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The Story Behind Bob Dylan’s “Hurricane”. The protest song about the false imprisonment of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter.

Ask any avid Bob Dylan fan what their favorite Dylan songs are, and chances are “Hurricane” will be named. The song was recorded back in October 1975 and released as the opening track of the 1976 hit album “Desire,” which was Dylan’s 17 th released album. It tells the infamous story of the middleweight boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, who was convicted of murder in 1967 and incarcerated for almost 20 years. To celebrate the release date of this incredible, iconic album, we will uncover the full story of “Hurricane.”

A Hurricane is Born

Rubin Carter was born in Clifton, New Jersey, in 1937 and was the fourth of seven children. Following time spent serving the US Army in West Germany, during which he began to box, he was discharged in 1956 and arrested shortly after for two muggings.

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Source: YouTube

He was convicted and sent to prison, where he stayed until 1961. On his release, Carter started boxing professionally. And at 5 foot 8 inches, he was shorter than the average middleweight boxer, but his aggressive style and punching power resulted in various early stage knockouts and earned him the nickname “Hurricane.”