The Times They Are a Changin'
Mason Jennings 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

In Mason Jennings’ rendition of Bob Dylan’s classic, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”, the lyrics are a call to society to acknowledge the shifting times, and to make the necessary changes to keep up. Jennings calls out to people from all walks of life, urging them to take notice of their surroundings and to recognize that they are living in a time of great change.


He warns that those who refuse to adapt to the changing times will be left behind and ultimately left with nothing. The opening lines, for instance, “And accept it that soon / You’ll be drenched to the bone,” imply a sense of urgency, and the need to act before it’s too late.


The song’s attention is not just reserved for the general public - it also addresses those in positions of power, such as senators and congressmen. The lyrics demand that they pay attention to the changes taking place in society and work to create policies that reflect those changes. As with the rest of the song, the message is one of adaptation and growth, in order to survive in a changing world.


Overall, Mason Jennings’ interpretation of “The Times They Are A-Changin’” calls for a sense of urgency in adapting to a changing world, and reiterates the timeless message that those who refuse to change will ultimately be left behind.


Line by Line Meaning

Come gather 'round, people
Everyone should come together


Wherever you roam
No matter where you are in life


And admit that the waters
Acknowledge that the world around you


Around you have grown
Is changing rapidly


And accept it that soon
Understand that in no time


You'll be drenched to the bone
You'll be overwhelmed by the changes


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


And you better start swimmin'
You need to start adapting


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


For the times they are a-changin'
Because the world is rapidly evolving


Come writers and critics
Those who observe and comment on the world


Who prophesize with your pen
Who make predictions with your writing


And keep your eyes wide
Be alert and observant


The chance won't come again
Opportunities don't always repeat themselves


And don't speak too soon
Don't make predictions too early


For the wheel's still in spin
Because everything is still in motion


And there's no tellin' who
And it's hard to know


That it's namin'
What will ultimately happen


For the loser now
Those who are failing now


Will be later to win
Can later experience success


Come senators, congressmen
Those in power in government


Please heed the call
Listen to what's happening


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


Don't block up the hall
Don't stop others from moving forward


For he that gets hurt
Those who suffer the consequences


Will be he who has stalled
Are those who obstructed progress


The battle outside ragin'
The conflict in the world at large


Will soon shake your windows
Will soon affect you personally


And rattle your walls
And challenge your beliefs


Come mothers and fathers
Parents


Throughout the land
Everywhere


And don't criticize
Don't judge too harshly


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


Your sons and your daughters
Your children


Are beyond your command
Are independent and making their own choices


Your old road is rapidly agin'
Your traditional ways are becoming outdated


Please get out of the new one
Stop trying to cling to new ways


If you can't lend your hand
If you can't help


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


The line it is drawn
A line has been drawn in the sand


The curse it is cast
There is no going back


The slow one now
Those who have been slow to adapt


Will later be fast
Will later become quickly accustomed


As the present now
As things are currently


Will later be past
Will become history


The order is rapidly fadin'
Old ways of doing things are fading away


And the first one now
Those who are adapting quickly


Will later be last
Will be the ones lagging behind in time


For the times they are a-changin'
The world is changing faster than ever before




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

macaz1986

Sick video! Love it.

A

I think the video hits the most imaginations about this song :D just great :D

Art Levine

this is awesome

Jen Ki

Nice work. I wish I could help the polar bears. :(

Taif Altaf

the first one now will later be last and that is what happens.

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