Written by Bob Dylan in 1962, “Blowin’ in the Wind” is a protest song built around rhetorical questions concerning peace, war, and freedom. Dylan first performed a two-verse version at Gerde’s Folk City in April 1962, then added the middle verse shortly afterwards. Its melody follows the feeling of the African-American spiritual “No More Auction Block,” a source Dylan later acknowledged.
Dylan recorded the song on July 9, 1962 for his second album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, released in 1963; it was also issued as a single. Although the original single did not chart on release, the song became closely associated with Dylan and with the civil rights movement. Peter, Paul and Mary released their influential version in June 1963, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending five weeks at number one on the Middle-Road chart. Their recording won Grammy Awards for Best Folk Recording and Best Performance by a Vocal Group.
