Week 5 Blog

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/blowin-wind

I chose to post the lyrics to the song "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan as representing African Americans and their struggle for civil rights. I did not post the actual recording of the song because I feel that the lyrics, seen and not heard, really touched me more and I was able to make a connection to them by just reading them. Just from looking at the first line of the song, one can make a direct connection to the civil rights issue.

"How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?"

He answers in saying that "the answer is blowin' in the wind". I think that this refers to the struggle that African Americans endured during the civil rights movement to get their opinions heard. It was there, but was not completely gorunded... "blowin' in the wind". The symbol of a dove is also used in the song which is a symbol of peace and refers to what African Americans wanted to accomplish amongst themselves and Whites.

The last stanza and the imagery that it created really touched me. It made me truly feel the struggle that African Americans felt at the time of the civil rights movement.

"Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?"

Freedom means to me being able to exist, like this last stanza refers to and not having any restrictions or higher class coming down on me because of the color of my skin. It is being able to live your life to the fullest depsite of your background and ethnicity. This song stirs an anger in me that makes me want to do something great!

-Sarah Pergine