Posted on 10/31/2006 11:27:15 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
When John Kerry, child of the 60s, slurred the military with his comment, reported here by NewsBuster Warner Todd Huston, that people who who don't study wind up 'stuck in Iraq,' he was channeling Bob Dylan and the anti-war activist's 1967 song Subterranean Homesick Blues, which includes this line
"Get jailed, jump bail
"Join the army, if you fail."
It's the same song that contains the famous line "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows," from which the domestic terrorist group took its name.
Hey John, Don't Think Twice - it's not alright.
Subterranean Kerry ping to Today show list.
It's a hard raiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin's a gonna fall.
John Kerry and Bill Clinton discuss Kerry's latest brainfart:
"'There must be some way out of here'
"Said the joker to the thief..."
Only difference is Bob sang it tongue in cheek. His dream was to go to Westpoint.
Mark, the song was written in 1964, not 67 and its not antiwar. Don't lump Dylan in with this cretin.
American soldier to Kerry:
"You've got a lot of nerve,
To say you are my friend,
When I was down,
You just stood there grinning.
You've got a lot of nerve,
To say you've got a helping hand to lend,
You just want to be on the side that's winning."
I know you're dissatisfied
With your position and your place
Don't you understand
It's not my problem
I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
And just for that one moment
I could be you
Yes, I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
You'd know what a drag it is
To see you
That tune was from '65, not '67. .....the opening tune on Bringing It All Back Home
....and it marked the very end of Dylan's "anti-war" period.
More to the point: "If you are stupid, become a US Senator."
Here''s one for you:
"sometimes Satan comes as a man of Peace"
From Man of Peace, Infidels - 1983
LoL...
Great article, but why did you post a picture of Vincent Price in a cowboy hat to illustrate it?
;-)
I'm responding more to Kerry's comment. I personally believe he is a pompous ass or better described as a phony upper class intellectual (of which we know he isn't). I know several young men who are in the service and what I have observed is that they are earning college credits; they are mature; they have learned self control; they are loyal and dedicated. I can't say that about some of our narcissistic legislators who only want power and control.
Kerry is now trying to turn his statement into a "botched joke" about the President and the Whitehouse distortion. His comment: "this is a textbook Republican strategy and I'm not going to stand for it". Kerry is stupid. Kerry needs to be driven out of his job!!!!
Thanks for the correction on the date but I stand by the characterization of the song as anti-war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subterranean_Homesick_Blues
It was a counter-culture classic, and did indeed give the terrorist Weathermen their name.
Sorry to join the chorus, but Dylan was not an anti-war activist. In fact, he was vilified for releasing "Nashville Skyline" at the height of the Vietnam protests.
As I write this, Lurch is on doing his outraged act. To wit, he wasn't criticizing the troops, but the President and we all should have known it. What is the matter with us!?! Are we stupid? Didn't we get what he really meant. And those of us who have NEVER worn the uniform don't dare have the right to criticize John Kerry (who is for the war, but now against it) and is a REAL veteran, not a fake one.
Ladies and gentlemen, its groundhog's day. John F'n Kerry is out there re-running his 2004 campaign. I can't wait for John O'Neil and the boys to slam him again. They did serve and they do have something to say to John F'n.
This guy is amazing, simply priceless. I love you John Kerry, keep giving the gift of you.
....and he didn't. In fact, by the mid-60s, Bob grew to despise the entire folkie/hippie/protest movement.
I agree that he is not responsible for Weathermen, but he was surely an anti-war activist.
Kerry calls our brave soldiers stupid uneducated failures and now he's realized what a hugh goof up that was so he needs now to blame the white house and especailly blame cancer survivor tony snow. Doesn't kerry respect cancer survivors?
Only in his very early ('61 - '64) days. ....which, incidentally, was before our (military) involvment in the Vietnam War.
"Mark, the song was written in 1964, not 67 and its not antiwar. Don't lump Dylan in with this cretin."
Indeed. It was common for a judge to give a young person the option of service or jail if he got in trouble. That's how I always took the song.
I've gone back and changed the original NewsBusters item to remove the word 'activist.' There's no doubt Dylan was strongly 'anti-war,' and having lived during those times myself I can say that, whatever the specifics of his personal views, he was viewed by millions as an anti-war, counter-culture icon.
I'm sure Kerry heard the song countless times, and I'm guessing he accepted its message.
thank you!
and da resta youse - don't nobody say nuthin' bad about my man, Mr. Dylan...
Kerry has no idea as to the quality and caliber of our men and women in uniform today and the leadership qualities they possess. If Kerry was in uniform today, he would be rejected as inadequate and have to go to college.
He was indeed. ....but as I mentioned it was because of the songs he wrote (and the company he kept) before our combat involvement in Vietnam. By '65 he'd had it with the whole scene broke company with the activist types.
....but unfortunately his former image lingered on. .....to this day, apparently.
The Double K guys....both have been stuck on
stupid for at least 6 years....although you can go
back much further...how about '68 (Kennedy(death) car in
the drink?)..or '70..Kerry lying about the Vietnam war
and our troops...Jake
Thanks for additional clarifications.
It was common for a judge to give a young person the option of service or jail..." Yep. That's how my cousin joined the Navy and became a Chief.
Bob never once said he was anti war. He was asked many times. He never condemned the war.
the publics perception of him was fueled by some early "protest" songs and the MSM of the time. He loathed hippies. Still does.
I actually have Sub. Homesick Blues on my iPod, and Isis from later years is another favorite of mine.
I knew you were alright.
here for dylan/cash/perkins session mp3s
http://aquariumdrunk.blogspot.com/2006/03/lost-album-series-dylancash-sessions.html
Holy Smokes, Mark! From your picture, I thought you were in youre late twenties!
Not sure quite which pic - it could be a couple years old -but I will pass your compliment along to my very youthful looking mother!
You are right about Dylan's anti war stage. Dylan was anti war when war meant a total nuclear exchange with the Soviets. The Cuban Missile Crisis scared hell out of him as well as any other reasoning being on the planet.
Just ask that stupid bi*ch Baez how anti Vietnam Dylan was.
It is really a shame that with 40 plus years of great work most people only know him for 5% of his songs.
From what I can tell, Dylan isn't a bad guy at all. Questioning war is a smart thing to do - war is a man-made disaster, even in the best, most justified cases. It's giving the wrong answer for that question for that particular war that makes one stupid.
This is an interesting Dylan story that I read on www.rightwingbob.com yesterday. Go there and you will see the actual note from Dylan to a soldier serving in Iraq in the first Gulf War.
Doug MacKenzie was in the US Air Force, deployed to the Saudi Arabian desert during the first War in Iraq in 1990/91. He was assigned to a group of transport planes, where he worked as an engine technician. Being a Bob Dylan fan and the brother of Guy MacKenzie, who was closely involved with Dylan from 1961 to 1963, he suggested to paint "Masters of War" under one airplane's "nose art". As Doug recalls, it was just a spontaneos idea of black humour, but it turned out to make a big impression:
"At some point during the conflict, authorization came down from above allowing 'nose art' on the planes, as an homage to the brave airmen of WWII. We had a captain in our unit who was a talented artist and he began painting the planes in our group. On mine, he painted a silhouette of a dark knight on a black horse, both with red eyes. As he was painting it, I suggested he title it by painting, in swooping letters under it, "Masters of War". I told the captain it was the title of Dylan's bombastic indictment of the military/industrial complex. He thought that was great, so he painted it on my plane. I thought it was pretty good black humor, so I wrote to my brother and told him about it. He wrote back, suggesting I write to Dylan and tell him about it. He included Dylan's address (don't know how he got that). So, I did."
Guy and Bob may have still been corresponding with one another, anyway he still had Bob's current address, after 30 years. Doug gave it a try and wrote a letter. Nobody could really have expected any response to it in the first place, and Doug probably didn't even think of it any longer as one of the clerks in his hangar asked if he'd gotten his postcard. Six months after Doug had returned from the war, and eight month after he'd written to Bob Dylan, he actually received his personal response:
"The post mark was from Italy. I started reading the post card...'Dear Doug, Excuse the post card, that's all there is to write on right now. Thank you for the letter describing my song on your airplane. Good luck wherever you go, G-d's guidance will never let you down - Stay in good health and thanks again for writing. Bob Dylan'.- Needless to say, I was bowled over. I know it wasn't a hoax as I told no one about my letter to Dylan (except my brother). I know no one in Italy. And I've seen Dylan's handwriting before. So, I know it's genuine."
After thanking Bob for his reply, Doug received yet another letter, this time on plain lined paper: "Dear Doug, Thanks for writing back. I'm glad to hear you finally made it safely home. The world isn't very safe anymore. We owe a lot to people like you, who put themselves in harm's way for their fellow countrymen. Thanks again for writing. Yours, Bob Dylan"
I, Mike Hobo, editor of this website, would like to express a very honest thank you to Doug MacKenzie for sharing this very personal story with us. He informed me that he had "only told close friends about this, and shown them the documents," and "I had occasion to write him one more time, and again received a reply. So, I'm sure he remembers my brother. My brother is also like Dylan in that he has a magnetic aura about him. He makes a big and lasting impact on people. So, I can see why Dylan would remember him."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.