The Times They Are A-Changin' – English Lyrics

• By: Bob Dylan

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the power of change with Bob Dylan's iconic song, “The Times They Are a-Changin'.” Learn how this timeless anthem, rooted in folk tradition, captures the spirit of transformation and encourages listeners to embrace the evolving world. Explore the rich lyrics and historical context, and gain a deeper understanding of the message that continues to resonate today .

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ Come gather 'round, people wherever you roam ♪

♪ And admit that the waters around you have grown ♪

♪ And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone ♪

♪ If your time to you is worth savin' ♪

♪ And you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone ♪

♪ For the times they are a-changin' ♪

♪♪♪

♪ Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen ♪

♪ And keep your eyes wide the chance won't come again ♪

♪ And don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin ♪

♪ And there's no tellin' who that it's namin' ♪

♪ For the loser now will be later to win ♪

♪ For the times they are a-changin' ♪

♪♪♪

♪ Come senators, congressmen Please heed the call ♪

♪ Don't stand in the doorway Don't block up the hall ♪

♪ For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled ♪

♪ The battle outside ragin' ♪

♪ Will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls ♪

♪ For the times they are a-changin' ♪

♪♪♪

♪ Come mothers and fathers throughout the land ♪

♪ And don't criticize what you can't understand ♪

♪ Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command ♪

♪ Your old road is rapidly agin' ♪

♪ Please get out of the new one If you can't lend your hand ♪

♪ For the times they are a-changin' ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪ The line it is drawn The curse it is cast ♪

♪ The slow one now will later be fast ♪

♪ As the present now will later be past ♪

♪ The order is rapidly fadin' ♪

♪ And the first one now will later be last ♪

♪ For the times they are a-changin' ♪

♪♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
gather /ˈɡæðər/ B1	verb - to come together; to assemble
admit /ədˈmɪt/ B1	verb - to confess to be true or to allow entry
waters /ˈwɔːtərz/ B2	noun - the liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain
drenched /drɛnʧt/ B2	adjective - completely wet
swim /swɪm/ A1	verb - to move through water by moving the body or limbs
sink /sɪŋk/ B1	verb - to go down below the surface of a liquid
change /ʧeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to make or become different
critics /ˈkrɪtɪks/ B2	noun - people who express an unfavorable opinion of something
wheel /wiːl/ A2	noun - a circular object that revolves on an axle
battle /ˈbætəl/ B1	noun - a fight between armed forces
shake /ʃeɪk/ B1	verb - to move back and forth or up and down with quick movements
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ A2	verb - to grasp the meaning of something
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a wide way leading from one place to another
fast /fæst/ A2	adjective - moving or capable of moving at high speed

Key Grammar Structures

• Come gather 'round, people

  ➔ Imperative verb with a command and an indirect object

  ➔ The phrase uses the imperative "Come" to instruct or invite people to gather.

• and admit that the waters around you have grown

  ➔ Use of the verb "admit" in present tense with a subordinate clause

  ➔ The verb "admit" introduces a confession or acknowledgment of a situation.

• For the times they are a-changin'

  ➔ Use of simple present tense in a poetic, general statement

  ➔ The phrase signifies an ongoing, persistent change occurring over time.

• The order is rapidly fadin'

  ➔ Present continuous tense indicating a gradual fading or decline

  ➔ This construction emphasizes an ongoing process of fading or diminishing.

• who prophesize with your pen

  ➔ Use of the verb "prophesize" in present tense with a prepositional phrase

  ➔ The verb "prophesize" is used in the present tense, indicating prediction or vision conveyed through writing.

• Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command

  ➔ Use of the phrase "beyond your command" indicating surpassing control

  ➔ This phrase emphasizes that the younger generation is no longer under the authority of the older one.

• The slow one now will later be last

  ➔ Future simple tense with "will" to indicate a change over time

  ➔ The phrase uses "will" to predict a reversal of status or outcome in the future.