by Jacquelin Voegtlin

Created on: October 24, 2008

Bob Dylan:

Misunderstood in the Face of Rainy Day Criticism

"Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll," a stigma often attached to popular music, is a stereotype that more often than not, holds true. It was approximately during the 1960's through the early 1970's that this stamp on popular culture was just as it read. Artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Bob Dylan (although the list goes on) did nothing to deny or conceal this way of life. Often overlooked by the skeptics of the era, however, is the clear fact that much of the lyrical content dealt with political controversy. Topics such as racism, segregation, oppression, and anything of the like, were covered through means of music. The artists of the period were but speaking the truth. This is most certainly evident in Bob Dylan's, "Rainy Day Women 12 & 35." While examining this piece one finds a mixture of humor, sarcasm, revolt, and honest to God truth.

The first four lines of every stanza, "They'll stone you when," are of utmost importance when analyzing this lyrical poem. Initially, one must simply examine "they." Bob Dylan is clearly referring to the establishment: the elite, the rich, the powerful, and the government. In the aforementioned line, Dylan suggests what "they" will do if one were to step out of line. He writes they will "stone you." The act of stoning a human being is brutal and barbaric, at the very least. The repetition of the phrase paints a threatening image in the listener's mind.

Also pertinent to examine are the instances for which one could be stoned, according to Dylan. He writes, "they'll stone you when you're walkin' long the street / they'll stone you when you're tryin' to keep your seat." These two lines in particular excel in demonstrating the lingering segregation in the United States. Recall that blacks were not allowed to sit toward the front of public buses (in the South) until the mid 1950's. However, they were still faced with racism during the years following. "They'll stone you and then say they are brave / they'll stone you when you're set down in your grave," are also political references to the dying youth caught up in the Vietnam War. These lines set a rather serious tone, and Dylan's audience is forced to understand the angst of the time. The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll (Simon and Schuster, 2001) asserts that "his lyrics [were] the first in rock to be seriously regarded as literature..."

On the contrary, "Rainy Day Women 12 &

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>