| Well, if you're travelin' in the north country fair, | | | | per say, that exists in society along with us. This |
| Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline, | | | | image dictates how we act and how we treat people |
| Remember me to one who lives there. | | | | but is not reality. We use it to hide who we really are |
| She once was a true love of mine. | | | | for fear of ridicule, being hurt, being taken advantage |
| Well, if you go when the snowflakes storm, | | | | of or being outcast. Other times we use a specific |
| When the rivers freeze and summer ends, | | | | image and projection to get what we want, |
| Please see if she's wearing a coat so warm, | | | | assuming a persona or personality because we know |
| To keep her from the howlin' winds. | | | | that it will allow us to achieve what we desire. |
| Please see for me if her hair hangs long, | | | | It is perhaps impossible to completely eliminate these |
| If it rolls and flows all down her breast. | | | | images from our lives as there will always be |
| Please see for me if her hair hangs long, | | | | occasions where we will slip into a certain public |
| That's the way I remember her best. | | | | image either accidentally or on purpose. The problem |
| I'm a-wonderin' if she remembers me at all. | | | | exists when these images overtake our lives, |
| Many times I've often prayed | | | | completely eliminating authenticity and honesty, |
| In the darkness of my night, | | | | leading to paranoia and undermining trust. |
| In the brightness of my day. | | | | When we become aware of image in society and |
| So if you're travelin' in the north country fair, | | | | why they're used, it is easy to become increasingly |
| Where the winds hit heavy on the borderline, | | | | paranoid and suspicious about other people. We start |
| Remember me to one who lives there. | | | | to question other people's motives, whether they're |
| She once was a true love of mine. | | | | using a public image to hide their feelings for fear of |
| - Lyrics of "Girl from the North Country" by Bob | | | | being hurt, or for the purpose of manipulating us. This |
| Dylan. | | | | makes it increasingly difficult to trust, leading to |
| These words were penned in the early 1960s by a | | | | resentment and hatred. |
| young but world weary Bob Dylan. The song | | | | This is a major problem in modern society. I've even |
| appeared on the now infamous "Freeweheelin'" album | | | | been accused of using the image of an honest |
| of 1963. A simple song consisting of nothing more | | | | person for personal gain. I insist that I'm just being |
| than a finger picked guitar, ragged vocals and | | | | myself (and I really am, no side motive, not even |
| occasional bits of harmonica. I am a big fan of all of | | | | money, the proof right now being that I'm poor) and |
| Bob Dylan's music, the folk, rock and roll, country and | | | | that seems to just increase the sentiment that I |
| blues, but this song remains one of my absolute | | | | must be lying because "no one can be that honest all |
| favorites. | | | | the time, everyone has an agenda." I'm still honest |
| Not old enough to have heard Dylan sing in the 60s, | | | | with these people, they just choose not to believe it. |
| the "freewheelin'" album was my first experience | | | | When we don't trust people, of course they are |
| with his music and with real folk music the likes of | | | | going to appear to have an agenda and be out to |
| Woodie Guthrie, Leadbelly and Alan Lomax. When I | | | | hurt us because that is all we are open to believe, |
| first hear the album I was convinced that Dylan was | | | | and in turn is all we will see. |
| a wanderer about the age of 50 or 60 who had | | | | As a society we need something authentic to |
| more experience than I could ever have, not the 20 | | | | reassure us that people can be honest, not everyone |
| something year old he was when he recorded it. It | | | | is out to hurt us, and we don't need to put on airs to |
| had an authenticity and weariness that I figured must | | | | get what we want out of life. If we can't be honest, |
| have come from age, but I learned that it was less | | | | why should we expect other people to be? |
| about age and more about experience and honesty. | | | | Why We Need Folk Music In Modern Society |
| These lyrics are so starkly honest as they tell a story | | | | The wide reach and influence of music makes it the |
| of lost love, remembrance and sadness, that it | | | | perfect media to instill any kind of social change. |
| becomes very hard not to relate or at least | | | | Music was the guiding force behind the psychedelic |
| understand where Dylan was coming from. They | | | | movement of the late 60s, and has for a long time |
| read like a direct window to the soul so honest and | | | | been interwoven with social causes and social |
| authentic in nature that they are hauntingly real. The | | | | changes. I believe that music is a direct link to the |
| works of Guthrie, Leadbelly, Lomax and other folk | | | | soul when done correctly, and so by letting artists |
| artists also share this authenticity. They are the | | | | bare their soul, we can connect with them on a very |
| songs of regular, honest people, singing what they | | | | personal level. This allows us to relate to them, |
| like and what they believe. This authenticity had a | | | | understand a little about where they're coming from, |
| tremendous impact on me and my view of society, | | | | why they think the way they do and in turn become |
| music, culture, individuality and life. | | | | more empathetic. This then translates into our actions |
| Image in Society | | | | with others. When we see an artist being completely |
| With the increased commercialization of music, it was | | | | honest, bearing their soul and being authentic, it |
| inevitable that the music industry and certain artists | | | | shows us that we can do this too and still be |
| would become increasingly interested in maximizing | | | | accepted by our peers. By infusing authenticity back |
| their profit and money making capabilities. We have | | | | into our music we can encourage people to be more |
| formulas on how to be a successful pop star, groups | | | | honest, open to honesty in other people and show |
| designed with a particular image and artist image | | | | them that you don't have to put up these false |
| overtaking the actual soul of the artist. This produced | | | | fronts to be accepted, successful or appreciated. |
| form of music lacks something very vital to the soul | | | | It doesn't necessarily have to be through folk music, |
| of the music: authenticity, and has replaced it with an | | | | but can include any genre as long as the authenticity |
| image designed to make money. Even folk music has | | | | and realism that is so prevalent in folk music is |
| gotten an overhaul to help it reach the largest | | | | included. Blues is another very honest genre and |
| possible audience. Sometimes these production and | | | | other genres can be too depending on the artist. |
| marketing images are completely harmless, the skill | | | | Authenticity in all genres in music can help to break |
| and soul of the artist showing through, but other | | | | down these fake images and personae encouraging |
| times | | | | people to trust each other again. |
| These images exist outside the music industry as | | | | Empathy, honesty and authenticity are only ways |
| well. In a society that seems increasingly driven by | | | | that we can create a better society, and have |
| money and greed, there seems to be an increasing | | | | peace. This is not a cure all, that's for sure, but |
| number of unethical, amoral cheats, liars and shady | | | | maybe remembering and appreciating the simplicity |
| characters pervading our everyday lives. This makes | | | | and honesty of folk music can help us recover the |
| it hard to believe that anyone is being authentic or | | | | authenticity that seems to elude us in the modern |
| even be honest ourselves for fear of being hurt. | | | | world. |
| Instead we create an image, a reputation, a legend | | | | |