Sunday, March 25, 2007

Group Twelve : Anna J. (19), Stephen M. (19), George P. (33), Grant P. (27), Paige C. (27), Halie B. (34), Adam Y. (34)

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

With God On Our Side by Bob Dylan

Oh my name it is nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I's taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side.

Oh the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh the country was young
With God on its side.

Oh the Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I's made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side.

Oh the First World War, boys
It closed out its fate
The reason for fighting
I never got straight
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side.

When the Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now too
Have God on their side.

I've learned to hate Russians
All through my whole life
If another war starts
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side.

But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.

In a many dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ
Was betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war

Anonymous said...

Hey Group,my name is Paige, I'm a Biological Science, Pre-Med major. I like this song, it's about wars and the fact that people had to accept war because they thought the cause was just. Even though they saw death and distruction, because "God was on their side" they should accept war and believe that they were doing the right thing. I don't think that anyone likes was although sometimes it is a necessary evil but I like that he says "But I can't think for you/You'll have to decide" because you have to decide what you want to support because it's right for you or what you don't want to support because it isn't right for you. I think that Bob Dylan brings up some really good questions of morality even though he doesn’t just come right out and say “Is this right?” He almost makes them subconscious questions by giving the explanation that “God is on [their] side” whenever these wars were occurring or were over. Hearing that after every new scenario makes you question whether or not that situation was called for or not. I think the song is kind of sad, but I definitely like it.
--Paige Campbell

Anonymous said...

Hi Group,
I really like the lyrics to this song, and the way that Dylan gets his point across. I particularly enjoyed the first stanza where he emphasizes the fact that he’s just another nameless, faceless American that is to do as he’s told. As the song continues he takes the same approach –Americans are expected to do as they’re told and not to question anything that the government tells them. Everything that we do is supposed to be blessed, as we’re always reminded that this was a country founded on Christianity and we have “God on our side,” and those that will agree with us and do as we say will have the same benefit. I think the most powerful part of the song would have to be the closing, “If God’s on our side/ He’ll stop the next war.”
My name is Halie Brennan, and I’m a Biological Sciences/Genetics major from Florida.
- Halie B., 34

Anonymous said...

Hey Guys, My name is Tyler Peters. I'm a political Science major from Spartanburg, SC. My first disagreement with Paige is that I just don't believe that it is always God's will to have His people be at war. Although I do believe that God is on our side, who are we to say that He isn't on their side too? Or at least some of those soldiers we battled, definitely not all of the soldiers. Starting this song with "Oh my name it is nothin', My age it means less" is just an amazing way to relate to any person who hears this song. Good ole' Bob got every one into the song by saying that and relating every American to the singer, and makes you want to listen. I like the end of this song very much and also hope for the same, "If God's on our side He'll stop the next war." I guess that is all we can hope for is God's intervention. Even though God is on the American's side in the new war, He's also on the Muslim side since we both worship the same God. I hope that he does stop this war before it gets any worse.

Anonymous said...

Hey y’all! My name is Anna Jackson and I’m a Graphic Communications major from Charleston, South Carolina. I think Bob Dillon definitely raises some good points in the lyrics to his song, With God on Our Side. Many Americans accept war as something that must be done and something that will be done with God on our side. From traveling to other countries and comparing the cultures to the American culture, I have found that Americans truly do think that the United States is the best and only country in the world and that God must be on our side. We as Americans find it hard to believe that there is any way God could oppose us and be for our enemies. In this aspect I agree with Dillon, and believe that war should be an issue examined by each individual and not just something we do because we are told. On that note, however, as Americans we cannot blame the government or the history books for our misconceptions of each war. Certainly the history books make the men who fought seem like heroes. After all, it is a history book written in America for students in America, and anyone with a hint of national pride would agree these men should be honored for their bravery, regardless of the cause. Another aspect of the lyrics I disagree with is the way in which Dillon made all the wars seem the same, mocking each of them with a sarcastic air by stating, “with God on their side.” Each war had a different cause, each for a different purpose, each covered in blood, tears, death, and poverty. As Americans we should examine each war and its cause individually for ourselves. Dillon got it right when he said: “But I can’t think for you, you’ll have to decide.” To become a truly great nation we must each learn to think for ourselves instead of relying on and blaming others for the misconceptions of war, among other things.

Stephen said...

Hey this is Stephen. Before I begin, here is a little bit about me. Currently I am a bio sci major, but I don't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would so I'm going to change. I think I am more suited for something along the lines of business, but I am still thinking. I come from Orlando, Florida and no I don't go to Disney World every weekend.

This song was very interesting to me. I have never heard it as a song so for me it's more of a poem than a song. Nevertheless, it touches on some interesting points. The reoccuring motif of the poem states that although we go to war and good as well as bad people die people always say it's ok because God is on our side. Clearly Dylan is mocking this because he states it multiple times through out the song. It is very foolish to say God is on your side in war. Because both sides think they are right and both sides believe that their God is on their side. So yes, if that's how you want to view the argument, God is on their side. Dylan does however say something very interesting in the last line of the song. "If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war." This is a good way to look at God's role in war. IF there is a God, why does he let so much go wrong and so many people kill themselves. If there really is a God shouldn't he stop the next war?

- Stephen Mistoler

Anonymous said...

Hello Im Grant King and I am finally posting a comment. I am from Kingsport, Tennessee and I currently am in the Pre-Professional Health Program and am looking for a major in the life science field, so if anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Ok, my first impression of the song is that somebody [Bob Dylan] isn't a big fan of war, however neither am I so I like many of the things that he says in the song. In the first stanza, the lyrics seem to be talking about a young person being herded off to war for the first time, and loosing their induviduality in a mass of the confusion of war. The following stanzas all reference past battles that have been fought in our country or that our nation has been involved in. Each is a short description of the songwriters interpretation of the wars. The continually reappearing line in all of these stanzas is "[...] God on its side". It is ironic that that no matter how nasty or brutal and terrible each of the wars was, that they were all supposedly justified because God was on our side. It is clear that the songwriter seems to be fairly fed up with the pattern of war, this is clear when he begins singing about the russians and referencing the Cold War (in the 6th stanza). He sings about how we [the US] has wepons and we may be forced to fire them at russia if we have to , but if it does come to that God is STILL on our side so its ok. Towards the end of the song Bob Dylan speeks about Jesus' betrayal and wonders if his actions were also justified because God was on his side. I think that this is an important line in that is shows that while God may always love ,that God is not always in agreement with our actions (or on our side). Wow! I just wrote alot..this is just what I kinda picked up

Anonymous said...

This song is an interesting social commentary on both our outlook on war and our outlook on religion. We justify the former by saying God is on our side (or used to anyway). Bob Dylan points out the irony of this because each side things that God is on their side. All in all, it is not the usual anti-war song.

Adam Yates

Anonymous said...

Oh, and I disagree with Anna. I don't think that Dylan is making a comment on strickly the American Culture. He is scrutinizing humanities outlook on war as a whole. I too have lived inside the country and out, and have lived in a myrid of places within the US as well. As a whole, I do not believe that people justify war as "God is on our side". I made the comment earilier in my post saying that we used to justify war by religious means, and I believed this changed drastically after Vietnam, which is the war that this song was written in protest to.
However, that being said, I do agree with your assessment. Unfortunatly, war sometimes has to happen. Quite frankly it is dumb to think we can avoid certain conflicts, though it is a goal to strive for. We should be able, however, to call a spade a spade and not attempt to justify our actions on a religious baisis as though that makes everything better and peoples troubles go away.

Adam Yates.

Anonymous said...

Hi again group,
Tyler--I definitely wasn't saying that. In fact I was basically saying what you just said. I think that Bob Dylan is causing people to question whether the cause they are fighting for really is right by simply stating that they have "God on [their] side." When he says that he had to memorize heroes in the Civil War and that he never really knew what was being fought for in the First World War but supported it anyways (because God was on their side)he is being slightly sarcastic. He thinks that war isn't a good solution to the problem. Which is why he says that the German's have God on their side even though they killed 6 million people during the holocaust. I definitely don't think that just having God on your side makes a war okay, I was saying just the opposite. Bob Dylan is asking the listener to question the reason for the war-Is it right to support this or not? Is what they did or what we are doing really right even though we think that it is because we're fighting for it? Thats the point of the words he chooses in this song. My opinion is sometimes different then his but I was scrutinizing Bob Dylan's choice of words and opinion-not my own. He wants people to support things because they think they're right-not because they've been told to support them blindly. This song is all about choice and the freedom to choose he simply focuses this point on wars.

Stephen said...

I understand where everyone is coming from. First, I would like to say to Paige, it is easy for people stand up for what they believe on, but in this case, we are talking about old men sending young boys off to fight in wars. They didn't have a choice especially in the situation of the draft where these young boys were sent to the army to fight. So it's hard to say pick something you believe in to fight for, in this situation. To Anna, you say that Americans are too nationalistic and thing that America is the best? I personally think this and that's why I'm here. If you don't think this country is the best, then there isn't really a reason to be here. Also it is good to be nationalistic, maybe not the extent of Nazi Germany, but it is good to have pride for your country. That's all I have to say right now.
Stephen

Anonymous said...

Hey group! Okay, first to my dearest Stephen...I certainly have a lot of pride in my country. I would not necessarily say that is why I am here. I am here because I was born here and even if I wanted to leave I am too broke. However, I would love to stay. I think there is a difference in loving your own country and in thinking you are so much better than others that you look down on them. I think you will agree that there are many Americans who do this, who judge other cultures without factual basis. I also would love to address your question on why God allows hardships and suffering to happen based on a Biblical standpoint, just outside of this blog :) Adam, I totally agree with you when you say war sometimes, unfortunately, has to happen. I also really liked when you said "to call a spade a spade and not attempt to justify our actions on a religious baisis." I think that is Dylan's major point in this song. He wants every American to think for himself. That is something I feel very strongly about. THAT in fact is something our country was founded on: each individual free and allowed to make his or her own decisions. What Dylan is saying is that we too often get away from that and listen to what the government and our textbooks have to say. Anyway, I love all of you and think this discussion is going great! :)

Anna Jackson
Section 19

Anonymous said...

Hey Group! My name is Michelle Tatham and I particularly like this song. I love how he connects with everyone by portraying to the reader that he is just another American wanting a peaceful world but that at times we must stand for our freedom and fight. I like how he demonstrates the thoughts of our enemies also and how they believe that God is on their side too. It is very interesting that the main phrase of this song is "With God on its side" seeing that the song is about fighting when no one really wants too and that death occurs over and over again but in the end the enemy is forgiven. In the end we all have the decision of if we want to support our country and go to war or stand to the side and let it take its own course. It is said that every woman and man has their duty to stand up and fight for their country but every man and woman also has the independence to choose if the fight is worth it or not.

Anonymous said...

OK, you are all wrong!!! Just kidding!!

I believe that Bob Dylan motives for writing this song were fueled out of dissatisfaction of United States at the time and some of the past decisions the country has made. I do not believe he was acting like an “anti-American”, I believe he was just acting accordingly the way many were at the time. The song was more than Dylan’s view; it was the general view of many in 1964. Our country was in crisis and he was obviously fed up with war and the thought of our country entering another one. Being from the United States, Dylan sang about what he knew, which was naturally the wars that the United States was involved in, which may seem like all of them, but actually isn’t. This song is interesting in the regard that it could almost applied to the situation today with the war in Iraq, yet this song was written over 40 years ago. I believe that this song is in no way trying to “take a stab” at the government or anything else, it is just a person (artist) venting their frustration. Many individuals in Hollywood or others somehow involved with the media in other ways (athletes), voice their beliefs and frustrations, just like anyone else (just like you and me), however, they are on national television, so the things they say a typically blown way out of proportion. Bob Dylan is a human with emotion, just like the Dixie Chicks. Remember we are all a product of our environment, at the time of this song the United States had just been involved with the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) and was about to enter Vietnam, the unpopular war, his beliefs reflected in the song were the beliefs of the majority in the US at the time. I personally am a lover, not a fighter, but in saying that I realize that conflict does arise and actions must be taken, and the US is looked upon to make the first and sometimes only move. I support the military and those making the decisions because they wouldn’t be there if they weren’t qualified.

Grant King

Anonymous said...

Hey guys,
I think that at this point we’re mostly all saying about the same thing on the song, because it seems pretty straightforward to me, but here it goes.
Grant, I would like to say that I agree with everything that you said in your second post. Although I will contend that there are times when war is necessary, I would prefer to avoid it if at all possible. I also agree that Dylan should not be deemed un-American because he was opposed to the war. Disagreeing with decisions your country’s leaders have made and hating your country are very different.
Anna, I also agree with what you said to Stephen. I do not live here because I think that our country is the best, it is because of the circumstances in my life. I have no desire to leave, but I could easily see myself being in that same situation were I to have grown up in a number of other countries. I believe our country is great in many ways, but I also accept that it is also very flawed. I refuse to accept that it is the absolute best country, and that we are so far ahead of all others. If that were the case I believe we would be far more advanced in a variety of areas, such as educational systems and health care benefits.
Halie Brennan, 34

Anonymous said...

Hey group,
I'm glad we basically all think the same as far as what Bob Dylan is saying in this song, it's pretty hard to misinterpret. Stephen--I don't agree that its easy to stand up for what you believe, not all the time. Yes in some instances it is easy to stand up and say "I think you're wrong-this is what I believe and I'm sticking to it." However, defending your own beliefs is often the most difficult thing to do. People are always criticizing your choices and what defines you as a person if their opinions are different. I'm pretty sure that only one of the wars mentoined was based on young men being sent places to fight for a war that not all of them supported (because of the draft). I can understand why this is the main focus in the song, because it was in the middle of Bob Dylan's generation-they were his friends and family being sent. I agree that wars are horrible and I think they should be the last resort, but I do believe that they are a necessary evil in some instances. If all we can do is talk about what needs to be changed, then it might not ever change. I think that actions speak louder than words. But hold on because I am NOT saying that war is the answer EVERY time. I don't like wars because I have a lot of family members who are in the military, in fact one of them just got back from Iraq and another may be going soon. I AM saying that if another nation thinks that all we will do (or can do) is talk about stopping them or that we only talk about doing something to prevent a situation (instead of actually preventing it), then they might do it anyways because we've shown no actions that will cause them to doubt our words. As horrific as wars are we must be willing to fight for the safety of our country not only with words, but also with actions. That way we can show that we are a strong nation and we will do what is necessary to provide freedom and safety for the members of our country. I've enjoyed reading everyone's opinions! Have a great rest-of-your semester!

Paige

Anonymous said...

I understand what you all are saying and agree with most of it. For me, America is a good place to be. There are a lot of people in the world who have it worse off than us, so I am thankful to be here. Also don't get me wrong, I am not saying that America is perfect, no country is perfect. Yes, our leaders may not make the best choices in the world. Look at the war we are in now. We are in a war that seems to be drawing on and on, but we can't judge a country on these factors alone. And regardless of if we pull our troops out or years from now, we need to support the Americans that are there now and provide them with anything they need to leave. I strayed off topic, but what I'm saying is that I do think America is the best country in the world with the most opportunities and the most options for people, despite flaws. Also, America, as bad as it is, is often looked to in hopes that they will make the first move when dealing with foreign policy. We are often alone in standing up for what we believe. Our freedom hasn’t come by just sitting idly by and watching the rest of the world, it has come from being aggressive and doing what is thought to be right.

Stephen

Anonymous said...

Everyone has had really great comments and ideas. I am glad that for the most part we can agree on the meaning of the song but still maintain our own opinions and beliefs and accept eachother's with respect. After all, our differences are what make us who we are! Paige, I totally agreed with what you said about backing our words with actions, and especially when you said was is NOT the answer every time. War is something very serious and which must be used cautiously.
To represent the theme/mood of this song, I found a picture which I think parallels a lot of Dylan's ideas. I definitely think there are some differences though. Here's the link: http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2003/11/04/1bell.jpg
The similarities I see are the fact that the comic conveys that as long as we don't see the terrors of war or the bad things that go on, it can be considered okay. As long as we tell ourselves, "God's on our side," we tend to overlook the death and destruction that is caused. The comic also blames the government for this misconception. However, I feel that the comic blames the government, in particular George Bush, a lot more than Dylan did. Dylan focused more on trying to convince Americans to evaluate the real reason behind war than he did on attacking the government and particular people.

Anna Jackson
Section 19

Anonymous said...

well group, apparently a lot of people are putting up pictures and i didnt realize that we had to do that, so i'm posting again with my picture and meaning. here is the link:
http://www.idp5.org/blog/uploaded_images/think-708059.jpg

I think the picture is a perfect representation of what Bob Dylan is trying to say in this song. He wants everyone to think for themselves about the decisions that are being made and things that are happening in our country. It's our own responsibility to decide what causes we support and which ones we are against. America was founded on the prinicple that it is each man or womans right to have freedom, no matter what context that freedom is in. We have the ability and privelege to think for ourselves and we should practice that right.
Have a good week!
Paige

Anonymous said...

First of all, I hope Geoff can find it in his heart not to count this late.

Ok, so Im sitting here in Harcomb and I turn around and President Bush is on the tv. In his immediate background are soliders clad in camo, his is obviously in Iraq judging by the weather. Last night I turned on the tv and John McCain was on 60 Minutes being virtually interigated by the host. This morning I turned on the tv to hear of more casulties of war. We may not physically be near it, but we are surrounded by war. It has become such a huge part of our lives and the lives of many around the world. It was the same way, maybe even on a larger scale at the time of the Vietnam War when Dylan wrote the song, so I think that I somewhat understand where Dylan could be comming from (i.e. the situation, many different views). Today, many people are in support of the troops and the job they are trying to accomplish, but there are also those who do strongly oppose any military action in Iraq. However, the number of supporters outweighs the number of "non-supporters". In the 1960's and 1970's this was not the case and I believe Dylan fell into the catagory of non-supporter. The issue of war is obviously something that played on Dylan's mind, just as it did for many others. To deal with his frustration he was venting. People deal with stress in many ways, being a musician he wrote a song, that got kinda famous, people talked about it cause it was kinda controversial, and now 40 years later we are having a blog discussion about it. I am a supporter OF THE TROOPS (maybe not the governments motives, but that is neither here nor there).

My battery is dying so i gotta post this

Anonymous said...

I would like to ecco anna's comments when you said that the comic blames bush and the government too much, and I believe also the press uses the presidency as a scapegoat all too often. For such things as the economy, the president only has so much control.
I don't think Dylan is calling into question religion in general, and I don't think he's calling into question even patriotism. I think he is commenting on the irony of a compasionate God, and one who is suposed to stand pease being used for a rationalization of war. Patriotism is a good thing, like many things, in reasonable moderation. While we can be proud of our country, our haratage, and our future, we cannot be blinded by our pride. Whether we like it or not, the world depends on the US, and for good or ill, I don't think thats going to change.

Adam

Anonymous said...

I guess we were suposed to put up a final post about what we feel and think is going on. I found this picture on a simple search of "thinking about war." I believe its a very powerful picture, and again, central to a message I see in Dylan's song.
http://static.flickr.com/30/62729436_91c320a686.jpg
There are conciquences to our actions, and in war, lives are in the balance. What is represented in that picture is the main biproduct of any war from any generation. Again, I think War is sometimes needed, but we must always think about the choice we are making, and be willing to follow it through, and pay the conciquence. Once a war begins, we cannot quit in the middle. It was good talking to you guys, have a great semester.

Adam Yates