Oxford Town Lyrics
Ev'rybody's got their heads bowed down
The sun don't shine above the ground
Ain't a-goin' down to Oxford Town
Guns and clubs followed him down
All because his face was brown
Better get away from Oxford Town
He come to the door, but couldn't get in
All because of the color of his skin
What do you think about that, my frien'?
We got met with a tear gas bomb
I don't even know why we come
Goin' back where we come from
Ev'rybody singin' a sorrowful tune
Two men died 'neath the Mississippi moon
Somebody better investigate soon
But specifically about the integration of the University of Mississippi and James Meredith.
It is about James Meredith, like UnpopularPoet said. We listened to it in history :D. That's how I discovered Bob Dylan, and now he's one of my all time favourites.
you bet your sweet ass
i think it is about racism. it is pretty obvious
its about the murders from that movie Missisipi Burning im pretty sure
was mississppi burning made by then? but anyway it is an awesome song - could have been longer if anything tho
althought it is highly likely it's oxford, MS... there is also an oxford, NJ still know for the KKK...
i live in oxford nc which is notorious for its racial history (blood done sign my name was written about the town). i like to think its about my home town, although i doubt it :)
I go to school here in Oxford, it is one of the most well known parts of MS...the desegregation of UM was huge here. Bob Dylan also writes more about MS in his song, Mississippi and as for it being in another state i.e. NJ or NC..it says in the lyrics
I go to school here in Oxford, it is one of the most well known parts of MS...the desegregation of UM was huge here. Bob Dylan also writes more about MS in his song, Mississippi and as for it being in another state i.e. NJ or NC..it says in the lyrics
Oxford Town in the afternoon Ev'rybody singin' a sorrowful tune Two men died 'neath the MISSISSIPPI moon Somebody better investigate soon
Oxford Town in the afternoon Ev'rybody singin' a sorrowful tune Two men died 'neath the MISSISSIPPI moon Somebody better investigate soon
and the following in "" was taken from wikipedia.org...
and the following in "" was taken from wikipedia.org...
"Many of the songs on this album were labelled protest songs, inspired partly by...
"Many of the songs on this album were labelled protest songs, inspired partly by Guthrie and influenced by Pete Seeger's passion for topical songs.[34] "Oxford Town", for example, was a sardonic account of James Meredith's ordeal as the first black student to risk enrollment at the University of Mississippi."
thats just my guess anyways.
thats just my guess anyways.
"whaddaya think about that ma frien'?" ha i love that line. i know this song is not supposed to be funny/happy/cute but the way bob sings it always makes me smile. and the way the lyrics are so clever and unforced... ahh why did bob have to come along and be so amazing that everything else is shit in comparison? too bad he got tired of these "topical" songs just as soon as he churned them out :(
It's about the desegregation of the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in Oxford, MS and the race riots that broke out in the fall of 1962 on campus following James Meredith's enrollment.
Two good short docs can be found about it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha3dS0JTrOg