blog post 2

When I first came across the song "Only Pawn In Their Game" by Bob Dylan, I didn't know what to think. When I read the lyrics I had my own interpretation of the words. I thought that he was defending the white people down in Mississippi. But when I heard Dylan sing it I changed my mind instantly. The way he sings the song you can tell that he didn't support the issues at all. I think the way that he sang the song, the lyrics just mean a whole different thing. He is explaining all the cruel acts that are being done in the south, he is also explaining the reason why they are being done. He was talking about the current events that were going on in that era. For example he brought up the issue with Medgar Evers. He was a man who was a civil rights activist who was murdered and his killer was never convicted. Dylan made it completely clear in the song that an innocent man was killed due to his color and voice. But what had me confused in the beginning was the line he repeats throughout every verse. He sings "their only a pawn in their game" This was not clear to me at first. After I heard the song it made so much sense. These people are responsible for the injustice, but they are programmed to do these inhumane acts. They don't know any better. But after the song continues the way he sings the songs its almost like he knows that they are doing these acts because they want us to believe that they cant control it. Its like Dylan caught on to their act. All these things are included in the same song, being that he wrote this and its so personal as if he lived there. He was from New York. The way the words are put together almost seems personal. What I would like to know is what was the initial reaction of the people. This song is extremely controversial. I have seen some live performances of Dylan performing this song and it was completely quiet in the crowd, its almost like each person is imagining the scenario that Dylan is painting with his words. That is kind of amazing. He is painting a picture with his voice. I have read the interview of Bernice Johnson Reagon. She was basically speaking about her insight with the whole civil rights situation. She was a singer and even though what she was saying is different from Dylan I feel that they are very common in a broader sense. She felt that people can change as long as they program themselves to do so. Dylan was talking about the events that were happening, while Reagon was at those events. She was part of SNCC and she was very active in her community. They are both artists, they are both singers, and they both want change. They want equality and they felt the best way to get your point across is by exposing the truth no matter how hurtful it may be. They want to expose the government in what is going on but in song and activities. She did marches and sit-ins while Dylan went to these marches and rallies and performed. In a way they helped each other. More research will bring more details.