The Times They Are A-Changin

Bob Dylan

About The Times They Are A-Changin

"The Times They Are a-Changin'" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released as the title track of his 1964 album of the same name. Dylan wrote the song as a deliberate attempt to create an anthem of change for the time, influenced by Irish and Scottish ballads. Released as a 45-rpm single in Britain in 1965, it reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart. Ever since its release the song has been influential to people's views on society, with critics noting the general yet universal lyrics as contributing to the song's lasting message of change. Dylan has occasionally performed it in concert. The song has been covered by many different artists, including Nina Simone, the Byrds, the Seekers, Peter, Paul and Mary, Simon & Garfunkel, Runrig, the Beach Boys, Joan Baez, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Burl Ives. The song was ranked number 59 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". 


Year:
1990
1,376 
#8

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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'
Then 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
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll 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'.

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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


1 fact about this song

Artist) Bob Dylan originally wrote and performed "The Times They Are a-Changin'" in 1964.
2. (Genre) The song is considered a folk anthem and it captures the social and political upheaval that characterized the 1960s. 3. (Album) "The Times They Are a-Changin'" is also the title track of Bob Dylan's third studio album. 4. (Awards) Bob Dylan won the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, with "The Times They Are a-Changin" being one of his notable works contributing to the award. 5. (Historical Context) The song has been used in various forms of media to signify times of change, including movies, television shows, and political campaigns. 6. (Cover) The Beach Boys covered "The Times They Are a-Changin'" in 2004 for their album "Songs From Here & Back". However, their rendition of the song has a different, more upbeat feel than Dylan's original track. 7. (Collaboration) While the Beach Boys are known for their harmonious contributions to the surf rock genre, they never actually collaborated with Bob Dylan on this song - they simply did their own cover version of it. 8. (Lyrics) The lyrics of "The Times They Are A-Changin'" were influenced by Irish and Scottish ballads. 9. (Legacy) This song has been covered by a myriad of artists aside from The Beach Boys, reflecting its timeless appeal and lasting influence in popular culture. 10. (Influence) Bob Dylan’s original track played a crucial role during the American civil rights movement and anti-war protests of the 1960s. The song continues to symbolize social change. 11. (Reaction) On the critical front, "The Times They Are A-Changin'" is often heralded as one of Dylan's most moving and renowned works.

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