The Times They Are A-Changing......

Historical Significance: Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are-A Changing

The Time They Are A Changing is considered one of the most influential songs of the sixties. Robert Zimmerman himself (a.k.a) Bob Dylan, often stated that he really had no goal or intention of the song other than to try to capture the emotions that were going on at the time.
Early influences included Woody Guthrie and Odetta, who was an African American woman, well known in folk music genre, but not to the mainstream music scene.

The song is considered prolific considering that the writing and recording took place in 1963, at the height of the Civil Rights movement, which was a tumultuous time, but preceded other cultural and historical events that defined the era. For example, some feel it also alludes to the Vietnam War and increasing resistance to the war even though it preceded the death of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King and the massive anti-war movement.

A way that you could use this song in it’s historical context would be to look at the Civil Rights Movement, of which Bob Dylan associated himself with at the time of the writing of this song. Use the song and lyrics to speak about specific events in the movement that took place in the early 60’s.

Here is a sample of my idea (not a perfect format)
outube video: Lyrics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vou4qUu5YY&feature=related

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Specific event: March on Birmingham-1963
Lunch Counter Sit ins-Greensboro-1960
I feel that this lyric is speaking about resistance to change, particularly in the South, where there was often violent reaction by white officials and residents to peaceful demonstrations by African Americans. The lyrics in general of this song plead that that change is coming and that you need to catch up or you’ll be left behind or invalidated.



Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.
Specific Events: Letters from Birmingham-Martin Luther King
Press Coverage of March on Washington
Opinions of Civil Rights Movement

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Specific Event: School Integration at the High School and College Level



Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.
Specific Event: Voter Registration Drives in the South
Freedom Riders.
SNCC
1961 -- Freedom Rides begin from Washington, D.C., into Southern states.

1962 -- President Kennedy sends federal troops to the University of Mississippi to quell riots so that James Meredith, the school's first black student, can attend.



The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.
Specific Event: Civil Rights act of 1964
1964 -- Congress passes Civil Rights Act declaring discrimination based on race
illegal after 75-day long filibuster.


There are several other techniques I feel teachers could use with this artifact.

1) One use of this song is to have students decide what events from this era relate to the lyrics. Students could create their own 60’s timeline with events they feel are highlighted by the lyrics

2) An assignment with a modern twist, would be to have them use the lyrics and find samples from today regarding a particular issue or event (Iraq war, human rights, Katrina) to relate to the lyrics and present with their own 2000’s timeline.

3) One final ideal, you could also have them bring in a song they themselves may feel the describes the era they are living today and to analyze the song from the perspective of someone who will be looking back at the song 40 years later, like we are examining Dylan today.


Resources:
www.bobdylanlyrics.net/bob-dylan-biography.htm
http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/decade60.html
http://www.cnn.com/EVENTS/1997/mlk/links.html
www.africanaonline.com/civil_rights_timeline.htm