Music & Its Message

In class on Tuesday, we were asked if there is a difference between songs that weigh in on social change and songs that call for change. In my opinion, in songs that weigh in on social change musicians may express their own opinion on an issue but they do not explain the importance of fixing the problem. Songs that call for change convey how essential it is for changes to be made and how society will ultimately be better because of that change. I found that Bob Dylan was a musician that used his music to call for change. For my essay I chose to analyze Dylan’s song “The Time They Are A Changin”. It was written during a time that drastic changes were taking place in the United States. It was created during Civil Rights Movement where many people were fighting for the rights they deserved. Throughout the song Dylan addressed different groups of people and expressed to them that the country and the system it has always had is changing and they should embrace this change. He ends each verse of the song with “the times they are a changin”. This repetition shows his faith and hopefully attitude that things are progressing for the better.

As we discussed in class, Dylan wrote his songs based on the trend of the time. Many songs were created discussing social justice and Dylan chose to follow in everyone else’s footsteps to gain fame and popularity. His songs were not created due to his passion or strong belief in the words that he sang. I think that this is not uncommon in the music industry. In my opinion I think that many artists play it safe and choose to follow the trend of other musicians. Many don’t write their own music which doesn’t even give them the opportunity to put their own message into it. Overall, I do not think that has any impact on the song’s message. Dylan didn’t write his songs based on his own passion but they still were powerful and could impact those who listened to it. The song “The Times They Are a Changin” has a prevailing message that due to the Civil Rights Movement the country was changing from the way it has always been and there was no going back. The racist order of the past has been broken and fixed for the better. However, as someone who listens to music I think that knowing a musician wrote their own song and truly believes in what they are singing can make the message even stronger and more powerful.