Blowin' In The Wind

• By: Bob Dylan

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn noun - a journey on foot
roads /roʊdz/ A1	noun - a way or course for traveling between two places
seas /siːz/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface
sail /seɪl/ A2	verb - to travel on water in a ship or boat
sleeps /sliːps/ A1	verb - to be in a state of rest when your eyes are closed, your body is inactive, and your mind is unconscious
sand /sænd/ A1	noun - a loose granular substance, typically pale yellowish brown, resulting from the erosion of siliceous and other rocks and forming a major constituent of deserts, riverbeds, the seabed, and beaches.
cannonballs /ˈkænənˌbɔlz/ B2	noun - a solid ball of stone or iron formerly used as a projectile from a cannon.
fly /flaɪ/ A2	verb - to move through the air using wings
banned /bænd/ B2	verb - officially or legally prohibit (something)
blowin' /ˈbloʊɪn/ B1	verb - moving and being carried by the wind
wind /wɪnd/ A1	noun - the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A2	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level
exist /ɪɡˈzɪst/ B1	verb - have objective reality or being
free /friː/ A2	adjective - not under the control or power of someone else
head /hɛd/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and brain are
see /siː/ A1	verb - perceive with the eyes; discern visually
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth.
hear /hɪər/ A1	verb - perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something)
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow
deaths /dɛθs/ A2	noun - the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism
died /daɪd/ A2	verb - past tense of die: to stop living

Grammar:

• How many roads must a man walk down Before you call him a man?

  ➔ Modal verb "must" for obligation/necessity/probability, Question formation (subject-verb inversion), conditional clause (Before + clause).

  ➔ This line uses the modal verb "must" to express a sense of necessity. The question format is a rhetorical device. "Before you call him a man?" introduces a condition that needs to be met.

• How many seas must a white dove sail Before she sleeps in the sand?

  ➔ Modal verb "must" (similar usage to previous example), Subjunctive mood (implied), Conditional clause.

  ➔ Again, "must" indicates necessity. The line implies a hypothetical situation requiring a number of actions before a final state is reached. Subjunctive is implied in the 'Before' clause.

• Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly Before they're forever banned?

  ➔ Modal verb "must", Passive voice ("they're banned"), Adverb of frequency ("forever"), Conditional Clause

  ➔ This line continues the use of "must" to question the necessity before a certain event. The passive voice emphasizes the action being done to the cannon balls. 'Forever' specifies the duration of the ban.

• Yes, 'n' how many years can a mountain exist Before it's washed to the sea?

  ➔ Modal verb "can" for possibility, Passive Voice (it's washed), Conditional Clause.

  ➔ "Can" expresses the possibility of a mountain existing for a certain period. The passive "it's washed" indicates the mountain being acted upon by natural forces.

• Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist Before they're allowed to be free?

  ➔ Modal verb "can", Passive voice with modal verb (they're allowed), Infinitive of purpose (to be free), Conditional Clause.

  ➔ "Can" expresses the possibility or potential for people to exist. "They're allowed" shows that freedom is granted by an external authority. "To be free" clarifies the intended result.

• Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head And pretend that he just doesn't see?

  ➔ Modal verb "can", Verb "pretend" + "that" clause (reporting a thought), Negative adverb "doesn't"

  ➔ "Can" indicates the possibility or ability of a man to turn his head. "Pretend that..." is used to report someone's inner thought. "Doesn't see" is a negative statement, showing the person's denial or ignorance.

• Yes, 'n' how many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky?

  ➔ Modal verbs "must" and "can", Conditional clause (Before + clause)

  ➔ This line uses both modal verbs: "must" to emphasize the necessity of looking up, and "can" to express the ability to see the sky after performing the action. The "Before" clause indicates the condition.