[media=https://youtu.be/jWuk_R2_Iu4] Bob Dylan paints a bleak picture of the world in his song, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”.
The singer-songwriter uses dark imagery in the song and draws its question-and-answer lyrical structure from “Lord Randall”, an old Anglo-Scottish ballad that tells the tale of a nobleman who becomes deathly ill after he’s served a poisoned meal by his ladylove.
Some believe “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” was written in response to the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and Dylan reportedly has suggested this at times. In reality, the song was written prior to the US–Soviet confrontation. Dylan even gave a public performance of the song a few weeks before it happened.
But regardless of what inspired Dylan to write the song or when he wrote it, the dystopian theme of "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" undoubtedly resonated with Cold War-era audiences, concerned about the possibility of a full-scale nuclear war and its attendant horrors.
Though times have changed (at least to some extent), “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” remains a powerful song in the present day.
Now, Dylan hated being categorized into the peace movement of the 1960s. It angered him enough, he was found angry in concert cussing the audience and playing music they would hate. Whether that was from him rejecting the movement or being categorized, one can never know with Dylan, as he is always purposefully vague.
I, personally, think if he referenced the Cuban missile crisis it was on his consciousness, but he was also answering a reporter to get them the hell away from him. He hated interviews.
There are also more personal takes of 'A Hard Rain's Going To Fall'. Where we live in a world full of war and how it hurts and damages the spirit/soul. I don't think he ever wanted his words taken politically, yet so many do when they reference those songs.
I have no idea why, but the first lyric always puts a lump in my throat.
Perhaps having heard the song, and knowing that after the father addresses his son so personally and tenderly, that there will be so much apocalyptic imagery.
@OliRos He did indeed. He wrote a song called "The Times They Are a-Changin'". It was a track on his third studio album, also called[i][i] The Times They Are a-Changin'[/i][/i].
