Line from a
Bob Dylan song entitled
It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding). The studio version of this song can be found on the album
Bringing It All Back Home.
Bob has a clever double meaning, of course. The statement is literally true. But his intent is more to challenge us to be busy being born all our life; or face the alternative.
This line is popular with aspiring
folk musicians, who think its a cool title for their albums. Gary Lucas, Terry Farmer, and Alan Horvath all chose to call an album "Busy Being Born".
Warm souled,
well intentioned folks, who are in touch with their inner feelings and not afraid to show it, like to use the line.
Al Gore cited it as his favorite Dylan quote during the 2000 Presidential campaign. Governor
Jimmy Carter quoted the line when accepting the Democratic presidential nomination.
It's also popular with experts on
"wellness". Such experts commonly dispute Western notions of health as being a "lack of sickness". Those with a
holistic life outlook insist that we not just lack illness to be healthy, but we also need to be growing physically, psychologically and spiritually. The line is often quoted in promotional material for
alternative medicines and treatments.
Bob Dylan himself has perhaps given up on this notion of constantly being born. His newest original single,
Things have changed, contains the following refrain:
People are crazy and times are strange
I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
I used to care, but things have changed.