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World Changers
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Bob Dylan
Jakob Dylan's dad was also a singer-songwriter. But not only that--he was a exceptional poet and an icon of the peace movement that began in the 1960s.
Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota on May 24, 1941. At twelve he taught himself to play guitar and later began playing harmonica along with his singing. His lyrics not only send a powerful message, they are stark, realistic, incredible poetry. Bob was one of many folk singers to come out of the 1960s. Bob is inspiring. He was an average guy on the journey of his life. He expressed his trials, tribulations, feelings, and experiences through music. He changed social constructions by drawing attention to people often overlooked: the down-trodden and working-class people of America. In so doing, he emphasized that all people are part of a greater whole and that each individual is an equally important part of that whole. In the 1960's, the people of America began to question authority. Previous to that time, the laws and attitudes, government and customs, had more or less just been accepted and followed. People began to wonder why their sons and friends were going off to fight for their country and coming back dead, why had their favorite president, John F. Kennedy, been assassinated. People questioned the perfection of their country. This attitude was especially prevalent in the younger generation of which Bob was a part. The American perspective was changing and Bob voiced that change. One of his most famous songs , "TheTimes They are a Changin'," captured the voice of his generation. He always remained true to himself. In so doing he teaches us a great lesson. No person ought to be what anyone else wants them to be. One lives for oneself. He evolved in his life and so did his music. What he sang reflected where he was in his life. No matter what listeners he lost or what public scorn was shed on him, he remained true to this ideal. This gives an individual's life and growth the respect it deserves. All too often in our society, people are labeled and are held back by other people's expectations of them. There is a beauty and integrity to a person's changing life and that should be exalted and supported, not ridiculed. Bob taught us that our lives are the dearest, most precious gift we have; and that any person, no matter what their background, who remains true to themselves and fights for what they believe in, can change the world.
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"He
not busy being born, is busy dying." --Bob Dylan