Who was Bob Dylan’s ‘Masters of War’ about?
No artist enters the music industry expecting to become the voice of a generation. Even though some may try to write from the heart and talk about topics that their audience might relate to, it’s the audience’s job to pick someone to rally behind, almost as if the art is saying what they could never express with words. While Bob Dylan may have been reluctant about his idol status, ‘Masters of War’ was what endeared him to the public.
After being known as the answer to Woody Guthrie on his first album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was the moment where he started to become known as a songwriting force to be reckoned with. Outside of his pieces about relationships and the dreams of the future, Dylan’s damning indictment of the atrocities of war around the world can still be felt to this day.
Whereas ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ featured Dylan asking questions about the state of the world, this protest song is decidedly much angrier. Even though America was already on the verge of war when the album was released, the track resonated with millions who didn’t understand why people would send innocent people off to fight for an unjust cause.
Even though Dylan may claim to just write about what he sees, ‘Masters of War’ got to the heart of what war is about and how much it devastates those caught in the crossfire. So just who is the person on the receiving end of Dylan’s venom?
So, who was Bob Dylan’s ‘Masters of War’ about?
Dylan was never one to shy away from politics. After listening to his first album, half of the songs feel like journal entries from a man looking at every side of the world and seeing whether he likes the planet that he landed on. Although Dylan paints with the same kind of broad brush that people like Woody Guthrie could, ‘Masters of War’ had more to do with the corrupt politicians of the world using war as a means to get what they want.
As opposed to those who use civil political practices, Dylan’s tirade is aimed at those who see people as just breathing pawns, thinking that they will blindly go along with a fight that they know is unjust. Aside from talking about the blood that’s left on their hands, Dylan is seething with anger about what these warmongering politicians are leaving in their wake.
Outside of being known as the scum of the earth in his eyes, Dylan promises that these evil people will one day pay for their actions, either through divine intervention or punished by those who they have oppressed. They may have cushy jobs in Washington one day, but Dylan’s words are a reminder to all politicians about the karmic debt they eventually have to pay.
Why was Bob Dylan known as ‘The Voice of a Generation’?
Dylan was always reluctant to take on any titles throughout his career. For as much as he appreciated those who liked his music, he much preferred that he would just be known as the same kid who idolised folk singers and made poetry whenever he stepped in front of a microphone. Without knowing it, though, songs like ‘Masters of War’ would become the benchmark for what Dylan stood for.
Becoming a favourite amongst both folk and rock fans, Dylan was writing about the kind of problems that were afflicting the younger generation every day, which led to many turning to him as to where they would go next. Although Dylan always hid from his persona as much as he could, tracks like ‘The Times They Are A-Changin” only cemented him as a songwriting legend in the eyes of the youth, giving them a mouthpiece to share their feelings among their parents, teachers, or anyone else who were convinced they had nothing to say.
This also opened up the doors for other artists to write about something more than superficial love songs, ultimately inspiring The Beatles to take on more introspective topics in their music. The rest of the rock world may have been shaped by pieces like ‘Masters of War’, but history never forgets the first person who stood up for his generation.
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