Bob Dylan's Topical Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hurricane

Dylan writes about police corruption and false imprisonment in this song from his "Desire" album. "Doesn't it make you feel ashamed to live in a land where justice is a game?" he asks America. The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was made into a film called "The Hurricane" in 1999 which starred Denzel Washington.

Answer: True

Dylan does not mention race, but does refer to classes, in his song about Carroll. Hattie Carroll was assaulted in Baltimore in 1963 with a toy cane by William Zantzinger, the son of a wealthy farmer. She died of a brain hemorrhage 8 hours later. Zantzinger was charged with manslaughter and given a six month sentence, which the judge deferred for a month so he would have time to harvest his tobacco crop.

Answer: James Meredith

Two people were killed and many were injured as a result of this campus riot. "Oxford town in the afternoon, everybody's singing a sorrowful tune, two men died 'neath the Mississippi moon, somebody better investigate soon."

Answer: The poor white man

Medgar Evers was shot in Mississippi by a Ku Klux Klan member. This song, from "The Times They Are a-Changing," is about how politicians use the poor white man like a tool to "keep up the hate".

Answer: The effects of iron mines closing

North Country Blues was released on the album, "The Times They Are a-Changing" in 1964. Apparently influenced by Woody Guthrie this song is "considered by some to be one of his most effective in the folk-song genre" according to wikipedia.

Answer: He was a member or leader of all of these

Jackson was sentenced to one year to life in prison when he was 18 years old for robbing a gas station at gunpoint. He joined The Black Panther party while in Prison, he formed the Black Guerrilla Family at San Quentin, and he became one of the three Soledad Brothers when they were accused of murdering a guard at Soledad. Jackson wrote "Blood in my Eye" and "Soledad Brother" while in prison; they both were bestsellers.

Answer: Who Killed Davy Moore

Davy Moore died in 1963 during a fight with Sugar Ramos. Dylan asks who is guilty for his death in this song. "Not I" said "the referee", "The angry crowd", "the manager, puffing on his big cigar", "the gambling man", "the boxing writer", and "the man whose fists laid him low in a cloud of mist". Because they all deny fault the implication is that they are all to blame; that the boxing industry is to blame. (information from wikipedia)

Answer: Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie had been a huge musical influence in Dylan's life. When Dylan was 19 he visited the dying Guthrie in the hospital and sang him his "Song For Woody". Guthrie reportedly stated that Dylan could sing but he wasn't sure he had a handle on song writing. "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie" is the other song Dylan wrote with Woody's name in the title.

Answer: True

Dylan was called the voice of the generation. He was not very fond of the title. "Blowing in the Wind" was ranked number 14 in "The Rolling Stones" list of "500 greatest songs of all time". "The Times They are a-Changing was ranked number 59.

Answer: Masters of War

"Masters of War" was written in 1963. It was released on the album "The Freewheeling Bob Dylan". Dylan told "USA Today" that the song "is supposed to be a pacifistic song against war. It's not an anti-war song."