Saturday 9 April 2011

Anti-Vietnam Songs

The 60s had some of the absolute best music. Coincidentally, it was also a time of deep unsettlement due to the Vietnam War, and I've often wondered if the two were connected in anyway. People's frustration with the government probably got tangled up in the music, and soon enough people were expressing their feelings using poetic lyrics. Powerful messages were sent across, possibly more powerful than the protests themselves.To this day people still sing the songs sung decades ago, and the warning from history still remains weaved in between the melodies.
It's unbelievable the amount of protest songs that one war struck up. Wikipedia has a very good list, but I'm sure there are more that aren't here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_about_the_Vietnam_War

This was a particularly popular one:


This has to be  the most famous:


And now to one of my personal favourites. It talks about the Kent State University shootings that happened after the National Guard got a bit carried away (massive understatement). Their excuse? They ran out of tear gas.


I feel really sorry for the poor men who got conscripted and forced to fight in the war, when the majority had no clue what they were fighting for. And when they got back from Vietnam, many injured and clinging onto life, they got attacked by anti-war demonstrators in the streets. More soldiers committed suicide returning from the war than actually died in combat. Interestingly, it's the same for the Iraq War, more soldiers commit suicide than actually die in combat. Look at this link http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2011/04/09/more-us-soldiers-committed-suicide-than-died-in-combat/ . Seems like we don't learn from our mistakes, do we. *Sigh*

Why am I getting so political?

Listen to music. It keeps you sane.

(Forgive me for my cat obsession) Anyway...if there are any anti-war songs (in particular anti-vietnam war songs) that you really like, feel free to leave me a comment. :D

7 comments:

  1. Very few artists protest these days in case they upset their record label bosses and managers and get dropped. Unless you're PJ Harvey of course!

    My fav? - Chicago's 'It Better End Soon' - a four part suite that takes up most of side 4 of their 1970 double album Chicago II. Protest, Man!

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  2. Yes, that's something I've noticed. Protest songs are a rarity these days. But of course, PJ Harvey is an exception, she does what she wants to do which I think is wonderful.
    I think Chicago's 'It Better End Soon' is a great example.It's a great song in itself, and Terry Kath is probably one of the best guitarists ever to have lived.

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  3. I love that cute cat with headphones graphic! In fact, I like it so much, I downloaded it where I found it, then put it on my website. *My* website, where you are hot-linking it to yours. Don't be L7. Kindly download it from me, upload it here to your site, and stop stealing my bandwidth. Thank you.

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  4. Hi Zee, i am also a teenager who loves classic rock, and i am happy to know that there are other young hippie spirits on this earth!

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  5. Oh yeah, and i'd like to add that my favorite war-protestish song is street fighting man by the stones

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  6. Perhaps the most touching of all Nam songs was 1969'S "ECHO PARK " and the lament of a father for the loss of his only son.

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  7. Sorry MaryLee, I save random gifs on my computer and don't really look at where I'm getting them from. If you'd put a link to your website in a comment, I'd happy download from there!
    And to Harmony, OH I'm so glad to meet someone else who likes the same sort of music as me :) STREET FIGTHING MAN IS AN INCREDIBLE SONG, DAMN I LOVE IT!
    I've never actually heard Echo park, who's it by? I'd love to listen to it :)

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Save me from death of boredom