...de ourselves into the altered consciousness of reality that Dylan found in songs, what “Greil Marcus, the music historian, would some thirty years later call…‘the invisible republic’” (Dylan 34), we must close our eyes to the truths that cause trauma and open them to this invisibility, and we can find in our comfort a new folk legend to be heard.
One artist that was extremely influential in the time of crisis was Bob Dylan. He was born on May 24, 1941 as Robert Allen Zimmerman. When he began to perform in college, he adopted the stage name that he is known for today, Bob Dylan. He got his last name from the poet Dylan Thomas, who was one of his major motivations along with Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. He wrote songs about real occurrences like his song, “Hurricane” which was about the renowned African American boxer Rubin Carter, who was wrongly accused of murder even though he was all the way across town at the time the murder took place. Throughout his musical career, he was awarded an abundance of awards for his lyrics and song writing that inspired and moved many struggling people all across the troubled country.
Rhetoric of the protest songs has a very extensive history. The oldest protest song on record is "The Cutty Wren" from the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 against feudal oppression, nearly six hundred years ago (Songs of Work and Protest 9). Protest music has developed over the years and has made its presence in history. The protest music of Vietnam War is the concentration of this paper. The two main artists of focus are Bob Dylan and John Lennon. Their songs will be analyzed and criticized naritively.
Pace University. (2008 Aug 1). Bob Dylan & the Sixties: A Social Commentary. Retrieved from
“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
Rock and Roll is commonly known as the greatest music ever created. Most people do not know that Rock and Roll emerged out of the United States in the 1950s. Artists during this time like Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Bob Dylan were the first major stars among the birth of Rock and Roll in America. Since the 1950s, we have seen a rise in Rock and Roll culture. A peak in the 1960s-1970s was when the world began a musical, political, and social revolution. The revolution takes place during some tense times in the world- The Vietnam War, Political Issues with Cuba, JFK Presidency/Assassination, Malcolm X’s Assassination, Martin Luther King’s Assassination — you name it. The world was in a turmoiled state of mind, but what
Legendary musician Bob Dylan also questioned the physical destruction of the Vietnam War during the early 1960s. Dylan’s poetic folk style allured audiences, due to his ability to relate and contradict America. Out of the many hits Bob Dylan has made, two songs in particular raise attention of the idea that war is physically destructive. Songs like “Blowin in the Wind” and “Masters of War” discuss the particular faults and deaths the Vietnam War. The song “Masters of War” opens up with a powerful invasive
...50’s was a time that was primed for change. There were drastic social transformations happening. The people knew they were living in a tumultuous time. Changes were being noted and discussed. This cultural revolution pushed aside all the previous notions of popular music, blended black and white music traditions and sound, and integrated black performers into the musical stardom, all in a whirlwind of historical occurrences. It created music that still lives on to this day. It has inspired a people and influenced a nation. In comparison to other social influences of the twentieth century it stands alone. This revolution influenced and continues to influence American popular culture, this revolution lovingly and passionately known as Rock and Roll.
“The Beatles remained at the top of American music charts throughout the decade, even as their music became more complicated and harder edged” (Pendergraft 219). An era known as the folk revival, beginning earlier than the 60’s, was revolutionized by characters such as Bob Dylan in the 60’s with sons such as “blowin in the wind” and “The times are a changin’. “ Most artists who were involved in the folk revival were supporters of Civil Right and wrote songs against the Vietnam War (Pendergraft
Music was a way of communicating feelings and ideas about the times. Popular music, according to the New World Encyclopedia and other sites, became more closely related to and aligned with the changes in the time throughout the United States and other countries. Many music artists emerged during the 1960’s, such as the Beatles and Bob Dylan. Their music that they made slowly increased past the three minute mark because they had more to express and say about the counterculture movement. Albums were being made to extend what their emotions were through a series of songs and also to have many of their thoughts all together expressed through song to appeal to the people and get them to listen and believe you. One of these artists would be Bob Dylan. Focusing on Bob Dylan we come to the question of to what extent was Bob Dylan’s music influenced by personal belief in the messages of the 1960s counterculture? Before analyzing his songs and influences we need to understand who exactly Bob Dylan
... I Wrote You a Song’: The Polictical Side of Bob Dylan.” Popular Music and Society 5
“The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” ( Kauffman 3). These words were uttered by president John F Kennedy in his inaugural address in 1963. The 1960’s generation was a completely different from the 1950’s. People such as Bob Dylan rejected the conformity of the 1950’s. Bob Dylan and other musicians started the counterculture movement. This movement emphasized sex, drugs and rock and roll. Singer Bob Dylan was an important individual in American music and culture, because his music influenced the counterculture movement.
The first artist I am going to talk about is Mr.Bob Dylan, who was born on May 24,1941. He was a folk singer and songwriter, his full name is Robert Allen Zimmerman but with time he took the name of Bob Dylan when performing folk and country songs.According to Pbs.org, his influences towards music were Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. When his singer career started, some of his early songs like “Blowin in the wind” and “The Times They Are A Changin” became anthems for the U.S civil rights and the Anti-War movements. The lyrics he used to be about politics, social issues, philosophy and literary influences. Dylan’s songs often included real life stories on them, like in the song, “Only a Pawn on their game”, describing the brutal murder of a civil rights worker Medgar Evers. Another issue Dylan argued about was the breakdown of farming and mining communities, which was followed by two songs he made due to this political issue, “Boots of Spanish leather and “One too many mornings”. Later on, in the year 1963, Dylan felt controlled ...
“One thing I have learned in a long life: that all our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike - and yet it is the most precious thing we have”, is one of the most influential and world changing statements said by one of the greatest scientists known to mankind, Albert Einstein (Delano 5). Einstein is a German-born mathematician and physicist who won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. His interest in math a science began well around the age of four, but by the time he was thirteen, he was reading and understanding scientific material that many adults found impossible to comprehend. As ironic as it may seem, others initially thought that the young Einstein would never truly amount to anything. It was not long before others would realize what tremendous abilities Albert Einstein possessed. Einstein would, and in fact did, revolutionize modern physics, change the perception of the universe, and his research would bring about new discoveries that did innovate the world. Albert Einstein’s revolutionary, innovative, and eye-opening acts reward him a position as one of the top 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century.
Though the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Literature is typically fraught with some degree of contention, the Swedish Academy’s decision to present legendary musician Bob Dylan with the award stands as one of its most controversial selections. This disputable choice has roused a myriad of criticisms ranging from citations of Dylan’s pre-existing fame to debates about his merits as a literary figure. The former argument is best explained by one critic who plainly stated, “Dylan is simply too famous”(Schonfeld). Indeed, before being awarded the Nobel Prize, Dylan had already achieved an almost incomprehensible level of international notoriety, and had garnered an impressive collection of accolades. To be put plainly, “Bob Dylan [did] not