Bob Dylan - Blowing In The Wind

"Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan in April 1962, and released on his 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

It is an example of the protest song, posing as it does philosophical questions about peace, war, and freedom. The fact that its popularity has not greatly diminished over time can perhaps be attributed to the fact that while the song asks these questions, it does not refer specifically to any particular political event.

Dylan originally wrote and performed a two-verse version of the song; his first public performance of it, at Gerdes Folk City on April 16, 1962, was recorded and circulates among Dylan collectors. Shortly after this performance, he added the middle verse to the song. Some published versions of the lyrics reverse the order of the second and third verses, apparently because Dylan simply appended the middle verse to his original manuscript, rather than writing out a new copy with the verses in proper order.

In interviews Dylan has never reported holding as high an opinion of the song as its popular acclaim would suggest. He has called it a work song, perhaps in reference to its derivative, rather than inspired, nature of its composition, the melody being derived from the old slave song "No More Auction Block", and some of its lyrical structure from the 1953 song "I Really Don't Want to Know".

In 1963, Dylan performed the song for the first time on T.V. in the UK, when he appeared in The BBC television production of Madhouse On Castle Street.