"The Times They Are a-Changin”is a song written by Bob Dylan and released as the title track of his 1964 album of the same name. Dylan wrote the song as a deliberate attempt to create an anthem of change for the time. Released as a single in Britain in 1965, it reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart. However, the song was never released as a single in the US. The song has influenced people's views on society, with critics noting the universal lyrics contributing to the song's lasting message of change.
Source: Wikipedia
The song has been covered by many different artists, including Nina Simone, Josephine Baker, the Byrds, the Seekers, Peter, Paul and Mary, Tracy Chapman, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beach Boys, Joan Baez, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Brandi Carlile, and Burl Ives. It wasranked number 59 on Rolling Stone's 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." A YouTube video is below for those of you who need a reminder or want to hear this classic song from a performance in London shortly after it was released.
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are a-Changin' [LIVE IN ENGLAND - 1965]
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'
Protest songs are a tradition in the United States that dates to the early 18th century. They are a powerful tool for activism and collective voice and can reflect societal tensions and inspire action. They are associated with a social change movement and are often of the folk, rock, or hip-hop genre.
Protest songs are typically born out of dissatisfaction with the state of current affairs. Based on our first chart below, there are many social institutions that people in the United States are no longer satisfied with. Except for the military, every significant institution measured below has lost considerable trust with Americans over the last 40+ years.
Source: Mehlman Consulting
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'
There is nowhere that this sense of dissatisfaction has been more noticeable than at the ballot box. Before the turn of the millennium, U.S. citizens voted sparingly to change who controlled the House, Senate, or the White House. As you can see in our second chart below, Americans voted for change only once or twice each decade in the five election cycles from the 1960s through the 1990s. However, over the last 25 years, our citizens have been increasingly dissatisfied with our institutions and the elected or appointed officials running them.
Source: Mehlman Consulting
It has become increasingly common for voters to turn to politicians for the change they want in society and the economy. Two years later, when the change that the politicians they elected promised has not come to fruition, they vote to change things yet again. You will note that Americans have voted for change for the last six consecutive elections. At the same time, nobody seems overly happy with the work Congress is doing, as it is the lowest-rated institution in the first chart above.
This is hardly just a United States phenomenon. Around half the world’s population lives in the more than 70 countries holding national elections in 2024, including roughly two billion eligible voters, and it is described as the most significant election year in history. As you can see in our final chart below, incumbents are losing ground as voters across the globe are looking for change. The reasons tend to be similar regardless of country. They include economic growth and opportunity, security, education, and less income and wealth disparity.
Source: Mehlman Consulting
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'
We will have to see if the 2024 elections, both in the United States and abroad, yield the outcomes that voters hope for. As it takes significant time to implement substantial and lasting change in large institutions that are typically run by scores of long-embedded bureaucrats, citizens will likely lose patience before the process plays out and results can be seen. This could likely lead to global citizens looking for change again when the next elections roll around.
If Times Keep On a-Changin’, it may create uncertainty and volatility in the global economy and markets. The CFPs of Impel Wealth Management and Horizon Advisor Network will be watching this closely as we try to help you, our trusted friends and clients, navigate the landscape to help you manage and protect your hard-earned assets. This is our mission as we continue “Moving Life Forward.”
© 2024 Jesse Hurst
Senior Wealth Manager
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