--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracy don't rule the world, You'd…" description: "\"Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in your head; This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that's better left unsaid.\" — Bob Dylan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/bob-dylan-168_democracy_democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-bet_2007489.jpg" --- # Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in… ![“Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in your head; This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that's better left unsaid.” quote by Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/bob-dylan-168_democracy_democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-bet_2007489.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/bob-dylan-168_democracy_democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-bet_2007489.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/bob-dylan-168_democracy_democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-bet_2007489.jpg) > “Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in your head; This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that's better left unsaid.” [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power and violence dominate global affairs, undermining democratic ideals. **In simple terms:** Violence rules, democracy struggles. Key Takeaway Recognize the limits of democracy. Themes politics power violence realism Mood cynical reflective Type political critical When to use this quote - international relations - policy making - activism - media analysis Key Concepts realpolitik cynicism Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence a violent system? - What alternatives to violent governance exist? A Different Perspective Violence may be entrenched, making change difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-don-421175/) [Rule the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-the-world/) [Ruled Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruled-violence-1624632/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Ruled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-ruled-253793/) ## Related quotes > [The world is ruled by violence, or at least the imminent threat of violence. It always has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/the-world-is-ruled-by-violence-or-at-least-the-imminent-threat-of/) [John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/) > [“You have lived in a time and place ruled by violence and governed by fear -- -- Exactly the world that we X-Men, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lobdell/you-have-lived-in-a-time-and-place-ruled-by-violence-and-governed-by/) [Scott Lobdell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lobdell/) > [Let's not pretend we have too much of a democracy here, because we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/let-s-not-pretend-we-have-too-much-of-a-democracy-here-because-we-don/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) > [I think women rule the world and that no man has ever done anything that a woman either hasn't allowed him to do or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-think-women-rule-the-world-and-that-no-man-has-ever-done-anything/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [If we don't have an informed electorate we don't have a democracy. So I don't care how people get the information, as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/if-we-don-t-have-an-informed-electorate-we-don-t-have-a-democracy-so/) [Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/) > [We are a democracy and we don't believe in just hunting down gangsters and killing them. We believe in trying to find the gangsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/we-are-a-democracy-and-we-don-t-believe-in-just-hunting-down/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [You can't be a full participant in our democracy if you don't know our history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/you-can-t-be-a-full-participant-in-our-democracy-if-you-don-t-know/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [We're on the verge of civil war in Northern Ireland. Why? Because if you take away the forums of democracy you don't have anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-paisley/we-re-on-the-verge-of-civil-war-in-northern-ireland-why-because-if/) [Ian Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-paisley/) > [Socialism's not a word that I use. I say 'social democracy' because I don't think the government needs to own all the means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cunliffe/socialism-s-not-a-word-that-i-use-i-say-social-democracy-because-i/) [David Cunliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cunliffe/) > [I lived in countries that had no democracy... so I don't find myself in the same luxury as you do. You grew up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-lived-in-countries-that-had-no-democracy-so-i-don-t-find-myself-in/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [In a democracy, you don't need anyone's permission to form a new political party, publish a politically charged article, or organize a 'tea party.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/in-a-democracy-you-don-t-need-anyone-s-permission-to-form-a-new/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [In a democracy, if you don't get the votes, nothing else is possible, no matter how wonderful your dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-kohl/in-a-democracy-if-you-don-t-get-the-votes-nothing-else-is-possible-no/) [Helmut Kohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-kohl/) > [You can't have a free democracy if you don't have a free media that can provide vital and independent information to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/you-can-t-have-a-free-democracy-if-you-don-t-have-a-free-media-that/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [“Naturally they all believe the Colonel is responsible for their salvation—who else could it be but Don Eli? This rankles greatly but I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/naturally-they-all-believe-the-colonel-is-responsible-for-their/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [We live in a democracy. We don't have to tell the people how to vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-braman/we-live-in-a-democracy-we-don-t-have-to-tell-the-people-how-to-vote/) [Norman Braman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-braman/) ## More by Bob Dylan > [The hollow horn plays wasted words, proves to warn that he not busy being born is busy dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-hollow-horn-plays-wasted-words-proves-to-warn-that-he-not-busy/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Don't forget to support your public library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/don-t-forget-to-support-your-public-library/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [You don't count the dead, when god's on your side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/you-don-t-count-the-dead-when-god-s-on-your-side/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [She makes love just like a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/she-makes-love-just-like-a-woman/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Silvio, I gotta go, find out something only dead men know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/silvio-i-gotta-go-find-out-something-only-dead-men-know/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I don't really have a retirement plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-don-t-really-have-a-retirement-plan/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Just a reminder, if you tell anyone about what happened with Jonah last night, I'll destroy all of my writing and never play music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/just-a-reminder-if-you-tell-anyone-about-what-happened-with-jonah/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Little red wagon, little red bike, I ain’t no monkey but I know what I like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/little-red-wagon-little-red-bike-i-ain-t-no-monkey-but-i-know-what-i/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Twenty years of schooling and they put you on the day shift - look out out kid, they keep it all hid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/twenty-years-of-schooling-and-they-put-you-on-the-day-shift-look-out/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [The drunken politician leaps upon the street where mothers weep, and the saviors who are fast asleep, they wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-drunken-politician-leaps-upon-the-street-where-mothers-weep-and/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/your-eyes-are-like-two-jewels-in-the-sky/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [I gotta friend who spends his life, stabbing my picture with a bowie knife. Dreams of strangling me with a scarf, when my name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/i-gotta-friend-who-spends-his-life-stabbing-my-picture-with-a-bowie/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [She speaks with a stutter and she and she walks with a hop. I don't know why I love her, but I just can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/she-speaks-with-a-stutter-and-she-and-she-walks-with-a-hop-i-don-t/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [The man in the coon skin cap in the pig pen wants eleven dollar bills, you've only got ten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-man-in-the-coon-skin-cap-in-the-pig-pen-wants-eleven-dollar-bills/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Don't put my faith in nobody, not even a scientist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/don-t-put-my-faith-in-nobody-not-even-a-scientist/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) [Explore all 1,018 Bob Dylan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in your head; This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that's better left unsaid.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bob Dylan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-better-get-that-in-your-head/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democracy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-better-get-that-in-your-head/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/bob-dylan-168_democracy_democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-bet_2007489.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/bob-dylan-168_democracy_democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-bet_2007489.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/bob-dylan-168_democracy_democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-bet_2007489.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in your head; This world is ruled by violence, But I…” — Bob Dylan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bob Dylan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Democracy don't rule the world, You'd...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-better-get-that-in-your-head/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/democracy-don-t-rule-the-world-you-d-better-get-that-in-your-head/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```