"With God on our Side", Lyrics by Bob Dylan, sung here by Joan Baez Options

[Psyche]

Hi from MM to all poets and writers!
This time the challenge allows you to have your say on Bob Dylan's theme, sung here by Joan Baez, during the idealistic decade of the 1960's.

Since Bob Dylan has been given the Literature Nobel Prize 2016, it seems like a good opportunity to honor him with your preferred form, FV mode or short story.
The lyrics are posted below the video. You're allowed to borrow some lines or words from Bob Dylan's work.

Having said that, poets and writers are invited to use irony, humor, admiration or even to engage the "in answer to" mode, criticize or respond in whatever way you please. No strings attached.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUZGGFOV6FM



Lyrics
Oh my name it ain't nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I was taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side

Oh, the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh, the country was young
With God on its side

The Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War, too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I was made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side

The First World War, boys
It came and it went
The reason for fighting
I never did get
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side

The Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And then we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now, too
Have God on their side

I've learned to hate the Russians
All through my whole life
If another war comes
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side

But now we got weapons
Of chemical dust
If fire them, we're forced to
Then fire, them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side

Through many a dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ was
Betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
That if God's on our side
He'll stop the next war

Written by Bob Dylan • Copyright © Bob Dylan Music Co.

Anxious to receive your answers to this mighty challenge!
Cheers, MM

[Larry]

As with any writer of music in the 60's, Dylan wrote this with Viet Nam in mind but I feel his words were penned with much more than a hint of sarcasm. Thus, my "in answer to" Villanelle response is written from God's viewpoint on killing in His name.




My Name in Vain

To vindicate a death, it’s never right;
or to invoke My name to justify
your true intents. They’re sinful in My sight.

The souls you send into eternal night
are dear to Me and never qualify
to vindicate a death. It’s never right

to kill! You turn the other cheek in spite
of wrongs you deem are done; don’t alibi
your true intents. They’re sinful in My sight.

I treasure every soul and know their plight
when jealousy or greed some men deny
to vindicate a death. It’s never right

to take my name in vain. It’s not My fight
for I’m the God of love and I decry
your true intents. They’re sinful in My sight

No man should kill for Me and shield bedight
with some symbolic sign. No flag should fly
to vindicate a death, it’s never right.
Your true intents; they’re sinful in My sight.


Larry

[Psyche]

Hi Larry,

I'm so pleased to read a good villanelle written by you!

I'm also glad you chose the "in answer to" mode. Bob Dylan indeed used sarcasm in this poem/song. Well, he used it a lot and doesn't even appear to be impressed by the Nobel Prize they've honored him with. I understand he's accepted it, but will not be present at the ceremony. My grand-boys, who're both music professors at a university, think it doesn't make sense to have chosen Dylan. IMO, there should be a category for poets-singers-bands, whatever. Still, these are merely opinions. I happen to like "With God on our Side" and think that Dylan achieved just the right kind of irony to make it a great song.

BTW, I especially like your last stanza and the one before. I confess I had to look up bedight... always learning new words from your poems!



No man should kill for Me and shield bedight
with some symbolic sign. No flag should fly
to vindicate a death, it’s never right.
Your true intents; they’re sinful in My sight.

.....................................It’s not My fight
for I’m the God of love and I decry
your true intents. They’re sinful in My sight

Oh my, there's never anything to crit in your poems, Larry. Will you allow me to suggest you need a full-stop after 'sight' (above, I just noticed it's missing!)

And I now notice that I made a mistake about Daniel answering another challenge. It's Rhymer's poem. I shall come back asap. to comment on it. Did you see it? Maybe he'd love to have your comments, in fact I'm sure he would.

Best, Syl

[Larry]

Hi Syl,

Thanks for stopping by for a read of my Villanelle. When I was writing it, I thought "What a daunting challenge!" but as I have said before, I will give it my best shot. The Villanelle was not my best shot but my post below will have to do. Hopefully, it will format here like I have it on my Word program.
I can't get it to format after numerous tries so I will just post my side of the poem and you can check out Bob's in the original challenge post.

Don’t Be a Fool

Oh, my name’s God the Father
and ageless; I am
from Heaven. Don’t bother
to seek the pure Lamb.
Someone taught you about me
and Moses’ ten rules,
no one is my enemy
lest they are all fools.

Oh, the bible will tell you
in page after page
what you shouldn’t do
to cause me to rage.
You’ve read of Gomorrah
and Sodom in schools.
Oh, they had no tomorrow
for they were all fools.

You have names and number
all of your wars,
laud heroes who slumber
beneath their earth scars.
As you laid them to rest, did
you ever think of the jewel
that I created;
then you are a fool.

The conflicts you fight
throughout centuries
for greed or for spite
will never appease;
but you lack understanding
of My golden rule.
Each soul’s a precious thing
and none are a fool.

You say you forgive
but in your heart;
for as long as you live
you will never start
to comprehend My mercy;
I’ve given you the tools
to find paths to Me
so don’t you be fools.

Please don’t learn to hate nations
and fear all your life,
they’re all my creation;
it only brings strife.
Your hate and your fear makes
some learn to be cruel.
Each of you will have mistakes
so don’t be a fool.

I’ve given you free will,
intelligence too;
if thinking you must kill
here’s what you can do.
Befriend every creature,
befriend them and you’ll
have learned much from your teacher.
I love every fool.

Though I sent you my Son
in a long forgotten age
to teach everyone
love turns aside rage.
Some think Judas betrayed
but he was the fuel.
Christ asked and the prophecy made
him look like a fool.

I’ll leave you deciding
what you wish to do,
though My love is abiding
your heart must be true.
Don’t make Me be cruel
and cause you to fall
because you’ll be a fool
with no world at all.


Larry

[Psyche]

Hi Larry,
I finally got here, thanks to your prompt in another thread.

This one is great too, but I prefer your villanelle, sorry there! As to the format, I often find MM's system doesn't allow for certain patterns, especially in FV.

Trouble is, if you were trying to use Dylan's format, it can get complicated. If music is attached to poems, then the poems have to be slashed here and there to fit the music. I suppose you know all about that.

All the same, you've made God's response very well. I like the repetition of the end lines, always using the word fool, as in the title.
Your last stanza is amazing.

I’ll leave you deciding
what you wish to do,
though My love is abiding
your heart must be true.
Don’t make Me be cruel
and cause you to fall
because you’ll be a fool
with no world at all.

No world at all... don't get me discussing the devastation humanity has caused our lovely planet. And there appears to be no end of wars, seeing as they are an industry dealing in mountains of money. Sad.

I may return to read it again, Larry. I'm a bit dim now, time for bed!
Best,
Syl
BTW, I've been away more than usual because my eldest grandson came over with his girlfriend for our long weekend. Had to take advantage of their presence. They left for Buenos Aires a few hours ago. And Sunday was my birthday! My daughter prepared a delicious chocolate fondue, the kind you use the long forks to dip all sorts of fruits, berries, cherries, etc. into the creamy chocolate. Wow, I thought I would make myself sick, but that didn't happen... LOL.

[Larry]

Hi Syl,

Thanks for finally popping in for a read and comment.

What I was trying to do was to put my answer to Dylan's song on the left-hand side of the page and the song on the right-hand side but I couldn't get MM to accept columns or alignment HTML.

I did use his metrical scheme and syllable format in each line so if you put my poem to the same music, it would be sung the same way as his.

Happy belated Birthday. If you had posted your birth date on your profile, my greeting would not have been belated. Glad you had a nice one.

Larry

[Psyche]

Don’t Be a Fool

Oh, my name’s God the Father
and ageless; I am
from Heaven. Don’t bother
to seek the pure Lamb.
Someone taught you about me
and Moses’ ten rules,
no one is my enemy
lest they are all fools.

Oh, the bible will tell you
in page after page
what you shouldn’t do
to cause me to rage.
You’ve read of Gomorrah
and Sodom in schools.
Oh, they had no tomorrow
for they were all fools.

You have names and number
all of your wars,
laud heroes who slumber
beneath their earth scars.
As you laid them to rest, did
you ever think of the jewel
that I created;
then you are a fool.

The conflicts you fight
throughout centuries
for greed or for spite
will never appease;
but you lack understanding
of My golden rule.
Each soul’s a precious thing
and none are a fool.

You say you forgive
but in your heart;
for as long as you live
you will never start
to comprehend My mercy;
I’ve given you the tools
to find paths to Me
so don’t you be fools.

Please don’t learn to hate nations
and fear all your life,
they’re all my creation;
it only brings strife.
Your hate and your fear makes
some learn to be cruel.
Each of you will have mistakes
so don’t be a fool.

I’ve given you free will,
intelligence too;
if thinking you must kill
here’s what you can do.
Befriend every creature,
befriend them and you’ll
have learned much from your teacher.
I love every fool.

Though I sent you my Son
in a long forgotten age
to teach everyone
love turns aside rage.
Some think Judas betrayed
but he was the fuel.
Christ asked and the prophecy made
him look like a fool.

I’ll leave you deciding
what you wish to do,
though My love is abiding
your heart must be true.
Don’t make Me be cruel
and cause you to fall
because you’ll be a fool
with no world at all.

Larry

Lyrics
Oh my name it ain't nothin'
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I was taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side

Oh, the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh, the country was young
With God on its side

The Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War, too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I was made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side

The First World War, boys
It came and it went
The reason for fighting
I never did get
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don't count the dead
When God's on your side

The Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And then we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now, too
Have God on their side

I've learned to hate the Russians
All through my whole life
If another war comes
It's them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side

But now we got weapons
Of chemical dust
If fire them, we're forced to
Then fire, them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side

Through many a dark hour
I've been thinkin' about this
That Jesus Christ was
Betrayed by a kiss
But I can't think for you
You'll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
That if God's on our side
He'll stop the next war

Written by Bob Dylan • Copyright © Bob Dylan Music Co.

[Larry]

Hi Syl,

Thanks for the effort. Your results are the same as mine. I wanted to make each line adjacent to and directly across from the original on the page for comparative reasons. I still can't figure out how to accomplish this.

Larry