Music+Continued

 Music Analysis Continued:

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"War" was one of the most powerful anti-war songs during the Vietnam War. Originally recorded by T he Temptations on their 1970 album, "War" was re-recorded by Edwin Starr to promote and fuel the anti-war protests that were happening all over the US. The lyrics are extremely obvious as to how Americans felt about the war, "What is it good for? Absolutely nothing".
 * __Edwin Starr: War __**

"War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Uh-huh War, huh, yeah  What is it good for Absolutely nothing media type="custom" key="17536356" align="right"  Say it again, y'all War, huh, good God What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me Ohhh, war, I despise Because it means destruction Of innocent lives War means tears To thousands of mothers eyes When their sons go to fight And lose their lives I said, war, huh Good God, y'all What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it again War, whoa, Lord What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me War, it ain't nothing But a heartbreaker War, friend only to the undertaker Ooooh, war It's an enemy to all mankind The point of war blows my mind War has caused unrest Within the younger generation Induction then destruction Who wants to die Aaaaah, war-huh Good God y'all What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it, say it, say it War, huh What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Uh-huh War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it again y'all War, huh, good God What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker War, it's got one friend That's the undertaker Ooooh, war, has shattered Many a young mans dreams Made him disabled, bitter and mean Life is much to short and precious To spend fighting wars these days War can't give life It can only take it away Ooooh, war, huh Good God y'all What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it again War, whoa, Lord What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker War, friend only to the undertaker Peace, love and understanding Tell me, is there no place for them today They say we must fight to keep our freedom But Lord knows there's got to be a better way Ooooooh, war, huh Good God y'all What is it good for You tell me Say it, say it, say it, say it War, huh Good God y'all What is it good for Stand up and shout it Nothing"

Music is a prime way to express peoples’ opinions or feelings towards a certain subject, and that certainly was the case for the young generation at home during the Vietnam War. The twang-y guitar music of this time protested what they thought was a pointless war, and the rising amount of U.S. soldiers dying every day.

One of the most influential and renowned songs during the Vietnam anti-war era was //I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag// by Joe McDonald.

According to the song writer, Joe McDonald… “I wrote //Fixin’-To-Die Rag// in summer of 1965 after I had been discharged from the US Navy for several years. It just popped into my head one day and I finished it in about 30 minutes. I did not have a conscious purpose in mind although I had been working on another song about the Vietnam War called Who Am I for several days so I had the war on my mind. The Who Am I song was part of aplay I was writing songs for titled Change Over, written by Fred Hayden and directed by Nina Serrano. It was performed twice, once on the University of California Berkeley campus and once on the San Francisco State College campus. 1965 was the year that the Vietnam War became big news and a big protest issue with students. The song attempts to address the horror of going to war with a dark sarcastic form of humor called GI humor'. GI humor is a way people have of complaining about their situation so it will not get them in trouble and keep them from going insane in an insane environment: war.”

= **Famous Artists who Served Time** = **Johnny Cash**

A very well known artist of the time was the famous Man In Black, also known as, Johnny R. Cash. Just after graduating high school at age 18, Cash joined the air force where he served for four years in Germany as a morse code intercept operator. During his time in the air force, he taught himself to play the guitar. Naturally, coming from a family with a musical background, Johnny could already sing pretty well. Once he learned to play his guitar, Cash spent a lot of his time writing music about the war and performing for his fellow soldiers. One of his most popular songs was "Drive On"

Drive on - Johnny Cash
"I got a friend named Whiskey Sam media type="custom" key="17536400" align="right" He was my boonierat buddy for a year in Nam He said is my country just a little off track

Took 'em twenty-five years to welcome me back But, it's better than not coming back at all.

Many a good man I saw fall And even now, every time I dream I hear the men and the monkeys in the jungle scream

Drive on, don't mean nothin' My children love me, but they don't understand And I got a woman who knows her man Drive on, don't mean nothin', drive on

I remember one night, Tex and me Rappelled in on a hot L.Z. We had our 16's on rock and roll But, with all that fire, was scared and cold.

We were crazy, we were wild And I have seen the tiger smile I spit in a bamboo viper's face And I'd be dead, but by God's grace

Drive on, don't mean nothin' My children love me, but they don't understand And I got a woman who knows her man Drive on, don't mean nothin', drive on

It was a real slow walk in a real sad rain And nobody tried to be John Wayne I came home, but Tex did not And I can't talk about the hit he got I got a little limp now when I walk Got a little tremolo when I talk But my letter read from Whiskey Sam You're a walkin' talkin' miracle from Vietnam

Drive on, don't mean nothin' My children love me, but they don't understand And I got a woman who knows her man Drive on, don't mean nothin', drive on."

As you can see in the lyrics, Johnny Cash, was definitely effected by the war tremendously even though he wasn't in the front lines. Even being in the air force is enough to have a profound effect on someone. Though Cash passed on September 12, 2003 his music will always be reflective of the rough times he lived through.

==== Another musician that we all know very well is Elvis Presley. Elvis served in the Army for two years in the late 1950s. In 1960 he received his Sargent stripes and his platoon leader, William J. Taylor said "Elvis pulled his own weight, he used his head and did his job well. He was one of us. He cared for us. And he got back the respect and friendship he gave everyone else. In several instances, I saw sparks of leadership in Elvis that made me think he could induced men to follow him into combat, just as his music induced millions of young people to follow him" ====


 * Down By The Riverside **

"I'm gonna lay down my burden, down by the riverside, Down by the riverside, down by the riverside I'm gonna lay down my burden, down by the riverside, I'm gonna study war no more

I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more

Well, I'm gonna put on my long white robe, (Where?) down by the riverside (Oh) Down by the riverside, down by the riverside I'm gonna put on my long white robe, (Where?) down by the riverside I'm gonna study war no more

I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more

Well, I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield, (Where?) down by the riverside Down by the riverside, down by the riverside I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield, (A-ha) down by the riverside I'm gonna study war no more

I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more I ain't a gonna study war no more, I ain't a gonna study war no more"

==== Elvis, serving in the Army in the 1950's wrote this song when he returned home. The lyrics throughout the song explain his feeling of the war he was in. " I'm gonna lay down my burden," he doesnt want anymore responsibility with the war. "I ain't gonna study the war no more" he doesnt want to be apart of the war anymore. " I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield" he is done fighting and killing. ====

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