Some timely Bob Dylan lyrics

[Romeo]

Many people say Dylan was the greatest song writer of all time. I am not yet convinced. Nevertheless it is quite amazing how relevant these words are today. Moreso now than in 1963 before Vietnam really got deadly.

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Masters of War

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

 

[elaine]

that's the most brillant part of Dylan, when he is covered the song's become a hit. All along the watchtower, blowin in the wind, etc. Even Eric Burton admits, it was Dylans version of house of the rising son that insprired them to cover it also.

Song writers, dont have to sing. Script writers dont have to know how to act.

Over the years though, go to enough of his concerts and you'll start to understand him. Just dont let him do the art garfunkel part in sounds of silence, it was terrible, some say cause it was outside, I just think it was cause Dylan doesnt have a good voice.

If you watched his movie though, with Joan bias(spelling) you'll see his voice for real, you can understand him, the nasal part is part of his persona.

 

[Garrett]

My name it means nothing...

Dylan is a great singer... an *incredible* singer... but inconsistent and just plain strange at times. Go play the reissued The Last Waltz (or any of the bootleg series reissues) and prepare to be amazed...

I think With God on our Side is pretty fitting... especially with the uber Christian speaches delivered from the White House...

Peace out.

 

[Groucho]

Wonderful stuff!! We (the US) are about to kill thousands upon thousands of folks on the faint chance that their leader might possibly do something that could hurt us.

 

[mr. x]

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin',
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world,
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin',
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin',
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin',
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter,
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.




and soon, a very hard rain is gonna fall on iraq!

dylan is very imprtant for his influence on both rock and folk - before dylan, most of the lyrics were straight forward love songs - or at least, the lyrical inflence came from blues and country. dylan brought poetry to lyrics - and he inflenced pretty well everyone who has written songs since.

as a singer, well, he doesn't have a beuatiful voice - but many of his versions of songs aren't the same when donme by someone else - think of "rainy day women", "lay lady lay" "highway 61" or my favourite song, "i want you". his voice is often very expressive in a way which suits these songs perfectly.

 

[Don]

How about these lyrics from Metallica:
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Don't Tread On Me

Liberty or death, what we so proudly hail
once you provoke her, rattling of her tail
never begins it, never, but once engaged...
never surrenders, showing the fangs of rage

don't tread on me

so be it
threaten no more
to secure peace is to prepare for war
so be it
settle the score
touch me again for the words that you'll hear evermore...

don't tread on me

love it or live it, she with the deadly bite
quick is the blue tongue, forked as lighting strike
shining with brightness, always on surveillance
the eyes, they never close, emblem of vigilance

don't tread on me

so be it
threaten no more
to secure peace is to prepare for war
so be it
settle the score
touch me again for the words that you'll hear evermore...

don't tread on me

so be it
threaten no more
to secure peace is to prepare for war

liberty or death, what we so proudly hail
once you provoke her, rattling on her tail

so be it
threaten no more
to secure peace is to prepare for war
so be it
settle the score
touch me again for the words that you'll hear evermore...

don't tread on me