Thursday, May 26, 2016

Forgotten Music: Songs of protest, songs of war

Songs of protest, songs of war 

7 comments:

Jeff Meyerson said...

Forgotten? Not by me.

John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son" still resonates every time I hear him sing it.

Unknown said...

Yes, but you're riding the Geezer Bus.

Deb said...

I was on board until the article claimed that Marvin Gaye's line about "we don't need to escalate" was addressed to LBJ. The song was released in the early 1970s and, if addressed to any president, that president would be Nixon. But listening to the song, I think it's more a general plea that we don't try to solve every problem with war and violence.

And did I miss Eve of Destruction? My m-i-l is convinced that song helped end the Vietnam War.

Unknown said...

I'd have the same problem with your m-i-l's theory about "Eve of Destruction" that you have with the Marvin Gaye line. "Eve" came out in 1965, when the war was just cranking up. The war didn't end until 10 years later.

Deb said...

Yeah--you'll never convince her of that, though. Guess the war might have continued an additional ten years without the song!

Don Coffin said...

Personally, I'm sorry that Phil Ochs' song "Draft Dodger Rag" wasn't included:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFFOUkipI4U

I always thought it was a double-edged song...

I'm just a typical American boy
From a typical American town
I believe in God and Senator Dodd
And an keepin' old Castro down

And when it came my time to serve
I knew better dead than red
But when I got to my old draft board
Buddy, this is what I said

Sarge, I'm only eighteen, I got a ruptured spleen
And I always carry a purse
I got eyes like a bat, and my feet are flat
My asthma's getting worse

Consider my career, my sweetheart dear
My poor old invalid aunt
Besides, I ain't no fool, and I'm goin' to school
And I'm workin' in a defense plant

I've got a dislocated disc and a racked up back
I'm allergic to flowers and bugs
And when the bombshell hits, I get epileptic fits
And I'm addicted to a thousand drugs

I got the weakness woes, I can't touch my toes
I can hardly reach my knees
And if the enemy ever came close to me
Well, I'd probably start to sneeze

Sarge, I'm only eighteen, I got a ruptured spleen
And I always carry a purse
I got eyes like a bat, and my feet are flat
My asthma's getting worse

Consider my career, my sweetheart dear
My poor old invalid aunt
Besides, I ain't no fool, I'm a goin' to school
And I'm workin' in a defense plant

I hate Chou En Lai, and I hope he dies
But I think you gotta see
That if someone's gotta go over there
That someone isn't me

So, have a ball, Sarge, watch 'em fall
Yeah, kill me a thousand or so
And if you ever get a war without any gore
Well, I'll be the first to go

Sarge, I'm only eighteen, I got a ruptured spleen
And I always carry a purse
I got eyes like a bat, and my feet are flat
My asthma's getting worse

Consider my career, my sweetheart dear
I got to water my rubber tree plant
Besides, I ain't no fool, I'm a goin' to school
And I'm workin' in a defense plant

Sarge, I'm only eighteen, I got a ruptured spleen
And I always carry a purse
I got eyes like a bat, and my feet are flat
My asthma's getting worse

Consider my career, my sweetheart dear
My poor old invalid aunt
Besides, I ain't no fool, I'm a goin' to school
And I'm workin' in a defense plant


Unknown said...

A great one.