With God on Our Side

Bob Dylan

About With God on Our Side

"With God on Our Side" is a song by Bob Dylan, released as the third track on his 1964 album The Times They Are A-Changin'. Dylan first performed the song during his debut at The Town Hall in New York City on April 12, 1963. Dylan is known to sing the song only rarely in concert.


Year:
1964
7:08
573 
#11

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Oh my name it ain't nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I was taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side

Oh, the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh, the country was young
With God on its side

The Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War, too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I was made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side

The First World War, boys
It came and it went
The reason for fighting
I never did get
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side

The Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And then we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now, too
Have God on their side

I've learned to hate the Russians
All through my whole life
If another war comes
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side

But now we got weapons
Of chemical dust
If fire them, we're forced to
Then fire, them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side

Through many a dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ was
Betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
That if God's on our side
He'll stop the next war

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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


8 facts about this song

Release Date & Album
"With God On Our Side" is a track from Bob Dylan's third album, "The Times They Are A-Changin'," which was released in 1964.
Genre
The genre of the song is folk, which is a hallmark of Dylan's early career. It's recognized for its powerful and deeply introspective lyrics.
Lyrics Theme
The lyrics of "With God on Our Side" comment on the philosophy that justifies war by placing God on one side, highlighting the questionable morality of such belief. Dylan walks through various historical events, including World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.
Live Performances
A 10-minute live version of the song was recorded in 1988 during the Never Ending Tour and was included in Dylan's album "The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration".
Covert References
The song refers to various military engagements in American history, but Dylan never specifically mentions Vietnam, although the conflict was escalating at the time the song was written and released.
Controversy
Some critics compared the tune of "With God on Our Side" with an earlier folk song, "The Patriot Game" by Dominic Behan. Dylan was accused of 'borrowing' the melody from Behan's song.
Political Impact
This song is considered one of Dylan's most poignant and powerful political statements, it drove the folk music's turn into 'protest music' during the civil rights movement and the escalating Vietnam War.
Collaborations
In 2003, Dylan played a duet version of the song with Joan Baez during his performance at The Newport Folk Festival, focusing on the civil rights and anti-war themes.

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