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Too legit to quit
The Introduction Can you imagine going to jail for a crime you never committed? Rubin Carter experienced the injustice of being falsely accused for three murders in 1967. Songwriter Bob Dylan visited Carter in jail and obtained the truth from the “Hurricane” himself. Bob wrote the song “Hurricane trying to help Rubin recover the years he lost in jail. Here is Carter’s story and how he pulled through. The Teaser Dylan’s song “Hurricane” touches upon the Civil Rights and Treatment of African Americans. The song acts as a story on Rubin Carter’s life; it shows us how unfairly people would be treated just because of their race. Bob Dylan does an amazing job putting Rubin’s whole story into one song—how he was wrongly jailed for a shooting he wasn’t involved in. Dylan’s 1976 album “Desire” released the song, hoping to inform people of Rubin’s story. Artist Backstory There is no surprise that Bob Dylan chose this topic to write a song about. Rubin “Hurricane” Carter worked hard to try to achieve the world middleweight title. Before he had the chance to claim the title he was thrown into a jail cell after being wrongfully accused of killing three white adults. Bob Dylan is a one of a kind lyricist, and he was the perfect person to write this song. Dylan has many songs that touch your heart and make you think. Thoughts about a variety of things, from having true love, all the way to hardships and troubles in everyday life. A variety of his songs, such as this one written for Rubin carter, try to inform many people about injustices of society. Bob Dylan is a man who changes the world one song at a time. Analysis of song “Hurricane” is a well-written song that makes people realize the injustice in the world. From the beginning of the song (“Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night” line 1) you can sense the seriousness of the story being told. (“she sees the bartender in a pool of blood, Cries out, my god, they killed them all!” lines 3-4) in only the first four lines Dylan reaches out to the audience with a big line showing that there has been multiple murders. Elaborating more on the mood, Dylan continues the depressed feeling in the lyrics, but the song style remains upbeat. (“The man the authorities came to blame,For somethin that he never done.” lines 6-7) Showing the theme of the song, Rubin was the man the authorities were blaming, without evidence. backstory “Rubin Carter was accused of killing three white adults and was given three life sentences” (Helicher, Par.1). At age 17, Rubin joined the army where he developed a passion for boxing. Training everyday Rubin was on his way to being a good boxer. He was starting to rise as a challenge and for some of the best boxers. After leaving the army, Carter was arrested for stealing a woman’s purse, for this crime he was sentenced three years in prison. During his time in prison he started participating in civil rights projects. As he became a better citizen, he also became a better boxer, waking up every morning and doing five thousand pushups, and sculpting his technique to perfection. Upon Carter’s release he went out into competitive in boxing again. His rank rose quickly, soon he was the number two contender in America. One night Carter was out celebrating a victory with one of his friends and they were pulled over. Carter asked the officer what he did wrong and he was given no explanation. He was told to get out of the car and as soon as he did that he and his friend were slapped into handcuffs. Arriving at the police station, they were told they were being arrested for a crime committed in Patterson which was very far from where they were. “Even though carter and his friend did not meet the description of the two men wanted for murder, the police took them in. They were given lie detector tests which they both passed. Then they were taken to the hospital were a victim who was injured during the shootings told the police that these weren't the men involved in the shooting” (Carter, par. 8). The case would be brought to court, and with an all white jury, white judge and white witnesses, Carter said things don’t look good for him. The witnesses were arrested for robbery the same night but claimed to have nothing to do with the shootings that happened less than a block from where they were and they were the first two to be caught in the scene of the crime. As the case came to a conclusion carter was arrested and sentenced to life. The potential champion of the world boxer would not ever be allowed another match. Carter would later be granted a second trial. The two men who had first accused carter were now saying the police had paid them to say the things they said so the police could “clean the streets” quoted by one of the men. With this information, the court had to free Carter since there was no evidence to keep him in jail. Even though he was finally free it is way too late for Carter’s career, he was too old. Because of the racism Carter had his entire livelihood taken from him. Political/Culture climate The wrongful arrest of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was sure to attract many people’s attention and aid racial cases in the future. Carter was sent to jail because in this era “no one believed a young black man over a white man” (Carter, par. 2). The race factor has been a big problem for some in society for a while. This racism was even extended to military jobs, as told in an article about him, “During his time in the military he continued to experience racism, but he managed to be one of the first blacks to win acceptance to the elite rangers” (Carter, par. 4). Once Carter was out of jail, he was dedicated to make sure that no one was mistreated due to their skin color. “Carter was active in civil rights and an out spoken critic of racial issues in America” (Carter, par.7). We still see the problem of racism in our life, but it takes each and every one of us to make it stop. Connections Since Bob Dylan’s song “Hurricane” has been released there has been slow progress toward stopping racial profiling and discrimination. One example that has been seen is the election of President Barack Obama. Even though we have taken steps to stop racial profiling, it is still around today. Blacks, Asians, Muslims, and Mexicans are all mistreated in the United States. White American is given more privileges to do more things than anyone else in society. If something is to go wrong, it is automatically assumed that the minority is the culprit.
Rubin ''Hurricane'' Carter
Hurricane By: Bob Dylan Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night Enter patty valentine from the upper hall. She sees the bartender in a pool of blood, Cries out, my god, they killed them all! Here comes the story of the hurricane, The man the authorities came to blame For somethin that he never done. Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been The champion of the world. Three bodies lyin there does patty see And another man named bello, movin around mysteriously. I didnt do it, he says, and he throws up his hands I was only robbin the register, I hope you understand. I saw them leavin, he says, and he stops One of us had better call up the cops. And so patty calls the cops And they arrive on the scene with their red lights flashin In the hot new jersey night. Meanwhile, far away in another part of town Rubin carter and a couple of friends are drivin around. Number one contender for the middleweight crown Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road Just like the time before and the time before that. In paterson thats just the way things go. If youre black you might as well not show up on the street less you wanna draw the heat. Alfred bello had a partner and he had a rap for the cops. Him and arthur dexter bradley were just out prowlin around He said, I saw two men runnin out, they looked like middleweights They jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates. And miss patty valentine just nodded her head. Cop said, wait a minute, boys, this ones not dead So they took him to the infirmary And though this man could hardly see They told him that he could identify the guilty men. Four in the mornin and they haul rubin in, Take him to the hospital and they bring him upstairs. The wounded man looks up through his one dyin eye Says, whad you bring him in here for? he aint the guy! Yes, heres the story of the hurricane, The man the authorities came to blame For somethin that he never done. Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been The champion of the world. Four months later, the ghettos are in flame, Rubins in south america, fightin for his name While arthur dexter bradleys still in the robbery game And the cops are puttin the screws to him, lookin for somebody to blame. Remember that murder that happened in a bar? Remember you said you saw the getaway car? You think youd like to play ball with the law? Think it might-a been that fighter that you saw runnin that night? Dont forget that you are white. Arthur dexter bradley said, Im really not sure. Cops said, a poor boy like you could use a break We got you for the motel job and were talkin to your friend bello Now you dont wanta have to go back to jail, be a nice fellow. Youll be doin society a favor. That sonofabitch is brave and gettin braver. We want to put his ass in stir We want to pin this triple murder on him He aint no gentleman jim. Rubin could take a man out with just one punch But he never did like to talk about it all that much. Its my work, hed say, and I do it for pay And when its over Id just as soon go on my way Up to some paradise Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice And ride a horse along a trail. But then they took him to the jailhouse Where they try to turn a man into a mouse. All of rubins cards were marked in advance The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance. The judge made rubins witnesses drunkards from the slums To the white folks who watched he was a revolutionary bum And to the black folks he was just a crazy nigger. No one doubted that he pulled the trigger. And though they could not produce the gun, The d.a. said he was the one who did the deed And the all-white jury agreed. 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 palm of some fools hand? To see him obviously framed Couldnt help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land Where justice is a game. Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise While rubin sits like buddha in a ten-foot cell An innocent man in a living hell. Thats the story of the hurricane, But it wont be over till they clear his name And give him back the time hes done. Put in a prison cell, but one time he could-a been The champion of the world.
Work Cited Carter, Rubin. “Rubin Carter.” Student Resource Center. Ed. Aaron J. Oppliger: Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. Student Resource Center---Gold. Thomson Gale. Fort Zumwalt East High School Lib., St. Peters, MO. 4/7 2009 . Helicher, Karl. Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter. (Review) (Brief Article).” Library Journal. 125. 1 (Jan 2000) 126. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Fort Zumwalt East High School. 7 Apr. 2009 . Hirsch, James. “Rubin hurricane Carter Biography.” Bio. True story. 2 Mar. 2008. A&E television Networks. 9 Apr. 2008 .
