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“The Times They Are a-Changin” is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his 1964 album of the same name.
Dylan appears to have written the song in September and October 1963. He offered it as a Witmark music publishing demo in that month—a version that was finally released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991. The song was then recorded in the Columbia studios in New York on the 23rd and 24th October, and the latter yielded the version that became the title song of Dylan’s third album.
Dylan recalled writing the song as a deliberate attempt to create an anthem of change for the moment. In 1985, he told Cameron Crowe: “This was definitely a song with a purpose. It was influenced of course by the Irish and Scottish ballads …’Come All Ye Bold Highway Men’, ‘Come All Ye Tender Hearted Maidens’. I wanted to write a big song, with short concise verses that piled up on each other in a hypnotic way. The civil rights movement and the folk music movement were pretty close for a while and allied together at that time.”
Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin recounts how Tony Glover stopped by Dylan’s apartment in September 1963, picked up a page of the song Dylan was working on and read a line from it: “Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call.’ Turning to Dylan, Glover said, ‘What is this shit, man?’ Dylan shrugged his shoulders and replied, ‘Well, you know, it seems to be what the people want to hear.”
Dylan appears to have written the song in September and October 1963. He offered it as a Witmark music publishing demo in that month—a version that was finally released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991. The song was then recorded in the Columbia studios in New York on the 23rd and 24th October, and the latter yielded the version that became the title song of Dylan’s third album.
Dylan recalled writing the song as a deliberate attempt to create an anthem of change for the moment. In 1985, he told Cameron Crowe: “This was definitely a song with a purpose. It was influenced of course by the Irish and Scottish ballads …’Come All Ye Bold Highway Men’, ‘Come All Ye Tender Hearted Maidens’. I wanted to write a big song, with short concise verses that piled up on each other in a hypnotic way. The civil rights movement and the folk music movement were pretty close for a while and allied together at that time.”
Dylan biographer Clinton Heylin recounts how Tony Glover stopped by Dylan’s apartment in September 1963, picked up a page of the song Dylan was working on and read a line from it: “Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call.’ Turning to Dylan, Glover said, ‘What is this shit, man?’ Dylan shrugged his shoulders and replied, ‘Well, you know, it seems to be what the people want to hear.”
Video
Added by robertogiammanco
Bob Dylan, Auditorium Parco Della Musica Rome, 16 July 2006, The Times They Are A-Changin'
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Shouts
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Katmandingo wrote:
eugrus thank you so much for mentioning the Watchmen intro. I get shivers just thinking about it. Great song, and that was indeed the perfect place to use it.
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tguazzelli wrote:
thanx Dylan for this song
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eugrus wrote:
Just going to be the next to say it was perfect in Watchmen intro.
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Andificus wrote:
One of the most perfect apocalypse songs...
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FootToFace wrote:
you'd be stupid then
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gavshak wrote:
i like the byrds version more personally
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Barberi wrote:
Great song! Aweful video!! C'mon last.fm, don't post crap like this...
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Allor1994 wrote:
thanx to watchmen i discovered this song, yeah i know it is too late... [4]
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grunimo wrote:
thanx to watchmen i discovered this song, yeah i know it is too late... [3] and movie was awesome too
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DimazzzZ wrote:
great legendary song
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jackanory wrote:
agreed that this song was the best part of watchmen. to be fair though, the opening was incredible and this song was perfect for it. the rest of the film wasn't nearly as good, it was ok though.
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kryptonite22 wrote:
this song was actually pretty much the best thing about watchmen. film is boring.
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ellexoxo wrote:
i love this song
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marcey_krawall wrote:
thanx to watchmen i discovered this song, yeah i know it is too late... [2]
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echerrr wrote:
this song is the prefect soundtack to the times we are living in
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davidbowiegirl wrote:
Fits perfectly to the intro scene in Watchmen (the movie is great), but this song is great on its own too <3
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spacefaceinfurs wrote:
a truly great song
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GameQude wrote:
This song is almost like made for the intro of Watchmen. Awesome song.
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jsnruf wrote:
Alternate version from the Love and Theft bonus disc is superior.
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L3NNJUUU wrote:
One of the best movie intros! Watchmen <3
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