The phrase "only a pawn in their game" is not saying that the poor white man is only a pawn in the government's larger scheme, as is often reflected in the above posts.
It's a sarcastic comment on a documentary that the John Birch society put out in the 60's, saying that the civil rights movement and black justice were only a covert attempt to promote Communism in America. The documentary portrays the black movement as a socialist mentality to use 'equal rights' to implant communism as a substitute for the 'democratic freedom' of consumerist 'me-first' america.
Thus, in the first verse for example, Dylan is NOT saying that the assassin is not to blame, rather, he is saying it in a sarcastic tone: "oh no, the assisin is not to blame, he is only a pawn in the larger game using the blacks to get a communist goverment." Dylan even says in the last line that Evers himself was a pawn in the game of the movement - to bring pity to the civil rights movement, and in doing so, the communist movement underneath it.
Dylan's lyrics do not point to who is behind the movement to communism, whether the blacks themselves, or the government itself (although in verse two he says that the Negro's name is used it is plain For the politician's gain). He only points out, sarcastically, that the "poor white man" is suffering the blows of this movement to take away his rights. All the white, poor or not, benefited from the powerful hand of politics during that time.
Dylan never thought that the white man was 'poor' or unfortunate, as is also noted in his song Oxford Town. His line "But the poor white man's used in the hands of them all like a tool" is sarcastic comment on how the politicians are trying to instill a larger movement under which even the 'poor' white man becomes a pawn.
He becomes more forthcoming in his lines: "the laws are with him To protect his white skin To keep up his hate..." Even the poor white man becomes rich in hatred.
Dylan spoke on several occasions about the John Birch Society, sarcastically, as is examplified in "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues".
"The phrase "only a pawn in their game" is not saying that the poor white man is only a pawn in the government's larger scheme, as is often reflected in the above posts."
"The phrase "only a pawn in their game" is not saying that the poor white man is only a pawn in the government's larger scheme, as is often reflected in the above posts."
No, that is exactly what it is about. You're deeply misinterpreting and, in some cases, simply misunderstanding the lyrics. For example, in the closing lines of the song, you somehow read into the lyrics that Dylan is describing Medgar Evers as a pawn, but that is not the case. Evers is lowered into his grave as a king, it is "the one who...
No, that is exactly what it is about. You're deeply misinterpreting and, in some cases, simply misunderstanding the lyrics. For example, in the closing lines of the song, you somehow read into the lyrics that Dylan is describing Medgar Evers as a pawn, but that is not the case. Evers is lowered into his grave as a king, it is "the one who fired the gun" whose epitaph reads: "Only a pawn in their game."
You further misinterpret his lyrics when you suggest that Dylan means "unfortunate" when he describes the white man as poor. This is not the case, when Dylan describes "the poor white man," he means poor in the most literal sense of the word: having little or no money.
Finally, you mention the following lyrics, but leave out the line which completes the point:
He's taught in his school
From the start by the rule
That the laws are with him
To protect his white skin
To keep up his hate
[b]So he never thinks straight
'Bout the shape that he's in
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game.[/b]
What these lyrics - and the song as a whole - mean, is that the poor (as in destitute, not unfortunate) white man is taught to viciously defend his position on the lowest rung of the mythical ladder of opportunity from the black man, so that he'll be distracted from looking up the ladder and focusing his attention on those who are actually responsible for his problems.
This is an argument that predates Dylan at least as far back as the end of the 19th century, as is reflected in this 1892 quote by Thomas E. Watson:
“You are kept apart that you may be separately fleeced of your earnings. You are made to hate each other because upon that hatred is rested the keystone of the arch of financial despotism which enslaves you both. You are deceived and blinded that you may not see how this race antagonism perpetuates a monetary system which beggars both.”
Aaron3ous is correct. Dylan's analysis wasn't particularly new in academia - it was the Marxist standpoint for a very long time (rich people use racial divisions to distort class conflict), but this was pretty original in terms of putting this sentiment in art. I think fewer academics subscribe to this theory now, though. Newer works look at the ways in which white workers themselves inscribed meaning in their whiteness.
Aaron3ous is correct. Dylan's analysis wasn't particularly new in academia - it was the Marxist standpoint for a very long time (rich people use racial divisions to distort class conflict), but this was pretty original in terms of putting this sentiment in art. I think fewer academics subscribe to this theory now, though. Newer works look at the ways in which white workers themselves inscribed meaning in their whiteness.
In the context of the summer of 1963, it was very important to put this statement out there by the New Left.
In the context of the summer of 1963, it was very important to put this statement out there by the New Left.
The phrase "only a pawn in their game" is not saying that the poor white man is only a pawn in the government's larger scheme, as is often reflected in the above posts. It's a sarcastic comment on a documentary that the John Birch society put out in the 60's, saying that the civil rights movement and black justice were only a covert attempt to promote Communism in America. The documentary portrays the black movement as a socialist mentality to use 'equal rights' to implant communism as a substitute for the 'democratic freedom' of consumerist 'me-first' america. Thus, in the first verse for example, Dylan is NOT saying that the assassin is not to blame, rather, he is saying it in a sarcastic tone: "oh no, the assisin is not to blame, he is only a pawn in the larger game using the blacks to get a communist goverment." Dylan even says in the last line that Evers himself was a pawn in the game of the movement - to bring pity to the civil rights movement, and in doing so, the communist movement underneath it. Dylan's lyrics do not point to who is behind the movement to communism, whether the blacks themselves, or the government itself (although in verse two he says that the Negro's name is used it is plain For the politician's gain). He only points out, sarcastically, that the "poor white man" is suffering the blows of this movement to take away his rights. All the white, poor or not, benefited from the powerful hand of politics during that time. Dylan never thought that the white man was 'poor' or unfortunate, as is also noted in his song Oxford Town. His line "But the poor white man's used in the hands of them all like a tool" is sarcastic comment on how the politicians are trying to instill a larger movement under which even the 'poor' white man becomes a pawn. He becomes more forthcoming in his lines: "the laws are with him To protect his white skin To keep up his hate..." Even the poor white man becomes rich in hatred. Dylan spoke on several occasions about the John Birch Society, sarcastically, as is examplified in "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues".
"The phrase "only a pawn in their game" is not saying that the poor white man is only a pawn in the government's larger scheme, as is often reflected in the above posts."
"The phrase "only a pawn in their game" is not saying that the poor white man is only a pawn in the government's larger scheme, as is often reflected in the above posts."
No, that is exactly what it is about. You're deeply misinterpreting and, in some cases, simply misunderstanding the lyrics. For example, in the closing lines of the song, you somehow read into the lyrics that Dylan is describing Medgar Evers as a pawn, but that is not the case. Evers is lowered into his grave as a king, it is "the one who...
No, that is exactly what it is about. You're deeply misinterpreting and, in some cases, simply misunderstanding the lyrics. For example, in the closing lines of the song, you somehow read into the lyrics that Dylan is describing Medgar Evers as a pawn, but that is not the case. Evers is lowered into his grave as a king, it is "the one who fired the gun" whose epitaph reads: "Only a pawn in their game."
You further misinterpret his lyrics when you suggest that Dylan means "unfortunate" when he describes the white man as poor. This is not the case, when Dylan describes "the poor white man," he means poor in the most literal sense of the word: having little or no money.
Finally, you mention the following lyrics, but leave out the line which completes the point:
He's taught in his school From the start by the rule That the laws are with him To protect his white skin To keep up his hate [b]So he never thinks straight 'Bout the shape that he's in But it ain't him to blame He's only a pawn in their game.[/b]
What these lyrics - and the song as a whole - mean, is that the poor (as in destitute, not unfortunate) white man is taught to viciously defend his position on the lowest rung of the mythical ladder of opportunity from the black man, so that he'll be distracted from looking up the ladder and focusing his attention on those who are actually responsible for his problems.
This is an argument that predates Dylan at least as far back as the end of the 19th century, as is reflected in this 1892 quote by Thomas E. Watson:
“You are kept apart that you may be separately fleeced of your earnings. You are made to hate each other because upon that hatred is rested the keystone of the arch of financial despotism which enslaves you both. You are deceived and blinded that you may not see how this race antagonism perpetuates a monetary system which beggars both.”
Aaron3ous is correct. Dylan's analysis wasn't particularly new in academia - it was the Marxist standpoint for a very long time (rich people use racial divisions to distort class conflict), but this was pretty original in terms of putting this sentiment in art. I think fewer academics subscribe to this theory now, though. Newer works look at the ways in which white workers themselves inscribed meaning in their whiteness.
Aaron3ous is correct. Dylan's analysis wasn't particularly new in academia - it was the Marxist standpoint for a very long time (rich people use racial divisions to distort class conflict), but this was pretty original in terms of putting this sentiment in art. I think fewer academics subscribe to this theory now, though. Newer works look at the ways in which white workers themselves inscribed meaning in their whiteness.
In the context of the summer of 1963, it was very important to put this statement out there by the New Left.
In the context of the summer of 1963, it was very important to put this statement out there by the New Left.