Would anyone say that Bob Dylan's song "With God on our Side" is an ironic and/ or sarcastic song?
2007-03-03 19:44:14 · 7 answers · asked by awkwardturtle 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.
Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.
Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.
Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.
When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.
I've learned to hate
2007-03-03 19:51:03 · update #1
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.
But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.
In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.
So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.
2007-03-03 19:51:59 · update #2
Ok i know its ironic, but is it sarcastic... maybe not. i think im stretching it a little with sarcastic.
2007-03-03 20:00:34 · update #3
Of course it's ironic and sarcastic!! Thank you for bringing this to my attention again--haven't heard it for years, but it is certainly right on the mark for the present administration and our "new war".
For those of you not around in the 60s and 70s: Dylan was commenting on what we had all learned in school (and often at our parents' knees, in church, and, in general, everywhere!!!). We were taught that America had "God on its side"; we were taught that "we" were right and anyone who didn't agree was "wrong".(Remember "Love it or Leave it"? I hear that a lot in the Politics section these days...)
When many of us "woke up" to what was really happening, we gained a different view of the US and the world. Dylan, the consummate poet of the day (and still one of the greatest!!!!), was expressing our outrage in his song(s).
EDIT: This gets a "thumbs down"???? Why???
...
2007-03-03 20:02:29 · answer #1 · answered by Joey's Back 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
LOL With Bob Dylan it wouldn't suprise me. The man's a master tho.
2007-03-03 19:58:02 · answer #2 · answered by shaqsbiggestfan 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sarcastic? ...But true " In God We Trust"
Another great song by the greatest songwriter...poet..Ever.
2007-03-03 19:59:11 · answer #3 · answered by Chris B 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Good question.Go ask Bob Dylan.
2007-03-03 19:52:17 · answer #4 · answered by Factory Girl 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No...as a wordsmith he leaves that up to us....it is from him a decision.
2007-03-03 19:47:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't see how it's ironic or sarcastic.
2007-03-03 20:05:45 · answer #6 · answered by Emma 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's hard to tell with Bob -- he's unintelligible !!!!! (am I the only person who has noticed?)
We could only decide if he stuck to writing ONLY, and only let others sing his songs!
.
2007-03-03 19:49:31 · answer #7 · answered by Maewest 4 · 0⤊ 5⤋