These things are traps for distracting you from your true life's purpose...
Money:
"For them that must obey authority
That they do not respect in any degree
Who despise their jobs, their destinies
Speak jealously of them that are free
Do what they do just to be
Nothing more than something
They invest in."
You pay for college to work a job that you hate. You hate your boss and you hate anyone who isn't hating their life as much as you are. For instance, those who are "free" in the sense that they are not bound by society's rat race.
Consumerism:
"Advertising signs that con you
Into thinking you're the one
That can do what's never been done
That can win what's never been won
Meantime life outside goes on
All around you."
Obviously. This car will make you happy. This deodorant will bring you love. With this box of crackers, you'll live forever.
Church and Politics:
While preachers preach of evil fates
and
While some on principles baptized
Again, these things are distractions. Anyone who just sits and fights for their church (not God, the church) or fights for their "social club" (aka, political party) is distracted. Not realizing they're furthering someone else, not their self.
Being a judgmental about sexual issues (premarital, homosexual):
Old lady judges watch people in pairs
Limited in sex, they dare
To push fake morals, insult and stare
People who spend their lives just worrying about judging other people instead of living their own lives.
And also:
While money doesn't talk, it swears
Obscenity, who really cares
Propaganda, all is phony.
The point is to not get hung up on any of these things. You could spend your whole life fighting obscenity...but who cares? You could spend your whole life fighting propaganda, but if you understand EVERYTHING is just as phoney, then it doesn't matter.
Being partisan/pro-war/anti-war/peace loving:
"As some warn victory, some downfall
Private reasons great or small
Can be seen in the eyes of those that call
To make all that should be killed to crawl
While others say don't hate nothing at all
Except hatred"
There are tons more in the song, but the point is that these are all distractions. These are things not to be worried about. These are what you need not to fall into if you plan to actually be yourself, to understand the nature of true freedom. Once you become a slave to any of these things, you are a slave...period. Meanwhile, all the rest of the world are slaves to these things, and you have to figure out a way to be you and live your life amongst these things....just to survive...
"An' though the rules of the road have been lodged
It's only people's games that you got to dodge
And it's alright, Ma, I can make it."
The big line comes near the end with:
"My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards
False gods, I scuff
At pettiness which plays so rough
Walk upside-down inside handcuffs
Kick my legs to crash it off
Say okay, I have had enough
What else can you show me?"
He's basically saying that the world has attempted to hold him down with these things, and he's rejected them. He is doing exactly what he wants. He's kicked off the handcuffs.
This song is all about being mentally free from everything that attempts to enslave you.
He refers to taking off handcuffs, he says how most people are "living in a vault" (not free) he says how people speak jealously of those that are free, etc etc etc.
The most important thing is to understand that you don't have to play these games and you don't have to be any one or anything's slave...
"I got nothing, Ma, to live up to."
Just be yourself, realize where the traps are, even ones with good intentions. This is life, and Dylan lets us believe that something better is coming afterward, but we have to make it through all of this, first.
I like your take on the song - and I can't find it in me to disagree strongly with anything you have written. I see it more as a song about a moralist, who is trying to stay sane. If you spend your whole life reacting to what is stupid, brutal and limiting, you can end up being overwhelmed. You will be right on the issues, but you will struggle to feel sane and balanced. So when you add together all the absurdities and injustices which the narrator (justifiably) rails against, you end up with a portrait of a moralist...
I like your take on the song - and I can't find it in me to disagree strongly with anything you have written. I see it more as a song about a moralist, who is trying to stay sane. If you spend your whole life reacting to what is stupid, brutal and limiting, you can end up being overwhelmed. You will be right on the issues, but you will struggle to feel sane and balanced. So when you add together all the absurdities and injustices which the narrator (justifiably) rails against, you end up with a portrait of a moralist going mad. For me that is what makes it so frightening and moving.
These things are traps for distracting you from your true life's purpose...
Money: "For them that must obey authority That they do not respect in any degree Who despise their jobs, their destinies Speak jealously of them that are free Do what they do just to be Nothing more than something They invest in."
You pay for college to work a job that you hate. You hate your boss and you hate anyone who isn't hating their life as much as you are. For instance, those who are "free" in the sense that they are not bound by society's rat race.
Consumerism: "Advertising signs that con you Into thinking you're the one That can do what's never been done That can win what's never been won Meantime life outside goes on All around you."
Obviously. This car will make you happy. This deodorant will bring you love. With this box of crackers, you'll live forever.
Church and Politics: While preachers preach of evil fates and While some on principles baptized
Again, these things are distractions. Anyone who just sits and fights for their church (not God, the church) or fights for their "social club" (aka, political party) is distracted. Not realizing they're furthering someone else, not their self.
Being a judgmental about sexual issues (premarital, homosexual): Old lady judges watch people in pairs Limited in sex, they dare To push fake morals, insult and stare
People who spend their lives just worrying about judging other people instead of living their own lives.
And also: While money doesn't talk, it swears Obscenity, who really cares Propaganda, all is phony.
The point is to not get hung up on any of these things. You could spend your whole life fighting obscenity...but who cares? You could spend your whole life fighting propaganda, but if you understand EVERYTHING is just as phoney, then it doesn't matter.
Being partisan/pro-war/anti-war/peace loving: "As some warn victory, some downfall Private reasons great or small Can be seen in the eyes of those that call To make all that should be killed to crawl While others say don't hate nothing at all Except hatred"
There are tons more in the song, but the point is that these are all distractions. These are things not to be worried about. These are what you need not to fall into if you plan to actually be yourself, to understand the nature of true freedom. Once you become a slave to any of these things, you are a slave...period. Meanwhile, all the rest of the world are slaves to these things, and you have to figure out a way to be you and live your life amongst these things....just to survive...
"An' though the rules of the road have been lodged It's only people's games that you got to dodge And it's alright, Ma, I can make it."
The big line comes near the end with:
"My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards False gods, I scuff At pettiness which plays so rough Walk upside-down inside handcuffs Kick my legs to crash it off Say okay, I have had enough What else can you show me?"
He's basically saying that the world has attempted to hold him down with these things, and he's rejected them. He is doing exactly what he wants. He's kicked off the handcuffs.
This song is all about being mentally free from everything that attempts to enslave you.
He refers to taking off handcuffs, he says how most people are "living in a vault" (not free) he says how people speak jealously of those that are free, etc etc etc.
The most important thing is to understand that you don't have to play these games and you don't have to be any one or anything's slave...
"I got nothing, Ma, to live up to."
Just be yourself, realize where the traps are, even ones with good intentions. This is life, and Dylan lets us believe that something better is coming afterward, but we have to make it through all of this, first.
I like your take on the song - and I can't find it in me to disagree strongly with anything you have written. I see it more as a song about a moralist, who is trying to stay sane. If you spend your whole life reacting to what is stupid, brutal and limiting, you can end up being overwhelmed. You will be right on the issues, but you will struggle to feel sane and balanced. So when you add together all the absurdities and injustices which the narrator (justifiably) rails against, you end up with a portrait of a moralist...
I like your take on the song - and I can't find it in me to disagree strongly with anything you have written. I see it more as a song about a moralist, who is trying to stay sane. If you spend your whole life reacting to what is stupid, brutal and limiting, you can end up being overwhelmed. You will be right on the issues, but you will struggle to feel sane and balanced. So when you add together all the absurdities and injustices which the narrator (justifiably) rails against, you end up with a portrait of a moralist going mad. For me that is what makes it so frightening and moving.