Up To Eleven
Released in 1964 as the title track of Dylan’s third album, the song drew from Irish-Scottish ballad tradition to deliver a stark warning to lawmakers, parents, and the establishment. Written at the height of the civil rights struggle, it distilled an era’s anxieties and aspirations into verses that demanded urgency and reflection.
Though it never topped U.S. charts, it became one of Dylan’s most performed and covered works, shaping the soundtrack of the 1960s civil rights and anti-war movements. Its message has been revived across generations, performed by Joan Baez, Nina Simone, and countless others as a living anthem of defiance.
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