‘70s Rock Legend Shares the Bob Dylan Lyrics That Left Him Stunned
Bob Dylan has always been your favorite artist's favorite artist. His widespread influence has affected all parts of the music industry. This is especially true when it comes to the artists who were getting their start just after Dylan's massive rise to success. Of course, one of the biggest stars of that generation is Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin.
While not immediately apparent, there's no doubt Dylan had some level of influence on Plant as a songwriter. Both come from some similar inspirations in classic American blues music. You can see shades of Dylan on a song like "That's the Way," which features this heavy acoustic instrumentation and a set of lyrics that live in this emotional yet abstract place. In a new interview clip, Plant revealed a Bob Dylan song that has impacted him a lot, and that is "Masters of War."
"Masters of War" is classic early Dylan. I wish I could avoid common descriptors of this period of his career, but the song is both a stingingly timely piece of writing for the time it was created, as well as a prophetic piece of protest songwriting that feels infinitely relevant. As Plant says in the interview, "His eloquence throughout this song, is in time immemorial."
Plant details how the lyrics are accurate to the state of the world today, showing his appreciation for the songwriting talent of the superstar. "Masters of War" is one of my favorites from this early period of his career. The song is a direct attack on the military industrial complex, and the common person who gets caught up in the middle and shredded by the war it facilitates. The lyrics find Dylan in this intensely angry place that really captures how it feels to exist right now. Here's just a taste of the song with my favorite verse of the song:
You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins
The hope is that we may one day live in a world where this song no longer holds any relevance, but as Plant says in the interview, "nothing's changing."
Related: At His Lowest, Bob Dylan Made His Darkest Album - Then It Won Album of the Year
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 6:20 AM.