ARE all in this TOGETHER!*
I love you, Patti Smith, always have. What a fantastic thing you have done for us. The meaning of this moment rang so loudly through you.Nobody else could have done this the way you did, with such grace & love & humility.
Such a powerful song being sung to such a prestigious audience. These were and are the movers and shakers of our planet. That was the King and Queen of Sweden who hosted this with other members of Royalty sprinkled through the audience. You really had to be someone special to be invited to this. And Patty knew that. Knowing the song that she sang and WHO she was singing it too would cause any one to be nervous. This is one of the many songs that showed Bob Dylan's true genius. He wrote this in the 60's. To have written those lyrics which apply so much to the disastrous events of now required extreme insight and a fair degree of prescience back then. For those of the younger generations, do not let your parents and grandparents get away with saying that they didn't know what was happening back then. They knew. They knew because artists such as Dylan were telling them. It was unfortunate that Ms. Smith faltered when she did. But her recovery. That showed what strength she has and what a professional she is. A lesser person would have walked off of the stage in tears. The shock and terror that she must have felt upon realizing that she just did a supreme screw up must have been immense. But, the fact that she pulled herself together so quickly and with such grace speaks volumes about who she is as a performer and as a person. Wow.
This is one of the most beautiful and moving performances ever recorded; we are all so lucky to be able to look at it again and again at will. It seems in these difficult times that I need to hear it at least twice a year. Thank you, Patti Smith, for who and how you are; thank you for showing us things that we need to see.
Bob Dylan, my life long hero, one who has sang my life..I am 70 and your words and songs have defined my life. You deserve this award, as you have made me and others look at life and know what good deeds we can do..A hard life...but.... a way into a great life.. thank you ..
One of the most inspiring performances to ever take place. We are lucky to have watched it. I also cannot ignore the magic that the pedal steel guitar is capable to create. It is without doubt the best match for such a deep song.
Awarding Bob Dylan with this Nobel was the best thing that the Academy did. The performance of Patti Smith was very moving and exceptional! The words of Bod Dylan's poem should shake us up.
