Lyr Add: The Times They Are Not A-Changin' (Harvey

Subject: Lyr Add: THE SONGS THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'
From: Leadfingers
Date: 14 Jun 07 - 11:10 AM

Within months of the Original hitting the scene , there was a parody in a UK Folk Magazine "The Songs They Are A Changing" Atrribute to one Robert Zinnerman as I recall , having a friendly poke at the Folk Scene ! I know I was singing the Parody in Early '65 , as some friends of mine in Weston Super Mare added a last verse

Come gather round children where ever you roam
And admit that the profits around you have grown
And accept that the money they want is your own
If your pennies to you are worth saving
Then you'd better start listening before your ears turn to stone
For The Songs They Are A Changing

Come singers and writers who profiteer with the pen
You'd better write Folk Songs , the chance wont come again
And when we say Folk Songs , you know what we mean
Just two chords and a message that's amazing
Then make sure that its plugged by Publicity Men
For The Songs they Ara A Changing

All Public Relations Men , please heed the call
For the Image you build , must be on the ball
You'll have money to burn or to paper your walls
For those royalties have to be paid in
And it doesnt much matter if you cant sing at all
For The Songs They Are A Changing

Come traditional singers throughout the land
And dont criticise what you cant understand
Associated Redefusion is beyond your command
And the Ols Order goes on unchanging
All you need is a capo and a Harmonica stand
For The Songs They Are A Changing

Now the line it is drawn and the contract is cast
You can see that the gimmicks are nailed to the mast
For the time of the singer is pretty well passed
Its an image they all are a-craving
If you're joining the Rat Race you'd better run fast
For The Songs They Are A Changing

And the Added verse , written mostly in The Swahili coffee bar and the London Inn was

Now Dylan is out , and Donovan is in
And the death of Folk Music's about to begin
Its the New Christie Minstrel's records we spin
And poor Ewan is on the street busking
We dont say that it's Pseudo , but it seems to fit in
For The Songs They Are a Changing .

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Times They Are Not A Changin'
From: John Hardly
Date: 14 Jun 07 - 11:00 AM

On the contrary. I think the original stands up quite well. It's art. The beauty in the original is in its non-specifics. It doesn't speak to a specific era or specific changes. The art in it is the recognition that things are always a-changin'. They are.

And if you think that you can stand alone against that change, or think that you need not change with the times, you will find yourself drowning in your own ignorance.

The original could just as easily been a theme song for the populist "Contract With America" of the nineties as it was for the changes of the sixties.

Specifics are often the difference between art and propaganda. If a song speaks too specifically to one time and one circumstance without further touching of the nature of broader implications, it probably isn't worth the writing -- and most probably not "art".

Of course there's another side to the coin -- that the more things change, the more they stay the same in a "big picture" sort of way. That's another song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Times They Are Not A Changin'
From: GUEST,Bardan
Date: 14 Jun 07 - 10:42 AM

Maybe, but listen to the original song now and tell me it doesn't sound ridiculous. I almost laugh when I hear all that hippy stuff, because everyone seems to have been so sure something great would come out of it and then they all got office jobs and put on suits and started voting tory. At least it reflects the reality better than the original.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Times They Are Not A Changin'
From: John Hardly
Date: 14 Jun 07 - 07:39 AM

Might as well borrow the melody. The words are so trite that they hardly deserve a melody of their own.

On the other hand, it's too bad that it picked such a wonderful piece of art ("The Times...") upon which to hitch such a broken down old cart.

kinda silly and whiny too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: The Times They Are Not A Changin'
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 14 Jun 07 - 07:14 AM

Thanks, OldHippie, and to Ryan Harvey for an unusually well done protest song.

To anyone who's been around since before the 80s ... let alone the 70s ... let alone the 60s ... the distance we've come on the slippery slope is amazing. Too bad it's also blinding, for most people. Good songs like this remind us.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE TIMES THEY ARE NOT A-CHANGIN' (Harvey
From: oldhippie
Date: 13 Jun 07 - 06:28 PM

Another rewrite of a folk standard:


THE TIMES THEY ARE NOT A-CHANGIN'
Ryan Harvey

G Em C G
Come gather round people, and fall to your knees
G Em C D
And bow to red, white, and blue M16s
G Em C G
If you liked the riot cops, you'll love the Marines
Am C D
They'll be at all of your demonstrations
G C G D
To beat up your bodies and tear down your dreams
G Em D G
For the times they are not a-changin'

Come children and students, abide by our rules
We'll send in the troops to recruit at your schools
And we'll tell you it's noble, we'll tell you it's cool
You'll hear every word that we're saying
And there's room in the jails if the classrooms are full
For the times they are not a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers and friends of the slain
While we exploit your losses to fund our campaigns
We brought you the war, now there's no one to blame
You best hope the new leader ain't crazy
You can vote how you want but the outcome's the same
For the times they are not a-changin'

Come senators, congressmen, don't fear a thing
They'll fall into line behind the new king
And accept with a smile the little you bring
They'll forget all the wars you're arranging
The bullets will pierce and the tazers will sting
For the times they are not a-changin'

Come presidents, dictators, take what you will
These people are yours to tax and to kill
If they ever rise up there are walls you can build
The system is strong your maintaining
Just speak with a smile and lie with a skill
For the times they are not a-changin'

The paths they are plain and the choices are clear
If things are to change then it's gotta start here
And if now ain't the time then I hope the times near
While there's still something left that's worth saving
So stand up, fight back, to hell with your fear!
For the times they are not a-changin'