Maggie's farm ~Bob Dylan

     Bob Dylan's song, Maggie's Farm was written in 1965. The song is written to show the tough times in the working industry and shows the oppression and conformity they face. He doesn't want to work on Maggie's farm anymore with her or her family. when he says he "prays for rain," he doesn't want to work and when it rains he can't farm. This idea of conformity is shown when Dylan says that "he's got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane." He has so many ideas and wants to be an individual, but he feels enslaved when he works at the farm. This idea is shown again when Dylan says "I try my best to be just like I am but everyone wants you to be just like them." He just wants to be different and as hard as he tries to be an individual, everybody forces him to conform.

     Dylan is using Maggie's family in the song to describe everything that is wrong with the working industry. Maggie's brother is the first to get called out. He says that he is paying the workers every time he "hands (them) a nickel," but he "fines (them) every time (they) slam the door." This means that he's paying them, but every time a new opportunity has opened for them, the workers get fined and they have to start back at the beginning and work hard again for little pay. He will also fine you every time one of the workers misbehaves and literally "slams the door." Maggie's Pa that Dylan is talking about can be seen as the boss of the industry. He has immense protection around him since he said his "bedroom window" is "made out of bricks" and the "national guard stands around his door." He is untouchable and is the head of the industry, which puts him above everyone else. Even though he is the boss, he is tough he isn't the smartest. Dylan says that Maggie's Ma is the "brains behind Pa." She is more uptight and religious than the others in the family. Each person represents someone in the working industry making Dylan's life hell when going to work.

     Bob Dylan's songs were very different in the folk music scene. He wanted to make music that was different than other peoples songs. I feel like this makes sense when talking about this song because he didn't want to conform. He wanted to be an individual but the work industry, or in his case, the music industry wanted him to conform with everyone else.