Bob Dylan performing “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” in 1969

About the song

Bob Dylan’s haunting ballad, “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” stands as a stark and prophetic commentary on the human condition in the early 1960s. Released in 1963 on his sophomore album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, the song’s evocative imagery and cryptic lyrics have captivated listeners for decades.

Inspired by the somber atmosphere of the Cold War era and the looming threat of nuclear annihilation, Dylan crafted a narrative that transcends its immediate context. The song’s structure, modeled after the traditional British ballad “Lord Randall,” invites the listener to piece together a fragmented and disturbing tale of suffering, injustice, and environmental degradation.

Through symbolic language reminiscent of Arthur Rimbaud’s poetry, Dylan paints a bleak picture of a world ravaged by war, pollution, and societal decay. The song’s refrain, “A hard rain’s a-gonna fall,” serves as a constant reminder of the impending doom that looms over humanity.

Dylan’s lyrics are filled with haunting images: a “master” with a “gun,” a “girl” with a “coat,” and a “man” with a “knife.” These figures, seemingly disconnected from one another, represent the victims of a world gone awry. The song’s questions, such as “What did you see, my darling, what did you see?” and “Where did you go, my darling, where did you go?” evoke a sense of loss and despair.

While Dylan has offered varying accounts of the song’s inspiration, it’s clear that the Cuban Missile Crisis played a significant role in shaping its themes. The specter of nuclear annihilation, coupled with a growing awareness of environmental issues and social injustices, provided a fertile ground for Dylan’s prophetic vision.

“A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” remains a timeless masterpiece, its message as relevant today as it was in 1963. Dylan’s haunting melody and evocative lyrics continue to resonate with listeners, reminding us of the fragility of our existence and the urgent need for change.

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Lyrics

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
And where have you been, my darling young one?

I’ve stumbled on the side of 12 misty mountains
I’ve walked and I crawled on six crooked highways
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I’ve been 10,000 miles in the mouth of a graveyard

And it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall

Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you see, my darling young one?

I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw 10,000 talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children

And it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?

I heard the sound of the thunder that roared out a warning
I heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
I heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin’
I heard 10,000 whisperin’ and nobody listenin’
I heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin’
I heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
I heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley

And it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall

Oh, what did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
And who did you meet, my darling young one?

I met a young child beside a dead pony
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I met a young woman, her body was burning
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I met one man who was wounded in love
I met another man who was wounded in hatred

And it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall

And what’ll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
And what’ll you do now, my darling young one?

I’m a-goin’ back out ‘fore the rain starts a-fallin’
I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest dark forest
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where their home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
And the executioner’s face is always well-hidden

Where hunger is ugly, where the souls are forgotten
Where black is the colour, where none is the number
And I’ll tell it and speak it, and think it and breathe it
And reflect from the mountains, so all souls can see it
And I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’
But I’ll know my song well before I start singing

And it’s a hard, it’s a hard
It’s a hard, and it’s a hard
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall