Gary+Uter

Gary Uter Prof. Kingley English 101 Section 5 October 12 2009

"// I like America, just as everybody else does. I love America, I gotta say that. But America will be judged. //" Bob Dylan It is apart of human nature to war, differences in opinion will always exist and as long as they exist, so will the possibility of war. Especially in cultures that are predisposition for war. Countries such as the United States who were created through war, tend to view it as culturally acceptable, even honorable to engage in the acts of war. That sentiment up until the 1960s was very much the case, The United States had engaged in numerous wars and her citizens have always supported it with unrivaled patriotism. The war in Vietnam however disproved the notion, no longer were people silent in their opposition to fighting. Bob Dylan who was very much the voice of his generation, was amongst the first musicians to voice opposition to the fighting. Dylan was not specifically an advocate for the ending of the war in Vietnam, rather he preached non- violence. It was peace and not the war in Vietnam that was his concern. An end to the fighting in Vietnam although important, would only be a small step towards Dylan’s dream of world peace.
 * // Bob Dylan: Has the Dove landed? //**

For over five decades Bob Dylan has remained one of the most influential musicians in the United States. Born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota. Dylan although not the first to make music with a political edge, is without a doubt the most memorable. At the age of six, Dylan’s family moved to Hibbing, Minnesota, from Duluth, it was after the move that he began playing the guitar and harmonica. It was these instruments, along with his nasally, unrefined vocals would forever enshrine him in American history. Dylan stay at University of Minnesota although only lasting three semester, was important as it was during this brief stint that he began doing solo performances in local coffeehouses. In 1961, driven by his desire to see his idol, Woody Guthrie who was hospitalized with Huntington's chorea, Dylan moved to New York. It while in New York that he would get his break, a “New York Times review by Robert Shelton alerted A&R man John Hammond, who signed Dylan to Columbia and produced his first album” (Simon & Schuster). Dylan’s self titled debut although it did not sell well gave his an audience which he would continue to expand upon throughout his career.

media type="youtube" key="si6YqIYH6u4" height="344" width="425" The first and arguably the greatest of Dylan’s songs on peace was Blowin' in The Wind written in 1962. Due to its release the in the midst of the Vietnam war, the song’s message resonated with even greater importance and intensity. Dylan states in the first verse “Yes, and how many seas must a white dove sail/ Before she sleeps in the sand?” the dove, the universal symbol for peace, according to Dylan is unable to find a place to land due to the continuous fighting. There cannot be peace until fighting, not only in Vietnam but rather in the world all over ceases to exist. Then and only then will the dove, be able to find a place to rest. Dylan goes on to state “Yes, and how many times must the cannon balls fly/ Before they’re forever banned?/ The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind,/ The answer is blowin in the wind.” The usage and repetition of the phrase “how much” convey the feeling that enough bombing has already taken place and we do not need any further examples to come to that conclusion. The melody created by the harmonica as well as the subtle guitar in the background also applies Dylan’s message of peace. The song was met with critical acclaim upon its release by both critics and musicians alike. Sam Cooke in particular was heavily influence by it, there was a distinct change in his music after its release, Cook’s A Change Is Gonna Come being the best example.

(http://www.metrolyrics.com/blowin-in-the-wind-lyrics-bob-dylan.html)

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The topic of injustice continues throughout Dylan’s work, a notable example being his song With God On Our Side, in which he claims that we have been trained to believe unjust actions are just on the basis that God was on our side. He attempts to prove that the use of God is nothing more than a cloak by which we cover up our acts of oppression. He states “Oh the history books tell it, They tell it so well” the history books according to Dylan always depicts America in a positive light, always the righteous participant in every conflict she has ever been involved with. Under the premise that the United States is God’s chosen country, it is because He has stood by Her that She has been able to overcome the many obstacles that have stood in Her way. The United States very origin was due to religion, it was resettled by the English for the purpose of religion freedom, as such God still plays an intricate role in American politics, especially in their reasoning to war. The belief in God, although not as strong now, was universal. In the past American in her entirely for the most part, felt a deep connection between themselves and god. As such it was believed that it was God’s will that the cavalries defeat the heathens that were the Indians. Dylan states that “The cavalries charged/ The Indians died/ Oh the country was young/With God on its side.” The mass slaughter of millions of Native Americans and the eventual forced migration on the premise of Manifest Destiny were justified on the basis that it was God’s will. (http://www.metrolyrics.com/with-god-on-our-side-lyrics-bob-dylan.html)

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In his song Masters of War, Dylan states that it is the government that creates wars, which are then burdened upon the younger generations. “You that build all the guns/ You that build the death planes/ You that build the big bombs/ You that hide behind walls”. It is the politicians who create all the mechanisms of war, they then hand over the dirty work to young men and woman who had no say in whether or not they wanted a war. While the politicians who desire and initiated the war are safe behind their walls and desks. It is the younger generation who had no involvement in the decision makings, that are forced to take up arms and risk their lives. Dylan continues to say that the government “You play with my world/ Like it's your little toy” the government pits these young men and women against each other and from a distance watch the slaughter as if it were a form of entertainment. They are also unable to look those who they sent to the slaughter in the eyes “And you hide from my eyes/ And you turn and run farther/ When the fast bullets fly” whether a guilty conscience, or a desire to keep the war impersonal, politicians are unable to look at those they have sent to their death as if trying to keep their victim from being an individual. For the politicians the closer these solider are to pieces on a check board the easier it is for them to send them to their death. (http://www.metrolyrics.com/masters-of-war-lyrics-bob-dylan.html) World peace has and continues to be a concept that we strive to achieve. For individuals such as Bob Dylan it was not enough to have a desire for peace, they took it a step further and made it their life‘s calling. Dylan, throughout his career made peace a focal point in his music, beginning with Blowin’ in The Wind in 1962 and continuing well into the 21th century. Dylan was not advocating the killing of actual people, it was the military complex which the United States had been absorbed with that he was wishing death upon.

Work Cited

Simon & Schuster. "Bob Dylan." RollingStones. 2001. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. .

Blowin’ in The Wind Lyrics." Metrolyrics. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. 

God on Our Side Lyrics." Metrolyrics. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. .

Masters of War Lyrics." Metrolyrics. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. .