Knockin' on Heaven's Door

As well as teaching you about lots of other things, I have always thought that part of a school’s job – and part of the role of parents  – is to show to you the cultural achievements that generations have judged to be the very greatest that our civilisations have produced, be these music, literature, films, or art. Of course, whether or not you choose to agree with these judgements and enjoy this art is entirely up to you, and that’s as it should be.  

So, Bob Dylan is without doubt one of the most influential artists of the Twentieth Century, and I am convinced will still be remembered, and his songs played, when many, many others have long been forgotten.  

Why is this? I would argue that it is because he is both a poet and, like St Paul, about whom we heard earlier, a prophet.  

Dylan's lyrics, like St Paul’s letters, resonate with Catholic Social Teaching in several powerful ways.  As you know, Catholic Social Teaching focuses on principles like human dignity, solidarity, care for the poor, peace, and justice, which align closely with Dylan's poetic calls for empathy, justice, and social change. Here are a few examples of Dylan's lyrics that echo Catholic Social Teaching themes: 

Human Dignity and Solidarity 

Catholic Social Teaching says that every person has inherent dignity and worth, created in the image of God. Solidarity calls us to stand with others, especially the marginalised. 

The lines from Dylan’s Blowin' in the Wind "How many roads must a man walk down / Before you call him a man?" challenge the denial of human dignity, especially in the context of racial injustice and inequality. 

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable 

Catholic Social Teaching says that Society must prioritise the needs of the poor and vulnerable. 

Dylan writes in I Shall Be Released "I see my light come shining / From the west unto the east / Any day now, any day now / I shall be released", speaking to the hope and liberation of those oppressed or imprisoned, echoing the Gospel's message of lifting up the downtrodden. 

In Masters of War he writes of warmongers, "You’ve thrown the worst fear / That can ever be hurled / Fear to bring children / Into the world." highlighting the plight of the vulnerable in the face of systemic violence and injustice. 

The Call to Work for Justice and Peace 

Catholic Social Teaching says that we are called to work for peace and justice, resisting structures of sin and building a more just world. 

Dylan’s song The Times They Are A-Changin' is a prophetic call for social change and justice, urging society to confront inequality and move toward peace. 

Care for Creation 

Catholic Social Teaching says that Stewardship of the Earth is a moral responsibility, respecting creation as a gift from God. 

In Blowin' in the Wind again, Dylan writes “how many years can a mountain exist / Before it is washed to the sea?" these lines reflecting a deep awareness of the fragility and impermanence of creation, encouraging care and reverence for the Earth. 

One of my favourite lines in Bob Dylan’s songs is ‘the geometry of innocent flesh on the bone’ from Tombstone Blues, which in my opinion, is simply brilliant, powerful poetry. To think to combine in a metaphor something rigid, scientific and apparently sterile as geometry with living, organic flesh, is sheer genius, in my humble opinion. In terms of its meaning, I think Dylan is doing at least two things here: firstly, he is reflecting on the beautiful order and wonder of creation (like the phrase in the psalm ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’), and secondly, he is demonstrating deep compassion for human suffering as a result of cruelty, torture or war.  

Please do a favour for me, and listen to a Bob Dylan song or two. If you do, I hope you get as much pleasure from listening to his music as I have for very many years now.