Chimes of Freedom

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"Chimes of Freedom" is a song by Bob Dylan. It has been covered many times by various artists including Joan Baez, Hanne Boel, The Byrds, Roger McGuinn, Martyn Joseph, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and Bruce Springsteen. Dylan reportedly based the song on "Chimes Of Trinity", a song passed along by Dave Van Ronk from his grandmother.

In Chimes of Freedom: The Politics of Bob Dylan's Art, author Mike Marqusee notes that the song marks a transition between Dylan's earlier "protest song" style (a litany of the down-trodden and oppressed, in the second half of each verse) and his later more free-flowing poetic style (the fusion of images of lightning, storm and bells in the first half).

The song has often been used as a template as a near-perfect protest song. Most notably, it formed a strong influence (almost to the point of plagiarism) for Billy Bragg's song "ideology".