About The Song
“The Times They Are a-Changin’” was written by Bob Dylan in September 1963, inspired by the social and political upheavals of the era, including the civil rights movement and anti-war sentiment. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded their cover in 1964 at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, produced by Albert Grossman and Milton Okun. The track was released as a single in October 1964 by Warner Bros. Records, with “Blue” as the B-side, and included on their album In Concert, released in April 1964. The song, running 3:12, is a folk anthem featuring the trio’s harmonious vocals and minimal acoustic accompaniment, emphasizing its protest message.
The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 77 on November 7, 1964, peaking at number 44 on December 5, 1964, and remained on the chart for seven weeks. It also reached number 9 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Internationally, it peaked at number 18 in Canada on the RPM Top Singles chart and number 25 in Australia. Cash Box described it as a “powerful, topical folk ballad” with “stirring harmonies,” noting its resonance with the era’s youth. The song’s release followed Dylan’s original, which did not chart as a single but appeared on his 1964 album of the same name, reinforcing its status as a protest classic.
Background details include Dylan’s composition process, where he wrote the song in a single day at a Greenwich Village café, aiming to capture the spirit of change. Peter, Paul and Mary, managed by Grossman (also Dylan’s manager), chose it for its alignment with their activist repertoire, having previously covered Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Their version was recorded live during a 1964 concert tour, adding a raw, communal energy. Other artists, including The Byrds (1965), Joan Baez (1964), and Simon & Garfunkel (1966), covered the song, but the trio’s rendition stood out for its clarity. They performed it at civil rights rallies and the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, amplifying its impact.
Expert commentary includes AllMusic’s William Ruhlmann, who praised the trio’s “crisp, urgent delivery” that made the song accessible to mainstream audiences. Songfacts noted its role in cementing Dylan’s reputation as a voice of a generation, with the trio’s cover broadening its reach. Rolling Stone ranked Dylan’s original number 59 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, citing its influence on folk and protest music. No controversies surrounded the trio’s version, though Dylan’s original sparked debate among folk purists when he went electric in 1965. The song appeared in media like The West Wing (2002) and Watchmen (2009), reflecting its enduring relevance.
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Lyric
Come gather ’round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide, the chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon for the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’
It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don’t criticize what you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast
The slow one now will later be fast
As the present now will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’