The album “The freewheeling’ Bob Dylan” By Bob Dylan has many songs that protest the Vietnam War. Some examples of this are “Blowin in the wind,” “Masters of War,” and “Talkin World War III Blues.” Overall the album seems to have a good amount of poetic devices and a strong message behind it. The album was produced in may 1963 by Columbia Records. It was the second album that Dylan released and a great hit success. The first song on the album “Blowin in the wind” was a hit success and showed up on many “top songs of all time” lists. All of the songs on the album where Dylan’s originals except “Corrina, Corrina” and “Honey just allow me one more chance.” The songs on the album have now become known mostly as protest music. Overall Bob Dylan does a good job portraying the message that he is trying to show about the war.

The first example of Dylan’s strong anti-war beliefs is cleverly disguised in the song “Blowin in the wind.” Throughout this song there are many allusions to the Vietnam War. “Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have/Before he can hear people cry?/Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?” In this line you can see the examples. Dylan is asking about how many people it will take to die before people finally realize that war isn’t the answer. This is just one of the songs in what I would call Dylan’s protest album. Another example is Dylan’s alliteration rich song “Masters of War.” Throughout this entire song there can be seen many examples of Alliteration. The song itself, as you can tell just from the title, is another Vietnam protest song. You that build the death planes/You that build the big bombs/You that hide behind walls/You that hide behind/desks.” Here Dylan is talking about how the “Masters of War” merely sit behind there desks doing the paperwork of the war while “Pawns” are sent out to war to do all of the fighting. Dylan’s genius doesn’t stop here however, it continues on with “A Hard Rains a-gonna fall.” This song has very powerful and rich lyrics. It has many examples of irony, alliteration, metaphors, allusions, and more. “I saw ten thousand talkers whose/tongues were all broken,/I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children.” This line alone has an example of an allusion, alliteration, and irony. The allusion can be seen where he says “guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children.” Which may be an allusion to the war. The time the song was written highly suggests that it may be. Many of the people going off to fight the Vietnam war where young children that had just turned 18.

Overall the album is very strong in the message that it is displaying. Dylan’s genius began with this album and has continued on from this album up until this day. This is a great album overall and has many songs that later became hits. Songs such as “Blowin in the wind” took off the most. Other songs that I talked about such as “A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall.” is packed with poetic devices. Dylan is a genius and will be considered to be so until the day he dies, and even after that. He has impacted the music industry in many ways and will continue to do so.

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son

Some folks are born
made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, whit and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
they point the cannon right at you.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no senator's son.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no fortunate one.
Some folks are born
silver spoon in hand,
Lord don't they help themselves.
But when the tax man comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no millionaire's son.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no fortunate one.
Some folks inherit
star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war.
And when you ask them,
"How much should we give?"
They only answer "More! More! More!"
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no military son.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no fortunate one.
It ain't me,
it ain't me.
I ain't no Fortunate Son.

Creedence Clearwater Revival is an American Rock band who plays a mix of swamp rock and rock and roll. Members of the band include Tom Fogerty, John Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford. The band got split up in 1966 when John Fogerty and Doug Clifford got called to military service. After the service ended the band picked up again and they band started succeeding again. A lot of there songs revolved around protest and anti-war music about Vietnam. CCR’s use of poetic devices in their music includes alliteration, allusions, and rhyme. This is most notable in their song “Fortunate Son”

In the song “fortunate son” there are many examples of poetic devices. Alliteration is a good example that can be used. In the line where he says “Senators son, son” you can see alliteration. Another example is “some folks inherit star spangled eyes.” Here there is alliteration also. Another example is “Silver spoon in hand.” This is all the alliteration that is found, but there are also allusions and symbolism. The line “some folks are born with a silver spoon in hand” is talking about how some people are born into rich families, and there are the less fortunate who are forced to go off to war. Another example is “Some folks inherit star spangled eyes, Ooh, they send you down to war, lord.” This is talking about the opposite, it is saying how other people are born into poverty and forced to go to war by the rich, and they are not the “fortunate sons.”

Since the time this song has been created not much has changed in how things work. The poor are still the ones who are forced to go to war. The draft is not prevalent at the moment but there is talk of bringing it back. The sons and daughters of rich families don’t go to war, but they are the ones who control what happens.

When I took a look at the top 100 songs I was appalled at what I found. About half of the songs that I found on this list I have heard before. The majority of them are a disgrace to music. Out of the music that I found I tried to pick some songs that I had not heard. Three songs that I have never heard before are “Paparazzi” By Lady Gaga, “Run This Town” By Jay-Z, and “Throw it in the bag” By Fabolous. First I am going to take a look at the lyrics to “Run This Town.”

We are
Yeah I said it
We are
This is Roc Nation
Pledge your allegiance
Get y'all fatigues on
All black everything
Black cards, black cars
All black everything

You can call me C's r
In a dark Cigar
Please follow the lea-der
So Eric B. we are
Microphone fiend
It's the return of thee God
Peace God...
(Auh! Auh! )
And ain't nobody fresher
I'm in Mason
(Ah! )
Martin Margiela

This song is actually somewhat scary. A lot of people don’t notice it but this song has a lot of context to it. The first thing that this song has is some alliteration. This can be seen where he says “Martin Margiela.” It also has some rhymes in it, but no consistent rhyme scheme. What I find most interesting about this song is it’s lyrics. I watched the music video that goes along with this song and the entire thing has a dark feel to it. The first thing I noticed is when he says this is “This is Roc Nation.” He spells Roc without a K, which is an allusion to his record label “Roc-A-Fella.” Which is a blatant spin-off of Rockefeller. Following this line he says “pledge your allegiance.” He is saying show loyalty to Rockefeller. The second oddity I found in this song is where he says “I’m in Mason” Jay-Z is constantly being accused of putting occult symbols in his songs, and here he is almost saying “I am a Mason” which would mean “Freemason.” I find this very strange and scary that this is such a popular song and so many people have listened to it and not found this.

The next song I am going to take a look at is “Paparazzi”

I'm your biggest fan
I'll follow you until you love me
Papa-Paparazzi
Baby there's no other superstar
You know that I'll be your
Papa-Paparazzi

Promise I'll be kind
But I won't stop until that boy is mine
Baby you'll be famous
Chase you down until you love me
Papa-paparazzi

It can be seen in these verses that the song has no poetic devices, and an inconsistent rhyme scheme. By watching the music video I found that main method the song uses is it’s broken story, combined with it’s steady rhythm which produces a very catchy beat. The song itself is very repetitive, and the words “Papa-paparazzi” are repeated over and over again. This, combined with the music video blinds you away from the fact that the story has no meaning behind it, and the lyrics don’t go together in the slightest.


The third song that I am going to look at is “Throw it in the bag”

Un-huh un-huh un-huh
just throw it in the bag
Un-huh un-huh un-huh
Just throw it in the bag
Un-huh un-huh un-huh
just throw it in the bag
Un-huh un-huh un-huh
Just throw it in the bag

We still doing donuts and im half a dozen,
They call me crispy cream, My style is crispy clean
I drive some chicks on these crews, thats some crispy jeans
Ask how much?
Now what i look like?
Said i'm from Brooklyn, what it look like?
I get it cause i got it
I got it so i get it

This is yet another song that focuses on repetitive verses as its main line of “quality.” The song has really no lyrical value, the entire song is about stealing, hence the name “throw it in the bag.” The song doesn’t have a rhyme scheme, but still flows together nicely. The song repeats the line “just throw it in the bag” many times, and that mixed with its beat is the main attracting factor of the song. This is what appears to be prevalent in modern music. Most songs have absolutely no meaning, or a meaning so insignificant that it might as well not be there. Modern music appears to focus on sensationalistic ideas, mixed with catchy beats and repetitive verses to attract people to the song, and keep them listening. This is taking the music industry to a turn for the worst, as music slowly goes away from deep meaningful lyrics, and approaches pure uselessness.

Bob Dylan was both a lyrical genius and an amazing performer. His ability to play both the guitar and harmonica at the same time was brilliant; he would even switch between the harmonica and singing in the middle of a song. The lyrics to the songs that Dylan played where not only meaningful and moving, but also deep and rich. In his songs he uses many poetic devices, notably alliteration. Dylan’s protest song “Masters of War” portrays the use of alliteration in his lyrics.

that build the big bombs
Build, big and bombs

You that never done nothin'
Never and nothing’

When the fast bullets fly
Fast and fly

A world war can be won
World, war and won

That runs down my drain
Down and drain

Unborn and unnamed
Unborn and unnamed

To talk out of turn
Talk and turn

When your death takes its toll
Takes and toll

All the money you made
Money and made

Will never buy back your soul
Buy, and back

And I'll watch while you're lowered
Watch and while

Down to your deathbed
Down and deathbed.

1)He was not always blind, he didn’t actually go completely blind until he was seven due to glaucoma.
2)Georgia on my mind was originally written by Hoagy Carmichael amd Stuart Gorrell.
3)Ray Charles endorsed the American product “Diet Pepsi.”
4)In 1965 Charles was jailed for one year with possession of heroin.
5)He played a character named “Ray” in the movie “The blues brothers.”
6)In 1996 he played a bus driver in the movie “Spy Hard.”
7)In 1948 Charles and some of his friends formed the McSon Trio.
8)Charles gained the nickname “The Genius.”
9)The name of his major record label was Atlantic.
10)He also gained the nickname “Brother Ray.”

Here is some famous music played by Ray Charles.



Ray Charles - I got a woman (LIVE)
Ray Charles - Georgia on my mind (LIVE)
Ray Charles - Shake your tail feather (From the blues brothers)
Ray Charles - Smack dab in the middle (Album Version)
Ray Charles - Don't let her know (Album Version)

September 23, 1930
-Ray Charles Is born.

April 9, 1949
Ray Charles makes a hit with "Confessin' Blues," which appeared on Swingtime lablel.

September 1, 1952
Atlantic Records buys Ray Charles' contract from Swingtime

November 1, 1959
Ray Charles leaves Atlantic Records for ABC-Paramount.

November 8, 1960
Georgia on my mind becomes a hit.

December 3, 1965
Convicted of possession of heroin and marijuana.

March 2, 1967
Ray Charles' "Crying Time" wins two Grammies.

June 20, 1980
Ray Charles stars in the film “Blues Brothers”

January 23, 1986
Ray Charles is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

March 2, 1988
Ray Charles receives a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 30th annual Grammy Awards.

June 2, 1993
Ray Charles is given a lifetime achievement award at the songwriters hall of fame.

March 1, 1994
Ray Charles wins the 12th Grammy of his career.

March 2, 1995
Ray Charles is given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's annual Pioneer Awards.

June 10, 2004
-Ray Charles Dies.

Ray Charles was an amazing song writer and performer, which was even more notable because he was blind. Along with this he made many contributions to songwriting. Charles slowly built his way up from the bottom. His first inspiration to play music was when he heard Pit play “boogie woogie” at the red café. From their Charles began to move into the different genres of music. Charles‘ played soul, jazz and the blues, which eventually allowed him to blend them together and pioneer “soul“ music. Charles’ hit song “Georgia on my mind” contains numerous poetic devices which showcase Charles’ genius.

Georgia on my mind contains many poetic devices, one of which can be seen in the 3rd line down. Charles’ says “Sweet song,” which is an example of alliteration. Another example of a poetic device can be found in the second stanza toward the bottom “Comes as sweet and clear As moonlight through the pines” this is an example of Imagery, It gives the listener a very vivid image of what the landscape of Georgia. In the third stanza there is much personification and symbolism. “Other arms reach out to me Other eyes smile tenderly” Can be both people and states that are welcoming Charles’, but he finds that there is nothing like Georgia. “Still in peaceful dreams I see The road leads back to you.” In this sentence Georgia is being treated more like a person than a state. He is saying that in his dreams he is being led back to Georgia. In the 4th stanza Charles’ says “Ooh Georgia, no peace I find Just an old sweet song Keeps Georgia on my mind” This is the first line of the song that has a rhyme to it. It is repeating again in the 6th stanza. The entire song contains local color. It is describing the beauty of Georgia.

Charles was a very religious man. He enjoyed the ideas of gospel music, but didn’t want to stick to just one style of music. He also enjoyed jazz and blues. As time progressed he was able to find a way to mix all of these styles of music together into one genre. Through Charles creativity and innovation he pioneered the genre of “soul” Music. This was a massive contribution to song writing and musical appreciation. From this Charles’ has become a legend and will always be known as the “The Genius.”