License to Kill by Bob Dylan Interpretation

Man thinks 'cause he rules the earth, he can do with it as he please
And if things don't change soon, he will
Oh, man has invented his doom.
First step was touching the moon.

Man invented his doom, by touching the moon--we have the capabilities to destroy the earth with space weapons and nuclear war.

Now, there's a woman on my block.
She just sit there as the night grow still.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?

The woman is Wisdom---"She cries out in the street, 'turn ye here at my reproof." She wants man to have his license to kill taken away---as man has the license to fight wars indiscriminately, and make lawful war, like is happening in Israel right now and Ukraine.

Now, they take him and they teach him
And they groom him for life
And they set him on a path where he's bound to get ill
Then they bury him with stars
Sell his body like they do used cars

The schools and television groom you for life--it teaches you how to have your life, and be distracted. But, it sells you through the capitalist machine... you're a product for corporations, your body a tool to produce for the engine of commerce.

Now, there's a woman on my block
She just sit there facin' the hill
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?

Now, he's hell bent for destruction
He's afraid and confused
And his brain has been mismanaged with great skill
All he believes are his eyes
And his eyes, they just tell him lies

Man is hell bent on destruction---will destroy themselves through nuclear war. He's afraid by the news--such as the war in Vietnam---and he's mismanaged with great skill, believing his eyes, that there  seems to be peace. But, his eyes are telling him  lies... there is no peace.

But there's a woman on my block
Sitting there in a cold chill
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?

You may be noisemaker, spirit maker, heartbreaker, backbreaker;
leave no stone unturned
May be an actor in a plot, that might be all that you got
till your error you clearly learn

The plot of life, is to get rich, get all you can out of life, do the things you want to do to make life easy and enjoy your produce. You could be a very happy person, and spirited, and tough. But you're only an actor in the plot... kind of like an extra, as the world goes by, and your error you clearly learn is that you're not that important. You feel center to the stage, but you're just an extra.

Now he worships at an altar
Of a stagnant pool
And when he sees his reflection, he's fulfilled
Oh, man is opposed to fair play
He wants it all and he wants it his way

The reflection is the television,  giving us our reflection, and the News and our programs we consume, which are brainwashing us. When we see our reflection, we're fulfilled. Some have said this is like Narcissus, staring at his reflection and hearing Echo behind him; maybe Wisdom is Echo? Kind of reminds me of my story St. George and the Dragon. And instead of looking back at Wisdom, and receiving her, we're selfishly glutting ourselves on the entertainment, and our reflections, as the world moves on, and we're only a minor character in this world,  thinking we're the central point, or the fulcrum of it. We all have this egotism, trying to make our way in life, get the goal of a good life.

Now, there's a woman on my block.
She just sit there as the night grow still.
She say who gonna take away his license to kill?

Dylan, Bob. License to Kill. Bob Dylan.com. Web. https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/license-kill/ 6.15.25