Music

(For a complete Vietnam Anti War song list click here)Anti War Song List Music was an important part of the Vietnam War. During the social revolution of the 1960's, many young new artists and bands emerged. Because the new musicians were young, many had a great dissent for the war, government policies and government ideals. In 1969, the Selective Service System conducted 2 lotteries. Those who were picked were drafted and entered into war.
 * Anti War Music/Songs During and After the** **Vietnam War**

This included our country's musicians. Those who were not drafted and knew friends who were, wrote anti war songs about Vietnam. Jimmy Hendrix, for example, had already been exposed to war in 1961 after he was given the choice to serve prison time or to serve in the war for getting in trouble with the law by riding in a stolen car. Naturally, many musicians promoted peace and free love, while advocating anti government ideas. This page will give examples of noteworthy artists and songs that had an impact on the way young people viewed the Vietnam War as well as other social and economic changes.


 * __ The Temptations- Ball of Confusion __**

The Temptations were a very successful American vocal group who were popular in the 1960's and 1970's. Becoming a staple for soul music while selling more than 22 million albums, The Temptations are regarded as one of the most successful music groups in history. Many of their most well known songs, such as "My Girl" and "Beauty is only skin Deep", were about love and peace, but other songs reflected the disintegration of American society. The song "Ball of Confusion" reflected the Temptations' beliefs of where our American society was heading. The song's scorching lyrics, upbeat instrumental sounds, funky guitar rhythms, and wholesome bass, was a slap in the face, a wake up call to many people among the social unrest prevalent in the 1960's including our involvement in Vietnam. Below are select lyrics, accompanied by a brief explanation.

"People moving out, people moving in. Why, because of the color of their skin. Run, run, run but you sure can't hide.

Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration, Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation.

Ball of confusion. Oh yeah, that's what the world is today. Woo, hey, hey.

The sale of pills are at an all time high. Young folks walking round with their heads in the sky. The cities ablaze in the summer time.

And oh, the beat goes on.media type="custom" key="17389704" align="right"

Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul. Shooting rockets to the moon, kids growing up too soon. Politicians say more taxes will solve everything.

So, round and around and around we go. Where the world's headed, nobody knows.

Fear in the air, tension everywhere. Unemployment rising fast, the Beatles new record's a gas. (I guess they didn't like the Beatles lol) And the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation.

Eve of destruction, tax deduction, city inspectors, bill collectors, Mod clothes in demand, population out of hand, suicide, too many bills, Hippies moving to the hills. People all over the world are shouting, 'End the war.' " In the first line "people moving out people moving in", this describes the "white flight" of the 1950's and 60's when white individuals flocked to the outer suburbs and blacks moved into the cities. The next set of lyrics are blunt. They list words such as aggravation, segregation, obligation to our nation, ect. Social unrest and frustration was common. African Americans were in the process of fighting for their democratic rights, just as racism was fighting to prevent such change, to the frustration of many blacks. The sale of pills refers to the increase amount of substance abusers and young folks wandering round with their heads in the sky symbolizes the widespread hippie movement and how many of them were ignorant and unaware of what Vietnam soldiers were enduring. Increased taxes, homicide, unemployment and the statement, "end the war" is stated directly. Ball of Confusion is one of the most direct anti war songs. The lyrics are somewhat vague at parts because the Temptations wanted to avoid writing lyrics that would promote their opinions and beliefs. It was more so an interpretation of the world and where government and society was headed. Many people were confused because their were many changes happening and Ball of Confusion summarizes where Americana was headed. The Temptations were intelligent. They were aware that many changes economically and socially were taking place. Ball of Confusion....a fitting description for America in the 1960's-70's. __** Bruce Springsteen- Born In the U.S.A. **__

Bruce Springsteen is an American born rock songwriter popular from the 1970's to the early 1990's. Winning 21 Grammy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, and selling an incredible 120 million albums worldwide with hit singles such as "Born in The U.S.A" and "Born To Run", Springsteen has become the boss of modern rock and a legend among musicians. Many of his compositions are centered around the struggles of everyday American life, while containing an uplifting, energetic sound. The hit single "Born in the U.S.A." from the album in 1984, reflects upon the hardships of American soldiers during the war and the challenges of adjusting to life after the war.

"Got in a little hometown jam so they put a rifle in my hand Sent me off to a foreign land to go and kill the yellow man

Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A.

Come back home to the refinery Hiring man says "son if it was up to me"

Went down to see my V.A. man He said "son don't you understand now"

Had a brother at Khe Sahn fighting off the Viet Cong They're still there he's all gone

He had a woman he loved in Saigon <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I got a picture of him in her arms now media type="custom" key="17389858" align="right" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Down in the shadow of penitentiary <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Out by the gas fires of the refinery

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm ten years burning down the road <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go."

The song starts out with a protagonist who is given a gun and thrust into the conflict of Vietnam due to some minor neighborhood offense. When he comes back he talks with a friend and tells him that his brother had died at "Khe Sahn fighting off the Viet Cong." He left his women he loved in Saigon. Our protagonist soldier continues to say, "out by the gas fires of the refinery, nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go." Back from the war, all he's left with is a picture, war memories, an unwanted job, and a stagnated life with a bleak future. This song was written to portray the difficult transition from battle to blue collar job. All America is left with is a hollow pride mustered up from the remnants of Vietnam. The life of a soldier is difficult and Springsteen intelligently wove this subliminal message into the hearts of millions of Americans and across the globe.


 * __ The Doors- The Unknown Soldier __**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The Doors were a short lived controversial American rock band popular in the late1960's until the mid 1970's. Their untamed, poetic lyrics sung by the band's singer Jim Morrison along with a charismatic stage presence, made The Doors one of the most unique sounding bands of the decade. Blending classical elements with blues and psychedelic acid rock rhythms, they produced hit singles such as "Light My Fire", from their debut album in 1967 and "L.A. Woman" from the album, The Soft Parade, in 1971. Despite their short lived success and Morrison's troubles with the law and untimely death from a drug overdoes in 1971, millions of people still remember their experimental music. Another hit single, "The Unknown Soldier" describes the way the media portrays American soldiers and how the American people insensitively shun our soldiers when they come back from Vietnam due to preconceived beliefs based on inaccurate misinformation and false accusations.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Breakfast where the news is read <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Television children fed <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unborn living, living, dead <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bullet strikes the helmet's head

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hut <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hut <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hut ho hee up <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Comp'nee <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Halt <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Preeee-zent! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Arms!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Make a grave for the unknown soldier

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nestled in your hollow shoulder <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The unknown soldier

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Breakfast where the news is read <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Television children fed <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bullet strikes the helmet's head <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">media type="custom" key="17389542" align="right" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And, it's all over <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The war is over <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's all over <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The war is over"

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">There are many Vietnam War Songs and countless anti war songs in general, but no artist or band has confronted the issue more blatantly than The Doors have. In an insightful article by the website Gadfly online states: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">“The Unknown Soldier” opens with a false calm and pleasantry, going on to tackle the war, the insensitivity of the majority of Americans to it, and the hypocrisy of our country itself. To illustrate America’s hypocrisy, the lyrics juxtapose highly contrasting images: one of the news being read at the breakfast table, and a common household commodity at the time, a television; one of a soldier being shot in the head. Emphasizing that the bullet is not striking a head that belongs to a person, but rather the “helmet’s head” illustrates the insensitivity of America, as the “helmet’s head” is objectified and depersonalized. Americans have a “hollow shoulder” – that is, no heart." [|The Doors Unknown Soldier political/social analysis]  <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The military chants such as "Hut, hut, halt, arm" along with drum rolls with gunfire shots is used to set the setting for battle and war. These noises are carefully woven into the song to provide a bigger impact on the implications of their instrumentation and acidic lyrics. "Make a grave for the unknown soldier nestled in your hollow shoulder" means that Americans treated causalities as if they meant nothing. The lyrics describing families watching the news on tv or the newspaper emphasizes our complacency at home, not having to deal with the bloodshed in Vietnam. The song describes the American people as cold hearted individuals who care little about the suffering soldiers dealt with and the deplorable treatment and dishonor for them if they die or get sent back home. It is the message of the insensitivity of Americans that makes the song "The Unknown Soldier", a memorable anti war song for Vietnam and for future decades to come.


 * __ Jimi Hendrix- Machine Gun __**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Jimi Hendrix was an African American musician popular in the late 1960's. His unique guitar playing popularized the electric guitar, not just as an amplified acoustic guitar, but to be used completely different from it's softer sounding counterpart. He was the first person along with Eric Clapton to popularize wa wa effects as well as using stereophonic phasing effects for his recordings. He used high treble sounds, high power, and high gain levels to accentuate his solos and licks and many rock bands followed the pattenr of heavily gained guitar melodies. He worked with many domestic and foreign engineers that produced specially designed electric guitars, amplifiers, and sound pedals, so that he could obtain his signature sound. Jimi has been recognized as the would's greatest guitar player in history by Rolling Stone followed by Dwane Allman, B.B. King, and Eric Clapton. Regarded as one of Jimmi's greatest songs, and by some, regarded as the single best guitar performance in history, Hendrix shows off his technical prowess at he guitar by the use of realistic sounding battle effects as well as harmonically driven solos that stir up emotions and images of Vietnam.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Machine gun, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">tearin' my body all apart.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Machine gun,yeah, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">tearin' my body all apart.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Evil man make me kill you. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Evil man make you kill me. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Evil man make me kill you, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">even though were only famlies apart.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well,I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You know what I mean?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Weh,hey,and your bullets keep knockin' me down. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hey,I pick up my axe an' fight like a farmer,now,

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">yeah,but you still blast me down to the ground. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The same way you shoot me baby,

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">you'll be goin' just the same,three times the pain.media type="custom" key="17389352" align="right" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And with your own self to blame, machine gun!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I ain't afraid of your bullets no more,baby. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I ain't afraid no more.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After awhile,your,your cheap talk won't even cause me pain, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">so let your bullets fly like rain.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">'Cause I know all the time your wrong,baby, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and you'll be goin' just the same.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Machine gun,tearin' my family apart. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hey yeah,alright,tearin' my family apart."

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; vertical-align: baseline;">If you have ever had the privilege to listen to this song, you would realize right away that the effects in this are unique. As Frank Moriarty states: "But what if you want to do more than just listen to "Machine Gun?" Can guitarists still find the tools needed to build that awesome analog tone? Contemplating such a task evokes feelings similar to those a mountain climber must feel at the foot of Mount Everest. The ammunition for Jimi's "Machine Gun" can be found in the effects chain Hendrix used that night. The effects, when combined with Jimi's vast musical ability, resulted in lethal firepower. In order, Jimi ran his Fender's signal through a Vox wah pedal, a Roger Mayer Axis fuzz, a Fuzz Face, a UniVibe, and finally a second Mayer pedal, the Octavia." [|Machine Gun Analysis] Of course Hendrix's signature sound is present and so are his heart felt solos. His use of gained sounds to imitate noise on a battlefield are used just as the Doors had done. The lyrics "Evil man make me kill you, kill me" refers to the American and Vietnam soldiers who don't want to kill, but are forced to by their governments. We are all still humans and brothers and sisters yet we continue to kill because of the unfortunate reality of war. The verse lyrics including "I ain't afraid of your bullets no more, tearnin my family apart, cheap talk won't cause me pain" refers to the soldiers indifference after being exposed to death so many times. Families are wrecked and the will of our soldiers has decreased because they are mentally and physically drain from combat. Jimi Hendrix, along with many other musicians, disliked the war and used music as an instrument for change and peace.
 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The Beatles- All You Need is Love __**

The Beatles were a world renown English rock band. Hailed as the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music, Lennon's soaring lyrics, odd harmonic chord structures, and persistent tuneful melodies have garnered worldwide attention, selling over an incredible 1 billion albums units. Even after the murder of Lennon in 1980, and the death of Harrison from cancer in 2001, hit singles such as "Hey Jude", "Stg. Pepper", and "Let it be" still dominate popular culture. "All You Need is Love" is another song written during the time of the Vietnam War. Out of all the anti war songs composed in the 1960's, nothing compares to the message the Beatles were trying to relay: Peace and love is the answer, not hate and war. Nothing speaks louder to people of all ages and generations than the hopeful message of peace and tranquility.

"Love, Love, Love. Love, Love, Love. Love, Love, Love.

There's nothing you can do that can't be done. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung. Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game. It's easy.

Nothing you can make that can't be made. No one you can save that can't be saved. Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time. It's easy.

All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need. media type="custom" key="17389006" align="right" All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.

Nothing you can know that isn't known. Nothing you can see that isn't shown. Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. It's easy."

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">They lyrics here are pretty straightforward. The word "Love" is the most important word lyrics of the song. The Vietnam War was a symbol of hate back int eh 60's. Although this song does not directly refer to the Vietnam war and all the social issues occurring, the Beatles wanted to remind America that hate does not have to be the solution. Love can triumph and unite people despite their background or what their beliefs are. We are all brothers and sisters who share this world together. Let's make it a better place for everyone by setting aside our differences and become open minded. Love is the answer, not war. The Beatles, like many artists of their time, were aware of the growing opposition of the war, but their music acted as a barrier of love and compassion in an era of war and hatred.

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