About the song
Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” is a timeless piece that captures the essence of its era while resonating deeply with audiences even today. Released in 1963, this song emerged during a period of profound social and political upheaval. Bob Dylan, a quintessential figure in American folk music, used his poignant and evocative lyrics to address the turbulent times and the collective anxiety of his generation.
In “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” Dylan weaves a tapestry of vivid imagery and symbolic language, painting a stark picture of a world on the brink of transformation. The song’s recurring refrain, “a hard rain’s a-gonna fall,” serves as a metaphor for the inevitable and potentially devastating changes that society faces. This metaphorical ‘rain’ represents not just literal storms, but also the broader existential and moral challenges confronting humanity.
The lyrical content of the song is both haunting and profound, exploring themes of social justice, war, and human suffering. Dylan’s ability to capture the mood of a restless era, filled with uncertainty and hope, is one of the reasons why this song remains relevant. The song’s structure—a series of surreal and often disquieting images—invites listeners to reflect on their own lives and the state of the world around them.
Musically, “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” is grounded in folk traditions but also infused with a raw, emotional intensity that marks much of Dylan’s work. The simple yet powerful acoustic arrangement complements the depth of the lyrics, allowing the message to take center stage.
This song not only reflects the anxieties of the 1960s but also serves as a timeless reminder of the resilience and introspection required to navigate periods of great change. Bob Dylan’s masterful storytelling in “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” ensures that its message continues to resonate with listeners across generations, urging us all to confront the challenges of our own times with a similar depth of understanding and introspection.
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Lyrics
Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
And where have you been, my darling young one?
I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fallOh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fallAnd what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, that roared out a warnin’
I heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
I heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin’
I heard ten thousand whisperin’ and nobody listenin’
I heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin’
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fallOh, what did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I met one man who was wounded in love
I met another man who was wounded in hatred
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fallAnd what’ll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
And what’ll you do now, my darling young one?
I’m a-goin’ back out ‘fore the rain starts a-fallin’
I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest dark forest
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
And the executioner’s face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I’ll tell and speak it and think it and breathe it
And reflect from the mountain so all souls can see it
And I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’
But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall