Oxford Town

Bob Dylan

About Oxford Town

"Oxford Town" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 1962. It was recorded in Columbia's Studio A on December 6, 1962 for his second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. The song was composed in response to an open invitation from Broadside magazine for songs about one of the top news events of 1962: the Ole Miss riot triggered by the enrollment of a black student, James Meredith, in the University of Mississippi on October 1. Among other submissions was Phil Ochs' song "Ballad of Oxford, Mississippi". The lyrics and music from Dylan's song were printed December 1962 in Broadside's issue #17. Except that the University of Mississippi is located in Oxford, Mississippi, "Oxford Town" does not mention either Meredith or the university by name. Later, in an interview with Studs Terkel, Dylan said, "It deals with the Meredith case, but then again it doesn't... I wrote that when it happened, and I could have written that yesterday. It's still the same. 'Somebody better investigate soon' that's a verse in the song." 


Year:
2013
1:48
135 
#3

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Oxford Town, Oxford Town
Everybody's got their heads bowed down
The sun don't shine above the ground
Ain't a-goin' down to Oxford Town

He went down to Oxford Town
Guns and clubs followed him down
All because his face was brown
Better get away from Oxford Town

Oxford Town around the bend
Come to the door, he couldn't get in
All because of the color of his skin
What do you think about that, my friend?

Me and my gal, my gal's son
We got met with a tear gas bomb
I don't even know why we come
Goin' back where we come from

Oxford Town in the afternoon
Everybody singin' a sorrowful tune
Two men died 'neath the Mississippi moon
Somebody better investigate soon

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Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan ( /ˈdɪlən/; born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and artist. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of Dylan's early songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan's six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" has been described as radically altering the parameters of popular music in … more »

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Written by: BOB DYLAN

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Song Creation
"Oxford Town" was written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and was included in his second studio album, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", released in 1963.
Inspired by Current Events
This song was inspired by the events revolving around James Meredith, the first African American student to register at the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, in Oxford, Mississippi.
Civil Rights Theme
The song is a poignant commentary on the violent racial turmoil that marked the American Civil Rights Movement.
Setting
The 'Oxford Town' in the song is not Oxford, England as often misconstrued, but Oxford, Mississippi in the United States.
Unique Song Structure
Unlike many songs, "Oxford Town" does not have a chorus or a bridge. It consists of only three verses.
Length
The track is one of Dylan's shorter songs, lasting a mere one minute and fifty seconds.
Wide Recognition
In the folk and protest genre, "Oxford Town" has gained widespread recognition and has been covered by numerous artists over the years.
Dylan's Comment
In a conversation with Studs Terkel, Bob Dylan mentioned that he wrote "Oxford Town" in a car on his way to a particular place. He also said it was one of the songs he liked the most from his second album.
Metaphorical Use Lyrics
While the title suggests a specific locality, the song symbolically refers to any town or place that was scarred by racial unrest and segregation.
Impact
Though "Oxford Town" wasn't released as a single, it contributed greatly to establishing Dylan as not just a songwriter but a protest singer who used music to address social injustices.
Cross-referencing
In a later work entitled "Chronicles," Dylan admitted he modeled "Oxford Town" on Curtis Jones' "Highway 51", another song from Dylan's first album.

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