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Artist: Bob Dylan
Track: Only a Pawn in Their Game

Lyrics
A bullet from the back of a bush
Took Medgar Evers' blood
A finger fired the trigger to his name
A handle hid out in the dark
A hand set the spark
Two eyes took the aim
Behind a man's brain
But he can't be blamed
He's only a pawn in their game

A South politician preaches to the poor white man
"You got more than the blacks, don't complain
You're better than them, you been born with white skin," they explain
And the Negro's name
Is used, it is plain
For the politician's gain
As he rises to fame
And the poor white remains
On the caboose of the train
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game

The deputy sheriffs, the soldiers, the governors get paid
And the marshals and cops get the same
But the poor white man's used in the hands of them all like a tool
He's taught in his school
From the start by the rule
That the laws are with him
To protect his white skin
To keep up his hate
So he never thinks straight
'Bout the shape that he's in
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game

From the poverty shacks, he looks from the cracks to the tracks
And the hoofbeats pound in his brain
And he's taught how to walk in a pack
Shoot in the back
With his fist in a clinch
To hang and to lynch
To hide 'neath the hood
To kill with no pain
Like a dog on a chain
He ain't got no name
But it ain't him to blame
He's only a pawn in their game

Today, Medgar Evers was buried from the bullet he caught
They lowered him down as a king
But when the shadowy sun sets on the one
That fired the gun
He'll see by his grave
On the stone that remains
Carved next to his name
His epitaph plain
Only a pawn in their game
Full Lyrics and Meaning
Genius Meanings
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SongMeanings Interpretations
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SongFacts
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Genius Q&A
Q:When did Bob Dylan release “Only a Pawn in Their Game”?
Bob Dylan released “Only a Pawn in Their Game” on January 13, 1964.
Q:Who produced “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” by Bob Dylan?
“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” by Bob Dylan was produced by Tom Wilson.
Q:Who produced “Boots of Spanish Leather” by Bob Dylan?
“Boots of Spanish Leather” by Bob Dylan was produced by Tom Wilson.
Q:When did Bob Dylan release “North Country Blues”?
Bob Dylan released “North Country Blues” on January 13, 1964.
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Genius Albums
The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s third studio album, released in 1964. The album is considered one of Dylan’s most influential and significant works, showcasing his growth as a songwriter and his