Bob Dylan was born in 1941, just after slavery was abolished and was just about to be a young man and artist throughout the civil rights movement. His music would be heard throughout times of change, calling for a better world, a changed one. Dylan used his music as a tool to inspire people to change and share his more liberal political opinions and later on, his newfound religious beliefs.
I believe that Bob Dylan is extremely proud of how far that world has come - as evidenced by tomorrow’s inauguration. He has even very publically endorsed President Barrack Obama and some consider him to be the inspiration for President Obama’s campaign slogan, change.
A revolutionary thinker in his time, he was certainly not ashamed or shy about his political views. Singing out against the corruption of rich white men and singing a rather explicitly detailed song about the murder of Emmitt Till, Dylan’s music was driven by what he considered undesirable political views held by a lot of the population at the time.
Dylan criticizes and stands up to apparent wrongness in the world, “For the loser now, Will be later to win, For the times they are a-changin'.” His light folk sound wouldn’t immediately lead one to conclude that his song topics are heavy ones about oppressions, all men being equal, and politics leaving no room for humanity. He used his apparent star status to talk these, at the time, taboo topics, in his own medium Issues that if Dylan, who knows where we would be, had he not addressed them - still segregated? It has even been said by Bruce Springsteen that “ Bob freed the mind Elvis freed the body”.
I am not claiming that Bob Dylan single-handedly moved the world along into a more integrated, harmonious one, but I am sure he touched some little white boys and girls listening to him to be a little more cordial to people not of their own color and background.
What I really love is that his songs can still be applied to the apparent problems in America today. He talks all about a new way of thinking, which back then was directed at issues of segregation, oppression and a corrupt political scene. Now many of his songs can be taken towards more present day issues.
“Gonna change my way of thinking,
Make myself a different set of rules.
Gonna put my good foot forward,
And stop being influenced by fools.”
– Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
I've been fascinated learning about Dylan, Ginsberg, and the whole beatnik scene recently, but I'd like to point out some stuff about your reference to civil rights and the abolition of slavery if I may.
ReplyDeleteThe Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime, in 1865. and 3 years later the 14th amendment created civil rights and US citizenship. Before that people were citizens of their particular states.
Civil rights are government granted privileges and not inalienable rights, which are god given rights. What was said to of happened is when slaves were freed the people in power didn't want to give them total freedom with inalienable rights so they created civil rights, which requires US citizens to ask permission from the government to do certain things. This is where gun laws, marriage licenses, and things of that sort came from.
The 14th amendment also states that we as US citizens cannot question the national debt, so in a sense, although slavery is abolished, this opened the door to voluntary servitude of the sort that, in reality, isn't voluntary at all. As US citizens we basically have the status of what you might think of as a sharecropper. Kinda like free-range slaves if you will.
Sorry if all this stuff is boring you, I just think it's interesting to clarify and illustrate some of the common misconceptions of civil rights. It's always good to know where one stands with this sort of thing, even if it is kinda disheartening.
I hope all is well on your side of the screen and fun is being had. thanks for the interesting read*
I have seen Bob Dylan in concert and honestly he wasn't that bad!
ReplyDeleteHe's actually not someone I've done any research on before. Thanks very much ^.^ I enjoyed the information.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, never really learned too much about Dylan... though I love his music!
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