Bob Dylan "Blowin' in the Wind"

"Blowin' In The Wind" (Bob Dylan)

How many roads most a man walk down

Before you call him a man?

How many seas must a white dove sail

Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly

Before they're forever banned?

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist

Before it's washed to the sea?

Yes, how many years can some people exist

Before they're allowed to be free?

Yes, how many times can a man turn his head

Pretending he just doesn't see?

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up

Before he can see the sky?

Yes, how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

I would never know this song if my sister’s friend didn't post it in her FB asking for a help of interpretation. At the first time reading this lyric, i was deeply engrossed in each line. It has indeed a deep meaning..

If you eventually download this song because of curiosity, you’ll probably get confused why i love this song..LOL.. yes, it’s an old song and the music is too old-fashioned.. but if you’re a poem lover, you’ll fall in love with both its song and lyric and of course not asking me why..:)

Each line of this poem has questions that seem so difficult to define.. i believe you’ll spend ur entire life just to answer each line’s question. Yes, coz how can one answer “how many years can a mountain exist before it’s washed to sea?” (line 9 & 10) or probably ur entire life cannot ever give u an answer. So, why should the writer write this lyric and those questions if finally we wont ever find the answers?

I also asked this question before.. why should one give a question if the question doesn't have an exact answer..

However, i thought it hard just to reflect these questions and finally come to the conclusion that the lyric of this song is showing the reality of life. If we read and think of each line we can find some points to be reflected. The following points are my own interpretation from this song, or what i learn from this sweet song. You may have ur own ideas or interpretation and find mine not really clear but that’s me..since i’m not an expert in analyzing a poem,  hope u just enjoy reading n be blessed. You may write ur own ideas about this lyric by leaving a comment on this post.

So, there are  2 main things i learn from this lyric:

1.       There are so many questions in our lives that sometimes have no answer. I’m the one who always asks God “WHY”. Yes, if God had a recording machine He probably would  tell me that i’ve been questioning Him why for more than thousand times  and in all my questions most of them is answered by  “You just don't need to know the answer, my sweet heart..” :D

The answer for all the questions here is “ blowing in the wind”. None knows where the wind blows...where its destination.. so is the answer, no one knows the answer. But one thing i love by questioning everything in life though we don't ever have the answer for all is that we learn to know that life flows as the water flows, it blows as the wind blows. U might not have the answer today but the answer will come to you in time when you don't want it anymore or almost forget that question. It takes time till you finally realize that ur question has been answered by the running of time. . or even if you don't have the answer you at least learn that you’ll never have all answers of ur questions. Lol

It sounds funny right?! People question for having no answer coz the answer is blowing in the wind...:)

2.       What i learn from the second and the third stanza is all about the nature of man. Yes, we are all sometimes so numb. We have eyes but don't see, have ears but don't listen, have mouth but tend to be silent...we are all loving the state of careless. Many times we pretend to be “blind” of the situation around us. Jesus ever said that better somebody loses one of his eyes than entering the hell with perfect parts of body. It’s true.. if u enter heaven with incomplete parts of body you’ll be much more grateful than being forever in fire.  

There are many people in this world living for reaching their own obsession and finally choose to ignore their conscience. I believe if we wanna be honest to ourselves we’ve been usual  in this situation that we rather choose to turn off the volume of our hearts.

Too many people suffer because of war, conflict, murder and at the same time so many people shout loudly for peace but the answer is still “blowin’ in the wind”. It’s reflected us that “NUMB” is not the appropriate word to describe man yet “CORPSE”..

 follow ur conscience coz there the place God dwells. Don't ignore the voice of your heart. As God lives in You, He shall speak to you.

So, for all the questions in life, the answer is only “blowin’ in the wind”...

“For everything under the sun has its season “ Ecclesiastes 3:1

Stay Blessed,

Haniva