How Well Do You Know “Blowin’ in the Wind” Song Quiz

This little episode, which pays tribute to Dylan's song, comes from Douglas's "Life, the Universe, and Everything," which is part of his "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series

These lines may be found in Tablet X of the Babylonian epic. Many see in the epic parallels to the story of Noah and the flood in the Bible.

The celebration, held in 1993, featured a variety of famous artists performing Bob Dylan's work. The songs were released on CD on August 24, 1993.

The song was first released in 1963 on "Freewheelin'." Versions also appear on "Greatest Hits" and on two of Dylan's live albums, "At Budokan" and "Before the Flood."

"The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, / The answer is blowin' in the wind." Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees Pastoral scene of the gallant south The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh Then the sudden smell of burning flesh Here is fruit for the crows to pluck For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop Here is a strange and bitter crop

Since the dove is a common symbol of peace, the obvious meaning of this question is: "how long will men continue to war with one another?" But it may also allude to Genesis 8:8: "Also [Noah] sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground: But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot..." The dove cannot sleep in the sand because the consequence of man's sin--the flood--is still upon the earth. Dylan's question, then, may be: "When will man cease to sin so that the consequences of his sin--in this case the brutality of war--will recede?"

Since Dylan has a habit of alluding to the book of Isaiah, it is conceivable he drew this image from it. Isaiah is commanded to tell the people: "Hear ye indeed, but understand not . . . Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy . . . lest they . . . hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed" (Isaiah 6:9). Isaiah's response is "Lord, how long?" (Isaiah 6:10).

This Bob Dylan and The Band album, "Before the Flood," was released in June of 1974.