Music & Culture
William Carolan
1/29/13
English 838
“Hurricane”
Folk singer and Civil Rights activist, Bob Dylan wrote “Hurricane” in 1966 during the “Civil Rights Movement.” At that time, life was very hard for African-Americans; for instance, they were faced with racial segregation, discrimination, and also racial profiling especially when it came to crimes. This song’s transcendent message, and true story, is about racism, as it centers on an African American, male boxer named Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and two other African American men. They were all convicted of triple homicide along with armed robbery charges even though prosecutors couldn’t find any evidence of the three committing the crime. They even had a witness from the crime scene, who said he could identify the guilty men if he saw them again, when the cops showed him Carter, and his two friends, but he said, “now why’d you bring me them for he ain’t the guy.” However even though the witness/patient told the police that Carter and his friends were not the men who committed the crime. Yet the police and the detectives decided to go with the theory that the witness was delusional and that he could not see, thus they arrested carter even though they had no evidence, and was sentenced to life in prison. Now, could you agree with me that the whole investigation was based primarily on racial stereotyping? This is clearly a very coherent song, as the message is about racial stereotyping, and discrimination.
In the song “Hurricane,” it is taking place in the year 1966 in Patterson, New Jersey; and if you focus on listen to the lyrics, you could hear that it’s being sung in a way like it’s a story. Bob Dylan is telling us a story about racism and racial profiling. Bob Dylan starts saying in his song, “and Pistol shots ring out in a barroom night three bodies lying dead as the sea.” What Dylan is implying was that someone or a group of people came into the restaurant and shot and killed three people, which I speculate might have been the result of hold-up gone awry. Dylan also states in his song, “Mean while far away in another part of town, Rubin Carter, and a couple of friends were out driving around, had no idea what type of shit was about to go down. When the cops pulled him to the side of the road, just like the time before and time before that, in Patterson that’s just the way things go. If your black you better not show up on the street unless you wanna drive a heat.” What he is implying is that they were no were near the location of where the crime took place and had an obsolete on why they were being pulled over. He’s also implying Carter gets pulled over a lot maybe because of the color of his skin. Also it would not be a good to drive around the streets of Patterson if you’re black unless you want to get in trouble by the lawmen. Bob Dylan is also telling us that there are many reasons that Hurricane and his friend’s, who were with him at the time, could not have committed the crime. So there’s one reason why he couldn’t have done it he was far away from the crime when it took place.
He also states in his song that they even had a key witness. Who said he could identify one of the guilty men. When the prosecutors were at the crime scene, one of them stated in the song, “Wait a second boys this ones not dead”, and “so they took him to the infirmary, and though this man could hardly see he told him he could identify the guilty men.” “Four in the morning they haul Rubin in take him to the hospital, the wounded man looks up through his one dying eye”, “says now why’d you bring him in here for? He ain’t the guy.” Dylan is implying that the eyewitness said that he could point out the guilty criminal, however the police bring him Carter, but the key witness said that he did not do the deed. So the cops let him off the hook for now the prosecutors agreed that they should continue their investigation although I believe they started to become indolent.
Four months later, two of the men who were at the crime scene, two white folks Arthur Dexter Bradley, and another named Bello with no last name mentioned in the song were questioned by police once again Bello claimed he “was only robbing the register, I hope you understand… I saw two men running round who looked like middle-weights, jumped into a white car without of-state plates.” Then they questioned Bradley, who has a history of criminal activity, especially armed robbery. Now it seems like the cops are now just looking for someone to blame, what the cops say to him in the song is “We got you for that motel job we were talking to your friend Bello.” What he means is that Bello said “Remember that murder that happened in a bar, remember you saw the get away car.” “So you like to play ball with the law, think it might have been that fighter that you saw, don’t forget that you are white.” “We want to pin this triple murder on him (“Hurricane”) he aint no gentlemen jim.” What there saying is that they got Bradley for the last crime he did, but they want to cut him some slack. Prosecutors want him to confess in court that “Hurricane” killed those people, and they want to put him into jail.
Another thing that Dylan says in his song is, “Rubin could take a man out with just one punch, but he never liked to talk about all that much.” “It’s my work he’d say, I do it for pay, and when it’s over I’d just as soon be on my way.” Dylan is implying that he does not like violence. He just does it because he is skilled at boxing and that’s how he makes his pay. Then according to Dylan, “But then they took him to the jail house where they try to turn a man into a mouse.” “Rubin Carter was falsely tried, the crime was murder one guess who testified, Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied, and the newspapers they all went along for the ride. How can the life of such a man be in the palms of some fools hands? To see him obviously framed couldn’t help you feel ashamed to live in a land where justice is a game.” “The trial was a pig-circus he’d never had a chance, and though they could not produce the gun the DA said he was the one, and the all white jury agreed.” What he is implying is that Rubin was falsely convicted, that he didn’t commit the crime. Even the more recognizable suspects knew he didn’t do it but told the people who can drastically change his life, that he committed the heinous crime. Also Dylan was implying
But even with no evidence to show the jury or allow an accurate description on who did it, what was the motive, and how. He was then convicted and sentenced to life in prison, though he was released in 1975 due to new evidence that wasn’t shared. Picture yourself in his shoes, being accused of a crime you couldn’t even picture your self-doing. Just because you look different, and the prosecutors give you a specific reason for being arrested and you have no idea what there talking about. Then brought to court with intention that you’ll be fine because you didn’t do anything, even though they cant produce any sort of evidence, except for the way you look. Then sentenced to life in prison with still questions in your head such as, “What did I do?”
1/29/13
English 838
“Hurricane”
Folk singer and Civil Rights activist, Bob Dylan wrote “Hurricane” in 1966 during the “Civil Rights Movement.” At that time, life was very hard for African-Americans; for instance, they were faced with racial segregation, discrimination, and also racial profiling especially when it came to crimes. This song’s transcendent message, and true story, is about racism, as it centers on an African American, male boxer named Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and two other African American men. They were all convicted of triple homicide along with armed robbery charges even though prosecutors couldn’t find any evidence of the three committing the crime. They even had a witness from the crime scene, who said he could identify the guilty men if he saw them again, when the cops showed him Carter, and his two friends, but he said, “now why’d you bring me them for he ain’t the guy.” However even though the witness/patient told the police that Carter and his friends were not the men who committed the crime. Yet the police and the detectives decided to go with the theory that the witness was delusional and that he could not see, thus they arrested carter even though they had no evidence, and was sentenced to life in prison. Now, could you agree with me that the whole investigation was based primarily on racial stereotyping? This is clearly a very coherent song, as the message is about racial stereotyping, and discrimination.
In the song “Hurricane,” it is taking place in the year 1966 in Patterson, New Jersey; and if you focus on listen to the lyrics, you could hear that it’s being sung in a way like it’s a story. Bob Dylan is telling us a story about racism and racial profiling. Bob Dylan starts saying in his song, “and Pistol shots ring out in a barroom night three bodies lying dead as the sea.” What Dylan is implying was that someone or a group of people came into the restaurant and shot and killed three people, which I speculate might have been the result of hold-up gone awry. Dylan also states in his song, “Mean while far away in another part of town, Rubin Carter, and a couple of friends were out driving around, had no idea what type of shit was about to go down. When the cops pulled him to the side of the road, just like the time before and time before that, in Patterson that’s just the way things go. If your black you better not show up on the street unless you wanna drive a heat.” What he is implying is that they were no were near the location of where the crime took place and had an obsolete on why they were being pulled over. He’s also implying Carter gets pulled over a lot maybe because of the color of his skin. Also it would not be a good to drive around the streets of Patterson if you’re black unless you want to get in trouble by the lawmen. Bob Dylan is also telling us that there are many reasons that Hurricane and his friend’s, who were with him at the time, could not have committed the crime. So there’s one reason why he couldn’t have done it he was far away from the crime when it took place.
He also states in his song that they even had a key witness. Who said he could identify one of the guilty men. When the prosecutors were at the crime scene, one of them stated in the song, “Wait a second boys this ones not dead”, and “so they took him to the infirmary, and though this man could hardly see he told him he could identify the guilty men.” “Four in the morning they haul Rubin in take him to the hospital, the wounded man looks up through his one dying eye”, “says now why’d you bring him in here for? He ain’t the guy.” Dylan is implying that the eyewitness said that he could point out the guilty criminal, however the police bring him Carter, but the key witness said that he did not do the deed. So the cops let him off the hook for now the prosecutors agreed that they should continue their investigation although I believe they started to become indolent.
Four months later, two of the men who were at the crime scene, two white folks Arthur Dexter Bradley, and another named Bello with no last name mentioned in the song were questioned by police once again Bello claimed he “was only robbing the register, I hope you understand… I saw two men running round who looked like middle-weights, jumped into a white car without of-state plates.” Then they questioned Bradley, who has a history of criminal activity, especially armed robbery. Now it seems like the cops are now just looking for someone to blame, what the cops say to him in the song is “We got you for that motel job we were talking to your friend Bello.” What he means is that Bello said “Remember that murder that happened in a bar, remember you saw the get away car.” “So you like to play ball with the law, think it might have been that fighter that you saw, don’t forget that you are white.” “We want to pin this triple murder on him (“Hurricane”) he aint no gentlemen jim.” What there saying is that they got Bradley for the last crime he did, but they want to cut him some slack. Prosecutors want him to confess in court that “Hurricane” killed those people, and they want to put him into jail.
Another thing that Dylan says in his song is, “Rubin could take a man out with just one punch, but he never liked to talk about all that much.” “It’s my work he’d say, I do it for pay, and when it’s over I’d just as soon be on my way.” Dylan is implying that he does not like violence. He just does it because he is skilled at boxing and that’s how he makes his pay. Then according to Dylan, “But then they took him to the jail house where they try to turn a man into a mouse.” “Rubin Carter was falsely tried, the crime was murder one guess who testified, Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied, and the newspapers they all went along for the ride. How can the life of such a man be in the palms of some fools hands? To see him obviously framed couldn’t help you feel ashamed to live in a land where justice is a game.” “The trial was a pig-circus he’d never had a chance, and though they could not produce the gun the DA said he was the one, and the all white jury agreed.” What he is implying is that Rubin was falsely convicted, that he didn’t commit the crime. Even the more recognizable suspects knew he didn’t do it but told the people who can drastically change his life, that he committed the heinous crime. Also Dylan was implying
But even with no evidence to show the jury or allow an accurate description on who did it, what was the motive, and how. He was then convicted and sentenced to life in prison, though he was released in 1975 due to new evidence that wasn’t shared. Picture yourself in his shoes, being accused of a crime you couldn’t even picture your self-doing. Just because you look different, and the prosecutors give you a specific reason for being arrested and you have no idea what there talking about. Then brought to court with intention that you’ll be fine because you didn’t do anything, even though they cant produce any sort of evidence, except for the way you look. Then sentenced to life in prison with still questions in your head such as, “What did I do?”