Written by: Bob Dylan or Robert Allen Zimmerman
Genre: Folk Music
Why: This song is an example of protest song written in the 60's though the song has no stated or obvious correlations to any particular events which kept it's message timeless and remaining relevant even through the 21st century.
When: Released in 1963
Meaning: This soong can be interpiratred many different ways, but the overlying motif is Dylan's hope for peace and understanding. The main message of the song can be seen as literal as, how many times do we have to make mistakes in order to know we need to fix something or change what we ar doing. A perfect example of this would be in the line:
"How many times must the cannon balls fly before they are forever banned?"
Simply said, this line suggests that it is time for us to put down our weapons and realise sometimes the pain and suffering we cause isnt worth what we are fighting for. The line:
"How many seas must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand?"
The dove, of course, symbolic of peace and purity is sailing over the seas an empty wasteland where she can not land because there is no place for her, the sea being symbloic of our mindset. The sand that she longs to rest in after her long pointless journey, can symbolize the time when when even the most pure and genuine and innocent idea will give up on at certain point if they are constantly being ignored. There can be other interpritations for just these two lines and this is just two of many important ideas expressed within the lyric.
Structure: A,B,C,B,D,B,E,E,F,G,H,G,I,J,J,K,L,K,L,M,L,N,N.
Number of Stanzas: three
Strophic format using the hooks:
"Yes, 'n' how many..." and "the answer my friend is blowin' in the wind."
Historical Context: This Song was written during the Vietnam War.
Primary context: In the album The freewheelin' Bob Dylan and recorded in Columbia Studios, New York. Composed and written by Bob Dylan; produced by John H. Hammond and Tom Wilson. Originally written in two verses and was first performed in Gerde's Folk City.
Secondary context: this song could aslo be related to any wars in history from before the song was written to after. We could even ask ourselves these questions about the Iraq war and even on a more personal scale, our own lives.
What does the song tell us about people and society?: The moral concepts of the song are questioning human ethics and show Dylan's loss of faith in our ability to see when "enough is enough".
Historical influences: Influenced by the wars during that time and directly before. because of the songs ability to be compatible with most "bad" situations, especially wars, many people continue to turn to this song for its beautiful lyrics and important meaning.
What is a song?: A song is a statement which consists of lyrics and a tune and is directly affected by the context in which it was created. Usually uses hooks and either a strophic, through-composed or verse-chorus structure.
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How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' 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.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' 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.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
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