The Times They Are a-Changin’
VOCABULARY
When I first heard that Bob Dylan had won the Nobel Prize for Literature, I said "Really!" The balladeer, songwriter and artist has been recognised "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition". I think that many people were quite shocked when they heard that he had won, including Bob Dylan himself as it took him a week to acknowledge this great honour. The Nobel Prize Committee had almost given up trying to contact him. They did not even know if he was going to accept it or attend the award winning ceremony, in Stockholm. Some people were furious when they heard that Bob had been chosen – saying that the jury must have been a lot of hippies from the 60s, smoking pot as they made their decision – choosing Bob Dylan over some great present day authors. I personally believe that he deserves the prize for his amazing lyrics and it is long overdue.
I am a great fan of the 75-year-old singer. Robert Allen Zimmerman was born on May 24, 1941, and has been very influential in pop music culture for five decades. However, his most famous songs came from the 60s when he sang about social unrest. Two unforgettable and meaningful songs "Blowin’ in the Wind" (1962) and "The Times They Are a-Changin’" (1964) became anthems for the American civil rights and anti-war movements. If you listen to the poetic lyrics, you will understand why he has been awarded the Nobel Prize.
My youth was spent with Bob Dylan, whether seeing him perform on television, shrouded in a cloud of smoke that seemed to resemble marihuana, (not that I’m an expert) or listening to him on the radio singing in that unmistakable voice about making political change and putting an end to war. I still have some of his singles and LPs (there were no CDs in those days) which I bought with my own pocket money . My fondest memory is of when I went to bed and snuggled under the blanket, hoping that my parents wouldn’t catch me, and listened to Radio Luxembourg and Bob Dylan on a tiny transistor radio. Even though I was still very young, I realised that the words of his songs had great significance.
The 60s and 70s were all about change and the world of pop music was just incredible: Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Beach Boys to name but a few. It was a time to "Make Love and not War" and to burn one’s bra for women’s rights. We wore flowers in our hair and bells around our necks as a sign of peace. However, it was also a time when many singers were performing protest songs about human rights and the Vietnam War. Sadly, the lyrics remain even more poignant today as we still haven’t found the solution to end all wars.
"Universal Soldier" written by Buffy Sainte Marie and sung by Donovan, is about individual responsibility for war – saying that without the soldier Hitler could not have condemned him at Dachau and Caesar would have fought alone. "He’s the one who gives his body as a weapon to a war – and without him all this killing can’t go on”.
I remember being really afraid at the time of the Cuba crisis and of the lyrics to the song "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire. It was a remarkable protest song: "You’re old enough to kill, but not for voting" and "When the button is pushed there is no running away – there will be no one to save with the world in a grave" – was about the use of nuclear weapons.
Bob Dylan’s songs are highly poetic and highly literary – intricate and subtle, clever, funny, profound and sad. Congratulations Mr. Tambourine Man and thank you for the memories. You truly deserve this award. balladeer – Liedermacher recognised – anerkannt furious – zornig to choose – wählen to smoke pot – Marihuana rauchen decision – Entscheidung to deserve – verdienen amazing lyrics – erstaunliche Liedtexte long overdue – längst überfällig social unrest – soziale Unruhe meaningful – bedeutend anthem – Hymne civil rights – Bürgerrechte shrouded – eingehüllt unmistakable – unverkennbar pocket money – Taschengeld fondest memory – die liebste Erinnerung to snuggle under a blanket – sich unter die Decke kuscheln to catch sbd. – jmd. erwischen significance – Bedeutung, Stellenwert to name but a few – um nur einige zu nennen bra –BH to wear – tragen bells – Glöckchen sign of peace – ein Zeichen des Friedens to perform – aufführen human rights – Menschenrechte sadly – traurigerweise poignant – treffend solution – Lösung responsibility – Verantwortung to fight – kämpfen weapon – Waffe remarkable – bemerkenswert to vote – wählen grave – Grab intricate – kompliziert profound – tiefgründig