Bob Dylan And The 1960s: The Civil Rights Movement

The 1960s are famously known for the civil rights movement; a movement led by leaders like Martin Luther King J.R., Rosa Parks, and other important political heads. However, the less known, yet equally important, side of the 1960s was the music. Full of anger and resentment, hope and optimism, questioning and cynicism, naivety and gullibility—the 1960s were an important time for music; a time that turned politics into song. In the 1960s, the tumultuous evolution of the beloved rock-n-roll music genre began to take shape. Important singers/bands included Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan. As said in the book Music of the Counterculture Era: American History Through Music by James E. Perone, these writers have continued to impact modern

According to “15 Bob Dylan Facts for His 75th Birthday” by mentalfloss.com, Bob Dylan originally was known as an obscure folk music artist. When his song "Blowin' in the Wind" came out, it all but flopped on the music charts. However, a cover by the musical trio Peter, Paul, & Mary shot the philosophical song to fame—resulting in their cover topping at #2 on the American charts. Dylan soon became a national star after performing his famous song at the Newport Folk Festival, in which he was featured in various magazines like Time, Playboy and The New

In many of his songs, it can be seen that Dylan references freedom for all several times. Specifically, he is asking how many times must people bleed and fight for freedom until they are free. Continuing on this thought, he says: “How many ears must one man have / before he can hear people cry?” This line links with a line in a previous verse, specifically: “How many times can a man turn his head / pretending he just doesn't see?” To put it simply, the line means that people are refusing to listen to war victims. How many ears does it take for people to listen to change? “How many deaths will it take till he knows / that too many people have died?” This line connects the whole song together. How many times will someone turn their head? How many times will someone refuse to listen? How many times will someone refuse to acknowledge death? These are all questions that people have during war, especially during a time such as the 1960s. To famously conclude his song, he ends it with: "The answer my friend, is blowin’ in the wind / the answer is blowin' in the wind." Bob Dylan challenges society with these questions, he challenges people that refuse to take a stand during controversial