Only a Pawn in Their Game
"Only a Pawn in Their Game" is a song written by Bob Dylan about the assassination of civil rights activist Medgar Evers in Jackson, Mississippi, on June 12, 1963. Showing support for African-Americans during the American Civil Rights Movement, the song was released on Dylan's The Times They Are a-Changin' album in 1964.
| "Only a Pawn in Their Game" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Bob Dylan | |
| from the album The Times They Are a-Changin' | |
| Released | January 13, 1964 |
| Recorded | August 7, 1963 |
| Genre | Folk, blues |
| Length | 3:33 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Dylan |
| Producer(s) | Tom Wilson |
Lyrics
The lyrics attribute blame for the killing and other racial violence to the rich white politicians and authorities who manipulated poor whites into directing their anger and hatred at black people.[1] The song suggests that Evers's killer does not deserve to be remembered by name in the annals of history, unlike the man he murdered ("They lowered him down as a king"), because he was "only a pawn in their game."
Recording and performances
Dylan first performed "Only a Pawn in Their Game" at a voter registration rally in Greenwood, Mississippi on July 6, 1963 at the request of Pete Seeger. A month later, on August 7, he recorded several takes of the song at Columbia's studios in New York City, selecting the initial attempt for release on The Times They Are a-Changin'.[2]
Dylan performed the song at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.[3] Dylan stated of the experience, in the documentary No Direction Home, "I looked up from the podium and I thought to myself, 'I've never seen such a large crowd'. I was up close when King was giving that speech. To this day, it still affects me in a profound way."[4]
References
- NPR Staff (June 12, 2013). "Bob Dylan's Tribute To Medgar Evers Took On The Big Picture". npr.org. NPR. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- Margotin, Phillipe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (October 27, 2015). Bob Dylan: All the Songs. New York, NY: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. pp. 96–97. ISBN 9781579129859.
- Greenman, Ben (August 28, 2013). "Dream Songs: The Music of the March on Washington". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
- Greene, Andy (2020-06-09). "Flashback: Bob Dylan Performs at the 1963 March on Washington". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
External links
