The Times They Are a-Changin' is Bob Dylan's 1963 protest anthem and the title track of his 1964 album.
He recorded it at Columbia's Studio A in New York on October 24, 1963.
It reached No. 9 in the UK as a 1965 single but was never a US single.
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Song
- What the Lyrics Say
- Recording and Release
- How It Charted and Was Received
- Legacy and Covers
- FAQ
The Story Behind The Times They Are a-Changin'
A Song With a Purpose
Dylan wrote it in September and October 1963.
He told Cameron Crowe in 1985 that it was "definitely a song with a purpose."
He wanted a big song with short, concise verses that stacked up in a hypnotic way.
He saw civil rights and folk music as closely allied.
Where the Sound Came From
Dylan named Irish and Scottish ballads as his models, including "Come All Ye Bold Highway Men" and "Come All Ye Tender Hearted Maidens."
Andy Gill heard echoes of the Book of Ecclesiastes in the verses.
The closing line about the first being last echoes Mark 10:31.
A demo of it later appeared on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3.
What the Lyrics Say
Each verse calls on a different group to get out of the way of change.
The singer addresses writers and critics, then senators and congressmen, then mothers and fathers.
The warning to parents became a slogan for young listeners.
In 1964 he said it had nothing to do with age, and in 1965 he called it a feeling rather than a statement.
Recording and Release
The Session
Dylan recorded the song at Columbia's Studio A in New York on October 23 and 24, 1963.
The October 24 take became the album version, with Tom Wilson producing.
The track runs 3:15.
Album and Single
Columbia released the title album on February 10, 1964.
The title song reached UK listeners as a single on March 8, 1965.
It was never issued as a US single.
How It Charted and Was Received
The Kennedy Story
Dylan told biographer Anthony Scaduto he opened a concert with the song the night after President Kennedy was shot.
He said he was afraid of being booed and could not understand why the audience applauded.
Scholar Ian Woodward suggests Dylan misremembered the date.
The earliest verifiable post-assassination show was November 26, 1963, at St. Lawrence University.
Critics and Charts
Michael Gray called the song the "archetypal protest song" in The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia.
Christopher Ricks wrote that it "transcends the political preoccupations of the time in which it was written."
| Measure | Detail | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Official Singles Chart | UK single peak, 1965 | No. 9 |
| Billboard 200 | Album peak | No. 20 |
| Official Albums Chart | Album peak, reached in 1965 | No. 4 |
| Rolling Stone | 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, 2004 | No. 59 |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | The 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll | Included |
Legacy and Covers
Covers
The Dylan Covers Database listed 436 recordings by October 2009.
Nina Simone, The Seekers, Joan Baez, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among them.
The Byrds cut their version on September 1, 1965, with Terry Melcher producing.
It appeared on their album that December.
Beyond Music
- Steve Jobs recited the second verse at the January 1984 Apple shareholders meeting.
- Dylan's handwritten lyrics sold at Sotheby's on December 10, 2010, for $422,500.
What Came Before and After
Dylan has played the song 633 times from 1963 to 2009, according to bobdylan.com.
He had sung Blowin' in the Wind at the March on Washington two months before the session.
See the studio day in On This Day, October 24.
His story runs on through the Folk Rock genre hub and our Bob Dylan biography.
FAQ
What is the song about?
It is a song about generational and social change.
Dylan told Cameron Crowe in 1985 it was "definitely a song with a purpose," and its verses call on writers, politicians and parents to make way for what is coming.
When did Bob Dylan write and record the song?
He wrote it in September and October 1963 and cut a publishing demo.
He recorded the album version at Columbia's Studio A in New York on October 24, 1963, with Tom Wilson producing.
Did the song chart?
It reached No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart as a 1965 single.
It was never released as a US single, though the album reached No. 20 in the US.
What inspired the song?
Dylan cited Irish and Scottish ballads, including "Come All Ye Bold Highway Men."
Critics also hear echoes of Ecclesiastes and the line about the first being last from Mark 10:31.
Who has covered the song?
Nina Simone, The Seekers, Joan Baez, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and The Byrds are among the many acts to record it.
The Byrds included it on their 1965 album.
Few folk songs have been quoted, covered and argued over as much as this one.
Wikipedia's entry on the song covers its history and covers in more depth.
Press play above and hear why The Times They Are a-Changin' still sounds like a warning and a promise.