Bob Dylan Warned Us About the ‘Masters of War’

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The music and lyrics of Bob Dylan have been an important part of my life for almost two decades now. With today’s news that he has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, I’ve decided to us it as an excuse to share the lyrics to his timeless 1963 classic: Masters of War.

Masters of War 

Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
While the young people’s blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You’ve thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain’t worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I’m young
You might say I’m unlearned
But there’s one thing I know
Though I’m younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could?
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death’ll come soon
I will follow your casket
By the pale afternoon
And I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand o’er your grave
‘Til I’m sure that you’re dead

In Liberty,
Michael Krieger

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6 thoughts on “Bob Dylan Warned Us About the ‘Masters of War’”

  1. Sad to think this was written during the Vietnam War Era and America continues to blow up countries at an ever increasing rate. The Masters of War are evil incarnate. Who are these people that just stand and watch?

    Reply
  2. So I’m thinking we round up these “Masters of War” the “War Pigs” (more my style of music), metal head until I’m dead, round them up, fly them into Fallujah, Aleppo,Kabul with a back pack and AR and wish them good luck, film it for prime time and those who make it , make it and those who don’t, oh well.
    I vote for all of congress and the White House staff, the U.S. Supreme court, all of Wall St. except for the janitors and last but not least all the CEO’s and colluding staff of the military/security complex.
    I guarantee this would be a block buster, who’s with me?

    Reply

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