Life might take all of us into different rides and different paths, forcing one to bring new views into hand and grapple with a new understanding of life and its resonants. However, some alleys might be darker than the next, and anyone might find themselves a bit out of hope, embracing a sense of despair.
A young Bob Dylan in the early 60s would have none of that, eyes as bright as brimstone in an era of war, resistance, and riots. The young rocker would’ve quickly taken his guitar, wearing his beloved harmonica around his neck and shouting a few catchy lyrics about peace, commitment, and love while trying his best to illuminate the darkest hallways of life.
Into the 80s, however, things had taken a radical turn for Dylan, who obviously was going through a new path in his life as a middle-aged man. It was apparent that years had worn him out, although he still had all the musical passion his young self had. His worldview, however, had changed, as he wasn’t as much into the fight for peace agenda.
Dylan sat down with Rolling Stone in 1984, smoking a pack of cigarettes and downing cups of coffee while answering questions about his life and career. After talking a bit about his early anthems and his role as a peace advocate, the host decided to ask Bob a lengthy question: Did he still fight for peace?
The singer’s answer to that was pretty short, quickly answering no. It felt that he had lost all his hope and quit being on the fronts of the fight for peace long ago. The host then asked again if peace wasn’t worth fighting for; Dylan readily answered that even if he managed to establish peace, it would be false peace until the next trouble arrived.
The rocker then discussed the United States’ status as a global power, disclosing why he thought one couldn’t advocate for peace while being global. Bob pointed out how none of that mattered if you were a believer committed to the afterlife, anyway. However, even if you were committed to the materialistic world, it still didn’t make any difference as one wouldn’t see the end of all the trouble.
Dylan on giving up advocating for peace:
“Well, you can’t be for peace and be global; it’s just like that song “Man of Peace.” But ‘none of this matters if you believe in another world. If you believe in this world, you’re stuck; you really don’t have a chance. You’ll go mad ’cause you won’t see the end of it.
You may wanna stick around, but you won’t be able to. On another level, though, you will be able to see this world. You’ll look back and say, “Ah, that’s what it was all about all the time. Wow, why didn’t I get that?’”
The Rolling Stone host then pointed out that it was a fatalistic way to see things, to which Bob readily answered it was a realistic rather than a fatalist look. However, even if his words were going to fall under the category of fatalism, he wouldn’t challenge the concept anyways since he didn’t care what his words might ring to others.
Bob’s words regarding his statements have a tone of fatalism:
“[I] think it’s [his new worldview] realistic. If it is fatalistic, it’s only fatalistic on this level, and this level dies anyway, so what’s the difference? So you’re fatalistic, so what?”
It seemed that the middle-aged rocker had nothing left in him from the young man who sang about his hopes for a better world and peace all around the globe. It might be fair to say that Dylan had grown up, and this interview came around a time when he had found religion and became a born-again Christian, so it surely was apparent that the rocker was going through a new road.
