Chart nerds will find that I skipped out on two shoo-in contenders on my worst list, “Candy Girl” by The Four Seasons and “Two Faces Have I” by Lou Christie.  Part of the reason is because as a song, “Candy Girl” is fine: it has a unique melody, even of the song construction is clearly rooted in typical early 60’s music fare. But the big reason for me passing on both songs was pretty self-explanatory: “Candy Girl” and especially “Two Faces Have I” have been heavily criticized for their falsetto vocals.  As I’ve stated before, as a horrendous singer myself I’m not going to criticize vocals unless I absolutely have to.  The first reason is because I don’t want to be a big bully and tear into someone to compensate for my lack of skills.  The second reason is because, honestly, I don’t always consider technically bad vocal performances a big problem.  It is more a matter of how the voice works in the context of the song.

Consider the many great artists we’ve had over the years who were terrible singers.  Lou Reed could not sing.  Neil Young cannot sing.  Lemmy would probably be laughed off the first audition of American Idol.  The list is longer than you think.  So heading back on topic, you want to know a musician who made his breakthrough in 1963 who couldn’t sing worth a damn?  Some guy named Bob Dylan.

“Blowin’ In The Wind” – Peter, Paul, & Mary

#2 peak
#17 year-end

You’re probably wondering why I began this entry by discussing the person who wrote the song, and not the group that made this song a hit.  Well, I’m going to cheat a bit with this entry and discuss both the Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul, and Mary versions in this entry, rather than just the version that made the charts.  Because both versions almost exist as a yin and yang structure:  One version made the other possible, while the other version made the other song iconic.

While the Bob Dylan version of the song is now the most famous version of the song today, “Blowin’ In The Wind” did not chart for him.  It became a hit for Peter, Paul, and Mary, who took the song to #2 on the charts in 1963.  Honestly, I could see at the time why the Peter, Paul, and Mary version was bigger.  There were advantages and disadvantages.  Both versions are clean and spare:  The Bob Dylan version is played solo, with an acoustic guitar and Dylan’s harmonica added to the song, while Peter, Paul, and Mary’s accompaniment is a single acoustic guitar.  But a big reason why the Peter, Paul, and Mary version was bigger at the time was because it was more streamlined.  It’s more generic since the song becomes more mid-tempo and has a much cleaner production, but that’s not necessarily a criticism here.  As a newcomer, Dylan’s raspy voice was likely going to be a turnoff to pop music fans who were still frequenting Al Martino and Andy Williams.  The trio of Peter, Paul, and Mary’s voices – Mary’s especially – correct this flaw, with the blend of their voices sounding like a requiem for a scene of devastation.  With its frantically strung chords and unkempt vocals, Dylan’s version is the protest in the streets, while Peter, Paul, and Mary’s version is touring the field after the devastation has happened.  I think that is why the Bob Dylan version has become better remembered, not because he is now the more celebrated artist today (well, obviously), but because of how the lyrics hit you.

Bob Dylan saw “Blowin’ In The Wind” as a song about people so ignorant they are unable to see the truths about society, specifically relating to wars that were occurring at the time.  But if I were to interpret this song, to me, this song isn’t a condemnation.  It’s a warning.  Understanding history of the time, it sounds less like a reaction to what had previously happened and more like Dylan had a premonition about the sixties beforehand.

How many times must the cannonballs fly
Before they’re forever banned?

How many deaths will it take ’til he knows
That too many people have died?

When I think of this song, I put it into this context.  It was 1963, the last year of the “Camelot” days of the Kennedy presidency.  As with the 1950’s, everything seemed positive on the surface.  World War II left us as the most powerful country in the world, and we had dictation of much of the developments occurring in Western Europe after the destruction caused by the war.  The 1950’s was among the greatest periods for our economy in the 20th century, and even though there was a recession the year before in 1962, many people weren’t being hit with the reality that there was still an ugly undercurrent worldwide.  After all, 1963 was the year of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which banned testing of nuclear weapons everywhere above the ground, so that top lyric about banning cannonballs couldn’t be relevant anymore, could it?

Then, at the very end of the Billboard year, John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and the turbulent sixties had begun.  It particularly accelerated when we went overseas to war again, in Vietnam.  There were more issues occurring at home with the Civil Rights movement, landmark Supreme Court decisions, and protests for further women’s rights, but Vietnam was what made this song particularly resonant.  Over 58,000 died during our involvement from 1965 to 1973.  Dylan had a point: that’s too many.  There was even a point during the war where Nixon seriously considered attacking Vietnam with nuclear weapons with Operation Duck Hook.  Another nuclear weapon after Nagasaki could have been absolutely catastrophic not just for Vietnam, not just for America, but the entire world as the landscape could have been primed for the dreaded nuclear war.  And again, Dylan’s lyrics rang true.  How could these nuclear weapons, which could have killed over 100,000 people with one blow, not be banned?

Whether or not you’re following my route with this song, “Blowin’ In The Wind” is a powerful tune.  It’s painfully relatable to the sixties as a whole, regarding how people were taking tense moments like the Cuban Missile Crisis (occurring the same year this song was written, in 1962) and Cold War conflicts for granted.  It’s a grim reminder of the old adage that those who don’t learn about history are left to repeat it.

When going through which version is better, it’s tough to say.  The Bob Dylan version is more urgent and commanding, as if the lyrics to the song really matter, while the Peter, Paul, and Mary version has better singing and better technical production.  I’d grant the edge to Dylan, like most people, since his version exemplifies the bleakness of the lyrics better.  Overall, I think that’s why this song didn’t crack the Top 5, because even though the lyrics are so powerful, it’s clear to me that this song was toned down in the Peter, Paul, and Mary version that was eligible to appeal to a wider audience.  But even with that said, “Blowin’ In The Wind” kicked off the career of one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and became one of the biggest hits for one of the most notable folk trios.  Both versions have their place with me.

UP NEXT: After tons of examples of heartbreak done wrong, at #5 we get an example of heartache done right.

IMAGE SOURCES

Single cover from Discogs

Photo of Bob Dylan from Morrison Hotel Gallery

Photo of the Vietnam War from History.com