Bob Dylan is often hailed as the best singer-songwriter of all time. His musical and social influences have never been matched by any artist since his initial success in the 1960s. During this time, Dylan had the uncanny ability to speak to and speak for the generation of young Americans that were so different from the parents that had raised them.
The Times They Are A Changin' is a song that summed up the disconnect between the young and forward thinking 60s generation and the uptight, conservative generations that preceded them. What makes this song so timeless is its capacity to resonate with every generation. It speaks to the individual who needs reassurance that things are getting better and also to those who do not like it will just have to deal with it.
The Times They Are A Changin', Bob Dylan
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.
Now, think about the world today. What is changing? Is our country changing? If so, do you think it is changing for the better or for the worst? As always, voice your position at the start of your journal entry and then explain why you feel this way with the help of supporting evidence. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about the world today. If possible, try to think positive. Its not always easy, but making things better usually isn't an easy task. 250-500 words should suffice for this response. HAVE FUN!
