Masters of War
| "Masters of War" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Bob Dylan | |
| from the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan | |
| Released | May 27, 1963 |
| Recorded | April 24, 1963 |
| Genre | Folk |
| Length | 4:34 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Composer(s) | Traditional/Jean Ritchie |
| Lyricist(s) | Bob Dylan |
"Masters of War" is a song by Bob Dylan, written over the winter of 1962–63 and released on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in the spring of 1963. The song's melody was adapted from the traditional "Nottamun Town." Dylan's lyrics are a protest against the Cold War nuclear arms build-up of the early 1960s. In 2025, Rolling Stone ranked it as the 6th greatest protest song of all time.