Bob Dylan's Song, Like A Rolling Stone

Like a Rolling Stone was written and performed by Bob Dylan in 1965. The piece originated as a an extended piece of verse that eventually acquired musical form. THe two day production of the song was difficult as Dylan struggled to find the base of the song. He made a breakthrough when he played the song in a rock format. Dylan’s label, Columbia Records was reluctant to release the song at first because of its 6 minute length and heavy electronic sound. A month after the production was finished the song was leaked to Djs, but they too were afraid to play such a long song. The song reached number 2 on the US Billboard Charts and became a worldwide hit. At first glance, the song seems to be about class division. The woman addressed by the singer …show more content…

They wanted to share everything and for everyone to be open and peaceful with each other. They were also tired of all the lies and secrets of the government so they rebelled, it was all about rebelling. The song also speaks not only to the subject “Miss Lonely”, but the entire generation coming of age in the 1960s. They didn’t always know what they wanted, but they knew they didn’t like the way things were and had to make their way and find a home in the world. Like A Rolling Stone was a rebellion against a rebellion. Dylan's increasing alienation from the folk movement that he had come out of was paired with an increasing doubt about the power of the movement to change America in the 60s. He saw countless young people like himself letting go of the past, pushing against everything they had come from in a growing insistence on creating a new society, but Dylan lost faith in that new society. He found himself afloat, an icon for a generation who didn't know where he came from or where he was going. In the end Dylan did not believe this song or he himself should be used to define a generation, but it was the complexity and mystery of the song that drew people to