The lyrics caution us to look beyond the “finger that fired the trigger” killing civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 1963 to the broader culture of white supremacy: politicians stoking hatred, pitting the “poor white man” against his black neighbor, so that the former “never thinks straight about the shape that he’s in.” Frankly, it’s as relevant today as it was back then.Ģ. “God On Our Side,” “Blowing in the Wind,” and “Times They Are a Changin’” could all have made this list but “Only A Pawn In Their Game” somehow feels exceptional even amid that company. Bob Dylan’s “Only A Pawn In Their Game” (January 1964) But no decade quite matches the 1960s for the sheer number of songs that compelled folks to rise up and act for change. Once upon a time, music was a way for highly-engaged participants to make their views known. Back in the 30’s and 40’s, for example, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger gave voice to labor struggles, while the ‘70s and ‘80s saw massive, star-studded efforts to protest nukes, raise awareness about world hunger, and protest apartheid. Without putting too fine a point on it, America’s politics are … unsettled. Will it be music? Social posts? AI? Something else? In any case, the 60’s generation made its choice clear… One of the things we wonder is what form of expression the current generation will choose. Editor’s note: This is one of our most popular posts, from a while back.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |