He was born on May 24th in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. His original name is Robert Allen Zimmerman. He was called the Shakespeare of his generation thanks to his wonderful lyrics for his songs.
In his songs he dealt with many common social, political issues like wars, fights for men's rights, or more inner and phylosophical themes like the human saddness, love or people's emotions.
Dylan began writing poems at the age of ten and soon after he learnt to play the guitar, the piano and the harmonica.
He appreciated a wide variety of music ranging from rock-and-roll, to folks songs. He loved the Beatles, Elvis Presley etc.. He played in many bands, one of the former bands was The Golden Chords, before enrolling at the Minnesota University.
He was able to compose very personal melodies and lyrics, using his peculiar language and then representing his generation's thoughts and feelings. In particular, he showed that music and songs can reach success even when they deal with the social and political themes. He chose to experiment with his music and lyrics and revolutionarized the pop and folk music.
Bob Dylan wrote this song Blowing in the wind in 1962; he was sitting in a cafe and in less than 10 minutes he gave it birth. It was issued the following year and soon afterwards was considered a protest song. The singer asks a lot of rethorical questions about peace, war, justice, and about the man's need to learn to look at things and to consider his neighbour's sorrows.
This song became the anthem of the civil rights for the young generation during the 60s. But Bob Dylan called it "just another song"...
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
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
Yes, and how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, and how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind
THINKING AND TALKING ABOUT THE SONG
In the first 60s Bob Dylan was optimistic about the future and thought people’s attitude and behaviour would change in a more positive way, do you think that this kind of changing really happened?
If you read attentively these lines: " Yes and how many years can some people exist, before they're allowed to be free? Yes, and how many times a man can turn his head and pretend that just doesn't see?
"
don't you think this song could be suitable for depicting the present moment?
Do you think it could be used to make people think about the everyday injustice or the current problems of immigration?
In your opinion, has this song got any moral teaching to pass on? If yes, what kind of moral message can you read between its lines?
Like a Rolling Stone is considered one of the most influential song of all time. It seems that this song could be related to one of Dylan's ex-girlfriends who left him to go out with Andy Warhol. In his lyrics Dylan tells abouts the life of a girl who had everything, who spent a wonderful rich life in the past but, who ended up with losing everything.
Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime
in your prime,
didn’t you?
People’d call, say,
“Beware doll, you’re bound to fall”
You thought they were all kiddin’ you
You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin’ out
Now you don’t talk so loud
Now you don’t seem so proud
About having to be scrounging
for your next meal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be without a home
With no direction home
Like a compete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
You’ve gone to the finest school
all right, Miss Lonely
But you know you only used to get juiced in it
And nobody has ever taught you
how to live on the street
And now you find out
you’re gonna have to get used to it
You said you’d never compromise
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize
He’s not selling any alibis
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes
And ask him do you want to make a deal?
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
You never turned around
to see the frowns
on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain’t no good
You shouldn’t let other people
get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse
with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain’t it hard when you discover that
He really wasn’t where it’s at
After he took from you everything
he could steal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?
Princess on the steeple
and all the pretty people
They’re drinkin’, thinkin’ that
they got it made
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things
But you’d better
lift your diamond ring,
you’d better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags
and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you,
you can’t refuse
When you got nothing,
you got nothing to lose
You’re invisible now,
you got no secrets to conceal.
How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone? THINKING AND TALKING ABOUT THE SONG
This song is probably about the sad life of one of Dylan’s ex-girlfriends, do you think it could also describe some other people’s life ?
Do you
think this song could be suitable for describing the life of people who have to face unemployment or any difficult situation caused by the actual economical crisis?
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Watch the cartoon and listen to the conversation between the man and woman.
Now, let's have a look at the questions the man asked. Click on the link below and open the file. Then, why don't we try to change the answers and make up a new story using the questions as an outline?
