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This post began when I was cooking dinner and listening to Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are a-Changing" (which oddly enough didn't make the final list) a couple weeks ago. Somewhere in the first or second chorus, (I think I was chopping green beans) I realized that it brilliantly describes the uncertainty, the tension, and the fear that the US has been facing, especially since President Trump's inauguration in January. That sent me into a frenzy to find other classic songs that had already once captured the seemingly un-capturable moment that we're experiencing as a country, and compile them into a list for you all. Below, you'll find my list, narrowed down to 11 songs and ordered by year. Enjoy!
A NOTE ABOUT POLITICS AND MORALITY: I am not as liberal as this list is probably going to make me sound; in fact, I am quite conservative in many ways. I do not endorse everything that each one of these songs says, nor do I endorse the behaviors of many of the groups of people that I bring up here. In this post, I bring up the potential safety and well-being of many groups of people I don't agree with because I fear that their God-given right to loving and respectful treatment (which has nothing to do with their choices or perspectives) is under threat at the moment.
A Note About Trigger Warnings:Some of these songs deal with sensitive and difficult material. With those that are an obvious trigger danger, I've included a warning in red.
Writer: Bob DylanA NOTE ABOUT POLITICS AND MORALITY: I am not as liberal as this list is probably going to make me sound; in fact, I am quite conservative in many ways. I do not endorse everything that each one of these songs says, nor do I endorse the behaviors of many of the groups of people that I bring up here. In this post, I bring up the potential safety and well-being of many groups of people I don't agree with because I fear that their God-given right to loving and respectful treatment (which has nothing to do with their choices or perspectives) is under threat at the moment.
A Note About Trigger Warnings:Some of these songs deal with sensitive and difficult material. With those that are an obvious trigger danger, I've included a warning in red.
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"A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" (1962) By Bob Dylan Download from Amazon Here |
Producer: John Hammond
Source
To me, a person far too young to remember the 60's, this song represents the trepidation that the US experienced during that era. It captures a deep pain that, like a drum beat, is driving the country toward some impending change - a change that ultimately took many forms, including civil rights legislation and the country's withdrawal from the Vietnam War. Watching the recent marches and living in a country that is as deeply divided over painful social and political issues as the US was over Vietnam, I feel too that "A hard rain's a-gonna fall."
