Blowin' In The Wind
Bobby Bare Lyrics
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Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
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?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Bobby Bare's song Blowin' In The Wind speaks to the complexity and profundity of the human condition. The song poses several questions, all centering around the theme of social justice, and most of them are rhetorical, leaving the audience to think over them. The song also highlights the idea that change is difficult and slow, and the answers to these questions can only be found by looking within ourselves and our society.
The opening lines, "How many roads must a man walk down/Before you call him a man?" speaks to the idea of manhood evaluations that men need to pass through. It's a commentary on the societal expectations men have to endure to be considered true men. The second stanza talks about the ability to see and hear the world around us, highlighting the value of empathy, The last stanza asks how long it will take for change to come about, seemingly implying that it will only occur with the passing of time. The conclusion "the answer is blowin' in the wind" is a metaphor for the idea that we should look within ourselves and our society to understand the complexity of the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
How much experience and hardship must a man bear before society regards him as a mature adult?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
How many trials and tribulations must a symbol of peace endure before finding its resting place?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
How many times must weapons of war be used before we banish them from our world?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
There's no straightforward answer. The answer is as whimsical and elusive as the wind, and thus, beyond our grasp.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
How many times must a man be told before he finally understands what's directly in front of him?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
How many of our senses do we need to use to understand the pain and suffering of our fellow human beings?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
How many tragedies must we endure before we realize that we need to change and put an end to unnecessary deaths?
How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
How long can something as stable and unchanging as a mountain exist before it inevitably erodes and fades away?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
How many years must pass before society acknowledges everyone's right to freedom and equality?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
How many times can a person ignore something that's clearly wrong and pretend that it doesn't exist?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
Once again, there's no straightforward answer. The solution to societal issues is just as difficult to grasp as the wind.
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pieter Domburg
The best performance ever of this great song!
yonaka923
His bass voice is very beautiful and clear.Better than Bob Dylan.
Ammis
The voice