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Masters of War is a song by Bob Dylan, written in 1963 and released on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. It is an adaptation, with new words by Dylan, of Nottamun town [1]. As with many of the major songs Dylan composed at this time, he often adapted or "borrowed" melodies from traditional songs. On this occasion however, he had borrowed an arrangement by veteran folksinger Jean Ritchie. The arrangement, unknown to Dylan, had been in her family for generations. Ritchie wanted an acknowledgement on the writing credit. This however was not to be the case, as Dylan instructed his lawyers to pay her $5,000. if she agreed to not make any more claims.^[1] Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... A song is a relatively short musical composition. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... The Freewheelin Bob Dylan, released May 27, 1963, was folk musician Bob Dylans second LP. This release established him as a songwriter of premier importance. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Folk music can have a number of different meanings, including: Traditional music: The original meaning of the term folk music was synonymous with the term Traditional music, also often including World Music and Roots music; the term Traditional music was given its more specific meaning to distinguish it from the... A protest song is a song which protests problems in society such as injustice, racial discrimination, war, globalization, inflation, social inequalities, incarceration, and global warming. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... The Freewheelin Bob Dylan, released May 27, 1963, was folk musician Bob Dylans second LP. This release established him as a songwriter of premier importance. ... Girl from the North Country is a song written by Bob Dylan in January, 1963 and released as the second track on his second studio album, The Freewheelin Bob Dylan. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Freewheelin Bob Dylan, released May 27, 1963, was folk musician Bob Dylans second LP. This release established him as a songwriter of premier importance. ... Nottamun Town is a folk song found in the Appalachian Mountains, but thought to be of English origin. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... In music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ... Jean Ritchie (born 1922) is an American folk singer. ...

There is a live version on Dylan's Real Live album which is electric. In his Hiroshima concert of 1994, Dylan played the first acoustic Masters of War since 1963. Dylan also played the song in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on the night of the US Presidential election in 2004. Real Live is a live album by Bob Dylan. ... The Japanese city of Hiroshima ) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japans islands. ... This be the Danster with a few new trickoms ahahahahahahahahahahahahah Hace fun life life // January 1 - NAFTA goes into effect. ... Location of Oshkosh, Wisconsin City hall Downtown Oshkosh at U.S. Route 45 Oshkosh Public Museum Mouth of the Fox River into Lake Winnebago. ...

Dylan about the song

Dylan spoke to USA Today's Edna Gundersen about the song in late 2001, weeks after the September 11th attacks. In the article, Dylan is quoted as saying that the song "is supposed to be a pacifistic song against war. It's not an anti-war song. It's speaking against what Eisenhower was calling a military-industrial complex as he was making his exit from the presidency. That spirit was in the air, and I picked it up." USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years). ... Dwight David Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American General and politician, who served as the thirty-fourth President of the United States (1953–1961). ... President Dwight Eisenhower famously referred to the military-industrial complex in his farewell address. ...

Cover versions

• Ben Harper is covering this song on his current 2007 tour, with The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello) joining as a special guest.

• Pearl Jam covered this song in concert in Boston on May 24, 2006, Bob Dylan's birthday. They have covered it on numerous other occasions, including in a September 30, 2004 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman and at the Benaroya Hall show from 2003. They also recorded the song for Dylan's 30th anniversary celebration in New York City in the early 1990s, dubbed Bobfest by Neil Young.

• Roger Meddows-Taylor of Queen, on his 1984 solo album Strange Frontier

• Martin Simpson, the English-born blues/folk guitarist, singer, and songwriter; on his 1983 album Grinning in your Face

• D.O.A., the veteran Canadian punk band, on their 2004 album Live Free or Die

• Ratdog, during a live show at The Orange Peel in Ashville, North Carolina in 2005

• Rx Bandits singer Matt Embree covered this song at a Sounds of Animals Fighting show. A video of the cover can be seen on their myspace in a blog.

• The Roots performed Masters of War at "The Music of Bob Dylan, a Benefit for Music for Youth" November 9, 2006 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. In a review of this performance, The Village Voice commented, "Just a shocking, volatile, incredible 10 minutes of carnage. 'Masters of War' has always seemed to me more like a possibly futile prayer than an inevitable blood oath, the warmonger's funeral described in some hypothetical future Bob can only hope will come soon. The Roots just killed it." They again performed it at the 2007 Coachella Music Festival and at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival. The Roots also performed it at the 'Rock The Boat' event in Richmond, Virginia on 5.25.07 for the 400 Year Anniversary of Richmond.

• Broadside Electric covered the song at a "Bob Dylan live performance retrospective" concert on September 17, 1998 at The Living Room in New York City. It was later recorded for their 1999 album With Teeth.

• Justin Sullivan & Friends whom have comprised in different guises New Model Army, covered the song on their 2003 live album Tales of the Road and have been performing it regularly in touring for the past several years. The performance is bitter and angry and truly lacking in subtlety, and as such does this song a fair amount of justice.

• Mark Arm covered the song as part of his "Freewheelin' Mark Arm" single which was released on sub pop records in 1990.

• Odetta covered it on her 1965 album Odetta Sings Dylan.

• Mountain with Ozzy Osbourne on their 2007 Dylan cover album of the same name.

• The Flying Pickets made a cover on the 1984 album Lost Boys (album).

Ben Harper (born Benjamin Chase Harper on October 28, 1969 in Claremont, California, USA) is an American musician. ... Tom Morello (born May 30, 1964, as Thomas Baptist Morello) is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist of the band Rage Against the Machine. ... This article is about the rock group. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ŝ “Late Show” redirects here. ... Benaroya Hall is a Pearl Jam live album [2CD], recorded october 22, 2003 at Benaroya Hall, Seattle and released on July 27, 2004. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Neil Percival Young[1] OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and film director from Winnipeg, Manitoba. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Strange Frontier is the second album by the English musician Roger Taylor. ... Martin Simpson (b 1953) is an English guitarist. ... D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver. ... Ratdog, also known as Bob Weir and Ratdog, is an American rock band. ... Rx Bandits is a five-piece band based in Seal Beach, California. ... The Roots, also variously known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy-winning hip-hop band based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. ... This article is about a New York newspaper. ... 2005 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual event held at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California featuring musical performances by a number of artists on different stages, showings of independent films, and a number of displays of contemporary art. ... The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is a four day annual music festival by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, first held in 2002. ... Broadside Electric are a Philadelphia-area folk-rock (self-described as Folk Music with Teeth) band. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article refers to the album by Broadside Electric. ... The New Model Army became the best known of the various Parliamentarian armies in the English Civil War. ... Singer/Guitarist Mark Arm Mark Arm is the vocalist for the grunge band Mudhoney. ... Sub Pop is a record label in Seattle, Washington that achieved fame in the 1990s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the local Seattle music scene. ... Odetta (b. ... Odetta Sings Dylan is the 1965 album by American folk singer Odetta, an entire album of covers of Bob Dylan songs. ... Mountain is an American rock band, popular in the early 1970s. ... Ozzy redirects here. ... The Flying Pickets is a British a cappella vocal group, that had a surprise number one hit in 1983 in the UK singles chart, with their cover of Yazoos track - Only You. // The name Flying Pickets refers to mobile strikers who travel in order to join a picket. ... Lost Boys is a 1982 album by The Flying Pickets. ...

External links

• Lyrics
• Article involving students investigated on grounds of threatening President Bush for covering the song