1963 Songs: Blowin’ in the Wind

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Thanks, Country Music Association, for making me feel OLD. They announced the “class of 2023” Hall of Fame inductees this morning, and all three — Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless, and songwriter Bob McDill — have had their entire careers in my lifetime. While I sip on Geritol here’s another song to make everyone feel old. This song turns sixty this year. Blowin’ in the Wind - Bob Dylan As I’ve mentioned a time or 800, I don’t care for Bob Dylan’s voice that much. But let’s face it, THIS is a watershed moment in music history. This song has been recorded a blue billion times and has served as one of the definitive protest songs of the 60s…and, seriously, since. But I want you to think about something: this song was recorded in 1962 and released in August 1963. Before JFK’s assassination. Before RFK and MLK’s assassinations. Before the build-up in Vietnam. BEFORE the turbulence of 1968. So how did a 21-year-old kid know something that all the politicians didn’t? Well, the politicians probably knew it (and still do), but their jobs depended (and still depend) on fearmongering. How many times we will continue to believe their lies? That answer, too, has been blowing around for decades. Blowin’ in the Wind Written by Bob Dylan Recorded by Bob Dylan From The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, 1963 Too many people have died: