Preview

Interpreting The Song 'Blowin' In The Wind

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
179 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Interpreting The Song 'Blowin' In The Wind
The song “Blowin’ in the Wind” is a song where several different questions are asked to reflect on the specific subject, for example on the lyrics he asks “how many times can a man turn his head pretending he just doesn’t see?” this part specifically makes one aware of all the injustices that we allowed to happen and although we know deep down are wrong we simply do nothing. Thus that being one of the reasons that this particular song was embraced by the civil right movement of the ‘60s. This song has the traditional sound of folk music, as the artist uses only an acoustic guitar and harmonica, while telling stories meant for everyday people. Although, he was consider a folk music artist, by recording the songs and commercializing them or “selling

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The song “Thinkin ‘Bout You” by Frank Ocean pertains deeply to how he feels about Jane Gallagher. For an example, Holden persistently calls Jane his friend, but never tells the reader how he really feels about her. He says, “...We'd get into a goddam movie or something, and right away we'd start holding hands, and we wouldn't quit till the movie was over. And without changing the position or making a big deal out of it. You never even worried, with Jane, whether your hand was sweaty or not. All you knew was, you were happy. You really were.” Salinger 80). Holden’s feelings for Jane shine through from his personality in his little confession in his mind. Holden does not particularly enjoy the thought of sex, he cares for companionship. In addition,…

    • 244 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    These popular songs ("Blowin' in the Wind", "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall") marked a new direction in songwriting, blending a stream-of-consciousness, imagist-lyrical attack with traditional folk form, something Bob Dylan was renowned for.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Who Has Seen the Wind is a story of a boy and his struggle to understand and interpret the world around him. W.O. Mitchell starts by setting the stage; "Here was the least common denominator of nature, the skeleton requirements of simply land and sky (...)" (1) and follows by introducing his semi-biographical protagonist, Brian O'Connal. Brian, a boy of four, lives with his parents, grandmother and brother in a small town on the Saskatchewan prairie lands. A number of colourful characters pass through Brian's life, helping him to grow and develop through a collection of situations artfully depicted by Mitchell. Brian learns about both birth and death in a very personal and intense way. The ever-present wind makes its entrance at the most suitable times symbolizing the realities, pleasures and hardships of life, and to some, God. The story is told with compassion, insight and sensitivity and Mitchell's delicate and comprehensive character development is rivalled only by his portrayal of the eccentrically beautiful prairie setting.…

    • 850 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For this lyric assignment, I chose the song Sister Golden Hair (released 1975) by America in their album Hearts . America is an English-American Folk-Rock band, originally composed of members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. The three members were barely past their teenage years when they became an overnight musical sensation in 1972. They reached a peak in popularity in the early to mid 1970s and early 1980s. Among the band's best known songs are "A Horse with No Name", "Sister Golden Hair" (both of which reached Number 1), "Ventura Highway", and "Tin Man". The song Sister Golden Hair is interpreted by many people in a variety of different ways and meanings. In my opinion and from my research solidifying my interpretation, this song is about a guy that is wrestling with forbidden love.…

    • 754 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Great Depression caused many people to struggle and children to grow up faster. The book No Promises in the wind by Irene Hunt and the passage “Loss of Childhood” by Robert McElvaine shows how people struggled during the Great Depression. The Great Depression had a positive effect on children while having a negative effect on adults.…

    • 378 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the story of "Who Has Seen The Wind", W.O. Mitchell attempts to explain the meaning of life to young readers. Brian O'Connal, the main character, is a young boy who develops an understanding of birth and death throughout the novel by observing numerous animals. The birth of Forbsie's pigeons and his rabbits help him to gain an understanding of birth. The death of Forbsie's pigeon, Brian's dog, and Brian's father play an important role in helping Brian understand birth, death and the true meaning of life. Brian's first encounter with birth is when he and…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    ‘Drifters’ is a poem about one woman’s refusal to abandon hope, in spite of overwhelming hardship. The family has to move from place to place, as the father needs to move by the demand of his job. Despite Dawe’s use of causal language, if you read carefully you would be able to see the seriousness of what he is saying.…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    How Did Jim Crow Rule

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In this song, Robeson voices how America restricts black people from their rights with laws separating them from white people. When Robeson performed at a concert in New York for the Civil Rights Congress, “hundreds of protestors stormed the stage, pelted the musicians with rocks or slammed them with chairs, and burned the ‘Dirty Commie’ song sheets. Police did little to intervene, but Robeson vowed to return the following week”. Even though he had gotten a negative reaction from the crowd during his performance, Robeson continued to protest against segregation laws through his music. Another song that protested against these policies was “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday.…

    • 1483 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Spawn of the Beats

    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The influence of the Beats on Bob Dylan can be seen in Dylan’s mannerisms and the folk-style, poetic nature of his lyrics. Dylan fit right in with Ginsberg and others with his rough and wild hair, flannel button down shirts, and worn out tight leather jackets. In his early twenties, he was known as a tough kid from the Midwest, who sometimes even lacked proper hygiene (Times 1). As he matured, Dylan began to the share similar attitudes of the Beats towards social authority, politics, drugs, and even the rejection of social norms (Charters 370). Dylan tried to incorporate these thoughts and attitudes into his lyrics, in order to share his beliefs with his listeners. Later in his life he was even quoted as saying, “I knew that when I got into folk music, it was more of a serious type of thing. The songs are filled with more despair, more sadness, more triumph… much deeper feelings" (Williams 1). Besides looking and acting like the Beats, Dylan’s music had a very poetic feel to it. His 1963 song titled “Blowin’ in the Wind” reads very much like the poetry of the Beats:…

    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The First Great Awakening

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The first Great Awakening was a religious movement among the colonies in the 1730's and the 1740's. The movement was needed because of the substantial decrease in the amount of members in the church. The Puritans had "lost its grip" on society. When the New Massachusetts law of 1691 allowed colonial Americans to worship freely and the right to vote, colonist were overwhelmed that they discarded what might be in store for them in the future. The Puritans lost faith developing a taste for material possessions and sensual pleasures.…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many blacks and others would get arrested for protesting, flirting with others, and standing up to whites. When arrested, they would sing out to each other after being put into a jail cell. “Sing your Freedom Song……..We sang old folks songs and gospel songs to which new words had been written, telling of the Freedom Ride and its purpose” one jailer would speak out to the others. Just one song would leave a deep mark in African Americans and its allies’ memories. In the Afro-American folk church tradition most songs we unpracticed and performed in the old style of singing. The lyrics were changed, melodies adapted, and older forms of song were mixed with newer forms. During their movements, Coloreds would have meeting explaining what they would do next. Often at these meetings there would be singing to raise their…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    final exam

    • 342 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This report is solely for your information, and is not to be used for any other purpose, nor to be distributed to…

    • 342 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    This spiritual blamed whites for killing “those like Lee” because whites were the cause of inequality. This song added on to the guilt and doubt the opposing side felt, thus weakening them while giving the protesters a want to redeem those who have died. The African Americans’ spirituals “built new structures for existence in an alien land”(Spener ‘Moved’ 30). Their songs gave them a sense of identity and created a sharp contrast in culture between the blacks and whites. The African Americans took pride in their history, for it showed in their spirituals.…

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    African American Leaders

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages

    They sang songs that mocked Americans democratic ideals, and they tried to tell the people about the racial inequalities. One example is Bob Dylan, a folk and activist singer. He supported the movement, and he used his influence to support others. Dylan sang songs about being strong during these times which helped the people in America keep fighting for their rights. His song “Blowin in the wind” became an anthem for the movement, and was sung at rallies and meetings. The song was about how he wants there to be peace and for everyone to be free. One line of the song is “And how many years can some people exist. Before they’re allowed to be free?”, where he asks when African Americans will finally be free. The song also was about how there are these questions and all the answers are “blowin in the wind”, which we can interpret that he was talking about freeing African Americans and how we know the answer but we have to wait for someone to take it. Dylan sang it at a voter registration rally in Mississippi, in 1963, showing his support to the movement. Bob Dylan was a leader in the movement as he gave strength and hope to everyone to continue the movement. Another white folk artist of the…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Resesarch

    • 4165 Words
    • 17 Pages

    International Journal of Business and Management Invention ISSN (Online): 2319 – 8028, ISSN (Print): 2319 – 801X www.ijbmi.org Volume 2 Issue 1 ǁ January. 2013ǁ PP.55-62…

    • 4165 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics