Few songs had the generational impact of Bob Dylan’s protest song ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’. And although Bob Dylan didn’t want to be seen as a ‘protest singer’ or ‘the voice of a generation’, he is responsible for writing several landmark protest songs. Some of them were appropriated as such, like ‘Masters of War’ and ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’. But ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ was written with a clear purpose. In this article, we will discover the story behind the iconic song.
The Story Behind the Song
Before the release of ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ (1964), Bob Dylan already established himself as a prominent cultural figure. In 1962, he released his second album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, with successful songs such as ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’ and ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’.
He also gained prominence as a live performer, and often collaborated with his girlfriend Joan Baez. Together, they performed at the March On Washington on August 28, 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.
A few months after his performance at the March on Washington, Dylan wrote ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’. When exactly the song was written is unclear, but musician Tony Glover reportedly saw Dylan working on the piece in September 1963.
“This was definitely a song with a purpose.” Dylan later recalled in the liner notes of his album Biograph. “I knew exactly what I wanted to say and who I wanted to say it to…
“I wanted to write a big song, some kind of theme song, with short concise verses that piled up on each other in a hypnotic way. The civil rights movement and the folk music movement were pretty close for a while and allied together at that time.”
According to Dylan, the music of ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ probably derived from an old Scottish Folk song. “That’s the folk music tradition,” He later said. “You use what’s been handed down.”
‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ was eventually released on Bob Dylan’s third studio album with the same name. It was never released as a single in the US, and never charted on the US Billboard Hot 100. But that didn’t prevent the song from being adopted by the frustrated youth of the 1960s as an anthem for the counterculture.
The Meaning of the Song
Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ is about the ever-changing social and political shifts in our society. The song warns that change is inevitable, and thus, foolish to fight against. From Dylan’s perspective, they represent the social issues – and upcoming changes – of the 1960s, most prominently the Civil Rights Movement.
Read more: The 10 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs of All Time
In the first verse, Dylan urges people to gather around and acknowledge the changing times. He uses a metaphor of rising waters to indicate irreversible change and gives people two options: Accept and learn how to swim, or fight against change and sink like a stone. He ends the verse – just like every verse – with the song’s title.
In the second verse, Dylan urges writers and critics to pay attention without making hasty predictions. For those who are losing now will rise in the future. This verse clearly refers to the Civil Rights movement.
In the third verse, Dylan urges politicians and lawmakers not to obstruct the inevitable upcoming change, for if they resist, they will be the ones facing painful consequences. This verse once again refers to the Civil Rights movement.
In the fourth verse, Dylan urges parents to stop criticizing what they can’t understand. He informs them their old ways are ‘rapidly agin’ and advises them to embrace their children’s ‘new way’ or get out of the way. This verse showcases a prophetic Dylan, addressing counterculture 2 years before it rose to national prominence.
The final verse continues the theme of the fourth. Dylan predicts those who are slow now will later be fast, and those who are first now will later be last. For after all ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’.
The Legacy of ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’
Critic Michael Gray – known for his works on Bob Dylan – called ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ ‘the archetypal protest song’. The song was adopted as such by the youth of the 1960s and became a counterculture anthem.
The song was also popular with fellow artists and became one of Bob Dylan’s most covered songs. Famous covers are from The Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, Nina Simone, Bruce Springsteen, and Eddie Vedder.
Despite being an anthem for the frustrated youth of the 1960s, ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ remains relevant to this day. It showcases Bob Dylan’s genius songwriting abilities, and reinforces why he is seen as one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
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