Gideon Oknin Poet Lyric

Notes About The Poem

Bob Dylan wrote "A Hard Rain" back in 1962, and the question/answer form was based on a British poem of much earlier.   Dylan said of sitting in the library and reading about politics (part of the inspriration): "After a while you become aware of nothing but a culture of feeling, of black days, of schism, evil for evil, the common destiny of the human being getting thrown off course. It’s all one long funeral song"
That's how I feel about 2024, so I updated his lyrics.   I hope he doesn't mind of course:

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Bob Dylan's Hard Rain updated for 2024

Oh what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you see, my darling young one?

I saw truth tellers doxed, and their addresses listed
I saw images on my cellphone put on by the twisted
I saw a prophet wailing as he was dragged to the madhouse
I saw madmen gaining all the levers of power
I saw wolves out of jail while their victims cower
I saw fools arm in arm with those who would kill them
I saw indoctrination vultures above me turning
Know-it-alls told me what to think, but I wasn't learning
I saw a meteor of old glory barely burning

And it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?

I heard desperate fathers called domestic terrorists
I heard speech is violence and violence is speech
I heard the fury of a woman scorned
I heard a prediction of vengeance, a new weapon borned
I strained my ears in the eye of the hurricane

And it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall

And what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
And what'll you do now, my darling young one?

I'll hike through the garden with high rising fountains 
I'll go off into the forest, and up the mountains
I'll swim cross the ocean, and glide on the river
I'll raft the white water, before the oncoming slaughter

And it's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard, it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall...

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Keith D Trestrail August 2, 2024 at 3:38 AM Great choice. Yep, the pellets of poison are flooding the waters. I love this song - one of the greatest lyrics ever set to music. Love your version too. Cheers.

David Crandall August 1, 2024 at 4:35 PM Great update of the great Bob Dylan song, based I think on Lord Rendell! Gideon Oknin August 2, 2024 at 3:41 AM Thanks for the comment. I looked up the Lord Randall poem (he gets poisoned) and the first 2 verses are: "Oh where ha'e ye been, Lord Randall, my son! And where ha'e ye been, my handsome young man!" "I ha'e been to the wild wood: mother, make my bed soon, For I'm wearied wi' hunting, and fain wald lie down." "An wha met ye there, Lord Randall, my son? An wha met you there, my handsome young man?" "I dined wi my true-love; mother, make my bed soon, For I'm wearied wi hunting, and fain wad lie doon."