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 will come soon
I'll follow your casket
By the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead


Lyrics submitted by Jack, edited by Mellow_Harsher, goodnews

Masters of War Lyrics as written by Bob Dylan

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Masters of War song meanings
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  • +3
    General Comment

    I have a few things to say, firstly about this song. This song is one of the most timeless, masterfully wrote songs ever. War has been around since year zero and will always be a horrible, inexcusable way to sort out whatever problems one set of people have with another, Masters of War is timeless, it transcends all time because war is always disguisting and brutal. This song talks about those who instigate these wars, the fuckers that sit behind desks and sign away lives like these people exist in their bank accounts as currency to spend to buy what they want in another country or place, your oil shall cost 100,000 lives, yes they can live with that. We can all sit here and accept war as having a natural place in society, or we can actually do something about it, Bob Dylan tried to educate with this song, but it is up to us to act on the emotions that songs like these bring out in us all, not to just sit back and accept but to be proactive. Secondly, a lot of posts here treat Bob Dylan like he is some sort of songwriting god and genius and that there is not anyone like him today, well, there is. There is hundreds of people who write songs just like this, write poems just like this, write long discourses just like this, just as good as this, but they will never be allowed to be heard outside indie/cult circle, record industry, governments and those big business who have billions of dollars invested in the killing and destruction of people will not allowed another 1960's counterculture to occur. They permiate the airwaves with mind numbing crass, callow, meaningless crap, and people buy it up, eat it up like its the best thing since potatoes. Another thing, just because someone is young doesn't mean that they are not mature or wise or have ideas or think more intelligently than older people, this sort of thing, "oh hes 21 yet writing songs like this" all stems from very old fashoned values that young people should be seen and not heard and that their opinions are not of value, but it is true that a lot of young people are titheads, but we shouldn't really be surprised when one turns out to be a genius when it comes to expression him or her self.

    Brian

    fugimugimon August 02, 2006   Link

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