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Bob Dylan
About Chimes of Freedom
"Chimes of Freedom" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan (see 1964 in music), produced by Tom Wilson. Initially, critics described the song as showing the influence of the symbolist poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. More recent biographers of Dylan have linked the origins of the song to verses Dylan had written as a reflection on the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. The song depicts the thoughts and feelings of the singer and his companion as they shelter from a lightning storm under a doorway after sunset. The singer expresses his solidarity with the downtrodden and oppressed, believing the thunder is tolling in sympathy for them. Music critic Paul Williams has described the song as Dylan's Sermon on the Mount. The song has been covered many times by different artists, including The Byrds, Jefferson Starship, Youssou N'Dour, Bruce Springsteen, and U2.more »
- Year:
- 2013
- 7:09
- 1,550Views
- Playlists:
- #3
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Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!
Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken tollWe ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashingAs majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the soundsSeeming to be the chimes of freedom flashingFlashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fightFlashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flightAn' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the nightAn' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashingThrough the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watchedWith faces hidden as the walls were tighteningAs the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rainDissolved into the bells of the lightningTolling for the rebel, tolling for the rakeTolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsakenedTolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stakeAn' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashingThrough the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hailThe sky cracked its poems in naked wonderThat the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breezeLeaving only bells of lightning and its thunderStriking for the gentle, striking for the kindStriking for the guardians and protectors of the mindAn' the poet and the painter far behind his rightful timeAn' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashingIn the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled talesFor the disrobed faceless forms of no positionTolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughtsAll down in taken-for-granted situationsTolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the muteFor the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostituteFor the misdemeanor outlaw, chaineded an' cheated by pursuitAn' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashingEven though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flaredAn' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly liftingElectric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the onesCondemned to drift or else be kept from driftingTolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trailFor the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a taleAn' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jailAn' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashingStarry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caughtTrapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspendedAs we listened one last time an' we watched with one last lookSpellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling endedTolling for the aching whose wounds cannot be nursedFor the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worseAn' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universeAn' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing
Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!
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Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan ( /ˈdɪlən/; born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and artist. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of Dylan's early songs, such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'", became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan's six-minute single "Like a Rolling Stone" has been described as radically altering the parameters of popular music in … more »
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Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Bob Dylan's Composition"Chimes of Freedom" is a song written and composed by Bob Dylan. It is a part of his album "Another Side" which was released in 1964. |
InspirationThe song was heavily influenced by the civil rights movement that was going on during the time of its composition. Many people consider it an anthem for human rights and freedom. |
Song StructureThe original version of "Chimes of Freedom" by Bob Dylan is nearly seven and a half minutes long. The song structure breaks from traditional folk and rock forms, consisting of verses only, without any chorus or bridge. |
The Byrds' Cover"The Byrds," an American rock band, performed a cover version of "Chimes of Freedom" for their album "Mr. Tambourine Man" in 1965, making the song considerably shorter, down to just over three minutes. |
Popularizing The SongThe Byrds are credited with helping to popularize the song. Their version was very popular in the U.K. and reached number 36 in the Singles Chart. |
Other CoversApart from The Byrds, the song has been covered by numerous artists in various genres. This includes versions by Bruce Springsteen, Youssou N'Dour, and U2. |
Use in Protests"Chimes of Freedom" has been used in numerous protests and human rights campaigns around the world because of its strong message about freedom and equality. |
Legacy"Chimes of Freedom" is often considered one of Bob Dylan's most significant and impactful songs. Rolling Stone magazine listed it at number 334 on their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list. |
Tribute AlbumThe song was also featured on the 2012 charity tribute album "Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International" which features various artists covering Bob Dylan's songs. |
Live PerformancesBoth Bob Dylan and The Byrds played "Chimes of Freedom" at many live performances, including music festivals and concerts, making it a staple in their setlists. |
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