The Times They Are A-Changin'
Flogging Molly Lyrics


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Come gather 'round, people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now




Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'

Overall Meaning

Flogging Molly's version of Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" retains the fervor of the original classic but imbued it with their brand of folk punk rock energy. The song speaks about the changing times and the need for people to adapt to the new reality. The first verse is a call for people to recognize that the world is changing rapidly and they need to adapt quickly if they want to survive. The second verse is addressed to writers and critics, urging them to take note of the changes and not to make predictions too soon. The third verse is addressed to politicians, asking them to heed the call of the people and work for the common good. The fourth and final verse addresses parents, asking them to accept the fact that their children will be living in a different world than they did and to support them as they navigate the new reality.


The line "If your time to you is worth savin', then you better start swimmin'" is a call to action, a warning that people need to take responsibility for their own lives and take action to adapt to the changing times. The line "The battle outside ragin' will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls" is a metaphor for the social upheaval that was happening in the 1960s, which Dylan wrote the original song about. Flogging Molly's version retains this sense of urgency and speaks to the social and political upheavals of our times.


Line by Line Meaning

Come gather 'round, people
Everybody should come together


Wherever you roam
No matter where you are


And admit that the waters
Realize that there are problems


Around you have grown
Things have gotten worse


And accept it that soon
Understand that things will soon be different


You'll be drenched to the bone
You'll be fully affected


If your time to you is worth savin'
If you value your time


And you better start swimmin'
You need to take action


Or you'll sink like a stone
Otherwise, you'll be left behind


For the times they are a-changin'
The world is changing rapidly


Come writers and critics
People who analyze and critique society


Who prophesize with your pen
Who make predictions with their writing


And keep your eyes wide
Be observant


The chance won't come again
This opportunity won't return


And don't speak too soon
Don't make hasty judgments


For the wheel's still in spin
The situation is still in flux


And there's no tellin' who
Nobody knows for certain


That it's namin'
Who will come out on top


For the loser now
People who are currently not succeeding


Will be later to win
Could have success in the future


Come senators, congressmen
Politicians in power


Please heed the call
Listen carefully to the message


Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block progress


Don't block up the hall
Don't obstruct important changes


For he that gets hurt
People who face negative consequences


Will be he who has stalled
Those who didn't act or create change


The battle outside ragin'
The conflict happening right now


Will soon shake your windows
It will be felt strongly


And rattle your walls
It will be disruptive


Come mothers and fathers
Parents of society


Throughout the land
Across the nation


And don't criticize
Don't judge harshly


What you can't understand
What you don't comprehend


Your sons and your daughters
The youth


Are beyond your command
They are in control of their own lives


Your old road is rapidly agin'
The traditional way of doing things is dying


Please get out of the new one
Don't cling to new trends


If you can't lend your hand
If you can't contribute positively


For the times they are a-changin'
Change is occurring at an unprecedented rate


The line it is drawn
It's been decided


The curse it is cast
It's been set in motion


The slow one now
Those lagging behind ultimately


Will later be fast
Has the potential to catch up


As the present now
Right now


Will later be past
Will eventually be old news


The order is rapidly fadin'
The way things are run is disappearing


And the first one now
Those who embrace change early


Will later be last
Will be left behind eventually


For the times they are a-changin'
Change is inevitable and happening quickly




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@nickyboy22071989

Wasn't quite prepared for this level of awesome.

@808kicks2

nickyboy22071989 took the words right out of my brain!!! HOLY FUCK that was INSANELY AWESOME

@joshuaflorczak2478

I read your comment first and was still not ready

@unhpsychology3909

Me either!

@fennsk

I was excited, but not excited enough!

@ChaosXTheProject

"And don't criticize What you can't understand" - Bob Dylan

@kellahella5286

A version I never knew I needed. 👏👏👏. Yes, they are

@undr1hat958

I so glad YouTube doesn’t make me watch a commercial for each time I watch/listen to this, Over and over again. Awesome!

@pc4mlc451

Incredible. What a perfect fit. Flogging Molly is the perfect band to cover this song.

@patrickclark7628

From a huge Dylan fan, this is spectacular.

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