There is an art of protest singing. It should have the power to rally the masses to bring about change. Though he has often rejected the crown of protest singer, few have written more moving and politically charged music than Bob Dylan.
American Songwriter videos
His early career was punctuated by socially conscious and politically nuanced hits, such as “Blowin in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” which made him the voice of a generation. That distinction, however, would change in 1965, when he began to shift away from political songwriting in favor of the more artful and complex folk-rock art that can first be found in his Bringing it all back home.
Even with the change, Dylan is still regarded today as one of the greatest songwriters in history, but it’s his early songs that still hold the power as protest anthems. One wonders what it would be like if he wrote a protest song today, so we asked ChatGPT to write a modern protest song in the style of a young Dylan. Here’s what came of it.
The song
The AI chatbot, ChatGPT, came up with the following lyric, titling the tune “Echoes of Change.” The envisioned song touches on current social and political issues through Dylan’s lens, intertwining his timeless literary flair with powerful pleas for justice and equality.
(Verse 1)
In a world that is spiraling out of control
Where the strong powers have taken over
It’s time to stand up, let’s make our voices heard
For justice and truth, let our spirits converge
(Choir)
Echoes of change, they’re calling aloud
On every street, in every crowd
Together we resist, united we fight
For a better tomorrow, let’s shine our light
(Verse 2)
The grip of inequality is tightening fast
The rich get richer, while the poor come last
But we won’t be silent, we won’t back down
For the voiceless and downtrodden, we wear the crown
(Choir)
Echoes of change, they’re calling aloud
On every street, in every crowd
Together we resist, united we fight
For a better tomorrow, let’s shine our light
(Verse 3)
In the darkness of hate, we will sow the seeds of love
Breaking the barriers, climbing above
For every color, every gender and creed
We will march hand in hand, meeting our needs
(Choir)
Echoes of change, they’re calling aloud
On every street, in every crowd
Together we resist, united we fight
For a better tomorrow, let’s shine our light
(Bridge)
The winds of resistance are blowing so hard
No longer silent, we are singing our song
In the face of injustice, we will not be submissive
With compassion and courage, we will change the mood
(Choir)
Echoes of change, they’re calling aloud
On every street, in every crowd
Together we resist, united we fight
For a better tomorrow, let’s shine our light
(The final)
Let these words echo in the night
A beacon of hope, a guiding light
The spirit of Bob Dylan, we’ll keep it forever
In this ode to change, the flame runs deep
The sound
Lyrically, the song is deep, but it’s hard to imagine what it would sound like. We asked the chatbot to describe what we might hear and the response was unique to Dylan given his musical evolution and cross-genre style.
ChatGPT speculated that the tune would incorporate various genres such as folk, rock, blues and country as the artist also drew inspiration from today’s musical styles. In Dylan’s fashion, however, he would still retain his distinct sound and signature delivery.
Blending acoustic and electric elements while also incorporating a solid rhythm section for a raw, grit-filled sound, the song would ultimately be carried by Dylan’s iconic rasp. His words would be charged with emotion as he delivered his inspiring message.
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
#asked #write #modern #protest #song #worthy #young #Bob #Dylan #Check #results