Blowin' in the Wind : or the wind has an answer?

By Phaojao Kamlangjaidee


Hi-Lights :

  • Bob Dylan wrote the song "Blowin’ In the Wind’, which became a symbolic song of fighting for the rights and equality of people in society and became an anti-war song.  By incorporated the melodic folk melody called "No More Auction Block" to compose and rewrite. The use of a song that was played during the free time of colored people or the working class showed that he wanted this song to represent the colored people, speaks for them, demands them, even if he himself has a different skin color.
  • ​ Not only speak for those oppressed groups but Blowin ’In the Wind’ also set questions that challenged the moral of the ruling class. He asked many questions in this song. Many questions are unanswered questions. That is why he said that sometimes those answers may be floating in the wind.


No one ever notes when the first battle between humans occurred, on what conflict? Perhaps it was a battle of a primitive man who had been fighting for food.


There has never been a note of how many times this world has been fought. Both physical fights with fists and feet and ideological battles, that fight through thoughts and beliefs. It can be said that with the latter fight many times it caused a shaking change to the whole world. What would the world have been like if Galileo did not rise to contradict the Church? Or people like Mahatma Gandhi or Che Guevara, just wanted to lie down and watch birds at their house an did not fight in their own ways.


Perhaps the world may not be the way it is today.

Every fight has a question. Why fight? Fight for what? Or even when the fight will end? Normally every question needs answers.

And in any recess of the battle, there may be hidden answers.

There are several songs in the fight, so we call it to protest song. Or at our home, also called music for life. Some protest songs make us brave, make us believe or wake our spirits. Some protest songs soothe and encourage us to turn discouragement into power.


But there is also a song of fighting, one song that does not do that function. This song acts as doubt and asks many questions. More than anything, it is a song that shakes every element of humanity. It trembled the belief, the dream and even the faith of many people.


And the result of that shaking requires us to turn back and ask the question: what is the real fight exactly and what we fight for?  This powerful song that is "Blowin’ In The Wind’, a song in 1963 from Bob Dylan's from The Freewheelin 'Bob Dylan ’album, the legendary folk artist of America and the world.


Dylan, whose former name was Robert Allen Zimmerman, was born in 1941. His family emigrated from Ukraine and settled in Minnesota. Over the next ten years, he moved to Minneapolis and became interested in rock music from listening to rock and roll artists of that era, such as Little Richard and Buddy Holly. After attending university for just one year, he dropped out of his studies and moved to New York to follow his dream of becoming an artist. In 1962, Dilan released the first album (Bob Dylan), satisfied with the help of Woody Gotti, a folk artist who was one of his beloved.


ดิแล่นออกอัลบั้มชุดต่อมานั่นก็คือ ‘The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan’ ในหนึ่งปีให้หลัง อัลบั้มชุดนี้เองที่มีเพลง ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ ซึ่งกลายเป็นเพลงสัญลักษณ์แห่งการต่อสู้เพื่อสิทธิและความเท่าเทียมกันของคนในสังคม รวมทั้งกลายเป็นเพลงต่อต้านสงคราม (เคียงข้างกับเพลงของเขาอีกเพลงอย่าง ‘The Times They Are A Changin’)


Dylan released the next album, "The Freewheelin 'Bob Dylan' one year later. This album contains the song "Blowin’ In The Wind ’which became the symbolic song of the struggle for the rights and equality of people in society. Including becoming an anti-war song (Side by side with his songs, like "The Times They Are A-Changin')


During this period, American society, which is based on the migration of many nationalities especially the British lineage as ruling and people of African descent as rulers were breaking up. When the people who were ruled do not want to be ruled anymore the battle between the two classes took place. There are a lot of colored people killed as well as the white people.


Bob Dylan wrote the song "Blowin’ In The Wind’, which became a symbolic song of fighting for the rights and equality of people in society and became an anti-war song.  By incorporated the melodic folk melody called "No More Auction Block" to compose and rewrite. The use of a song that was played during the free time of colored people or the working class showed that he wanted this song to represent the colored people, speaks for them, demands them, even if he himself has a different skin color.


Film director Martin Scorsese talks about this song when he made a documentary about Bob Dee on "No Direction Home", "Blowin’ In The Wind’ that Blowin ’In The Wind’ has become a symbol of fighting that he did not understand why the 21-year-old white boy, Dylan, was able to capture the feelings and emotions of being oppressed and powerful.


Not only speak for those oppressed groups but Blowin ’In The Wind’ also set questions that challenged the moral of the ruling class. He asked many questions in this song. Many questions are unanswered questions. That is why he said that sometimes those answers may be floating in the wind.

The wind that may be translated as an answer may have or may not be possible to find.


There are many questions and questions about this song. Whether a group of people identified as Dylan's schoolmate who claimed to be the first composer (and Dylan reworked to record audio). But there seems to be no interest in this as much as the many hidden implications that they believe are hidden in the song "Blowin’ In The Wind."Yes' how many ears must one man have?" และ "Yes' n' how many times must a man turn his head / Pretending he just doesn't see?”


Michael Gray, author of ‘Dylan encyclopedia’ stated that Dylan intended this song to be related to the New Testament based on Ezekiel's Old Testament (12: 1–2) which says, "The word of the Lord came to me: 'Oh mortal, you dwell among the rebellious breed. They have eyes to see but see not; ears to hear but hear not." In 'Blowin' in the Wind 'Dylan wrote, "Yes' how many ears must one man have?" และ "Yes' n' how many times must a man turn his head / Pretending he just doesn't see?”

Without any explanation from Dylan about the origin of this song.
He denies all the implications that the audience can interpret. By saying "In addition to the matter that the answer is in the wind, I think there is nothing to say in this song again.
These answers are not in the movies, on TV, in books, or even in people who are in debate. It's in the wind floating in there. Many good people often ask me where the answer is. I replied every time that it was in the wind. Like paper that is blown, sometimes it fell and then blown again. There has never been anyone interested in it.


I want to say that crime and persecution are the same. There are people who know, and he may just see it and then turn back. It's just this. What do you want from me? I'm just a child aged 21. You are older and smarter than me. "

Blowin ’In The Wind’ succeeds in both deep and wide way. It was sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary and became a hit song. Until now, it has been covered over a hundred times and ranked among the best songs from many institutions.


Moreover, this is an immortal song. It can be immortal because it has created a set of questions that have never been answered. (Although Sam Cook composed the song "A Change Is Gonna Come" instead of the answer, but still not answering all the questions) Is a question that we must turn back to consider ourselves and those around you.


During that intense conflict, regardless of the one that we may suspect, what are we fighting against? is it worth? and when it will end?


At that time, maybe the answer might be in the wind..


The wind that no one can snatch or grab.


blowin’ in the wind lyrics

How many roads must a man walk down

Before you call him a man?

How many seas must a white dove sail

Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly

Before they're forever banned?

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist

Before it's washed to the sea?

Yes, how many years can some people exist

Before they're allowed to be free?

Yes, how many times can a man turn his head

Pretending he just doesn't see?

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up

Before he can see the sky?

Yes, how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.


ฟังเพลง Blowin’ in The Wind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G58XWF6B3AA


ฟังเพลง No More Auction Block

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ka1SKAgRq0


Column: Miracle Song

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