"Masters of War" - Bob Dylan

"Masters of War" - Bob Dylan 

Masters of War - Bob Dylan

WHO/WHAT: This song was written and sung by Bob Dylan in protest of the Vietnam War.

WHERE: This song could have been heard all over the world, but it made the most impact in the United States.

WHEN: This song was released in his album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. It was written during the Vietnam War.

WHY: This song was created to criticize American leaders and officials who were sending more and more soldiers into war. It pointed out how these leaders were sitting back, letting the soldiers fight and die for them while they did nothing.
        "You fasten the triggers
          for others to fire
          then you set back and watch
          when the death count gets higher."
"Masters of War" directly comments on the pointlessness of war, and the ever growing death toll that comes with it.

IDENTITIES: The group of people that this song gives an identity to are those who were against the Vietnam War. This song would have spoken to exactly what they were thinking themselves. It also holds up in today's world with those who are strongly against war. It also creates an identity for Americans as a whole. Every American was affected by that war, and Dylan's song brought that fact into the light.


"Masters Of War by Bob Dylan Songfacts." Masters Of War by Bob Dylan Songfacts. N.p., n.d. Web. 02     Sept. 2016. <http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=7112>.

"Masters Of War | The Official Bob Dylan Site." The Official Bob Dylan Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Sept. 2016. <http://bobdylan.com/songs/masters-war-mono/>.