Aretha with no goals, eternally single & one step soft of heaven/ let it be understood that she owns this melody along with her emotional diplomats & her earth & her musical secrets
Bob DylanRead
But now we got weapons _x000D_ _x000D_ Of the chemical dust _x000D_ _x000D_ If fire them we're forced to _x000D_ _x000D_ Then fire them we must _x000D_ _x000D_ One push of the button _x000D_ _x000D_ And a shot the world wide _x000D_ _x000D_ And you never ask questions _x000D_ _x000D_ When God's on your side
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the devastating power of weapons and the moral dilemmas they create in society.
Bob Dylan's lyrics illustrate the perilous nature of humanity's reliance on destructive technology, particularly weapons that can annihilate. The message urges reflection on the ethical implications of wielding such power—questioning who truly benefits when destructive force is justified through belief or ideology, and the innate human tendency to accept decisions made in the name of a greater cause without scrutiny.
In practice
During a discussion on military ethics, one might quote Dylan to emphasize the consequences of blind faith in authority.
Aretha with no goals, eternally single & one step soft of heaven/ let it be understood that she owns this melody along with her emotional diplomats & her earth & her musical secrets
If I wasn't Bob Dylan, I'd probably think that Bob Dylan has a lot of answers myself.
Some formulas are too complex and I don't want anything to do with them.
I'm the oldest son of a crazy man, I'm in a cowboy band.
My songs are personal music, they're not communal. I wouldn't want people singing along with me. It would sound funny. I'm not playing campfire meetings. I don't remember anyone singing along with Elvis, Carl Perkins or Little Richard.
I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes. You'd know what a drag it is to see you.
If a man is to be obsessed by something, I suppose a boat is as good as anything, perhaps a bit better than most.
In adapting to life in the melting pot of America, I discovered that the same soft power of science has a huge influence in building bridges between cultures and religions - and has the potential to do so with the Muslim world.
I felt no passion, no jealousy, no nostalgia. I was hollow, clear-headed, clean, and as emotionless as an aluminum pot.
Our constitutional system is defined by a balance between the public's need for transparency and the government's need to have a zone of secrecy around decision making. Both are important, yet they are mutually exclusive.
Life is tragic. You are tiny and flawed and ignorant and weak, and everything else is huge, complex, and overwhelming.
He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.