Gerald Maclennon's Blog - Posts Tagged "turmoil"
Woodstock: Cultural Contrasts of the Summer of 1969
The cultural contrasts of the summer of '69 blew my mind, to use an idiom of the time. The Vietnam War was still raging, still escalating, young men still being drafted into the army - many against their will and conscience. At the same time NASA succeeded in fulfilling the late slain president's imperative to put a man on the moon. It was cause for celebration in some quarters but seemed ill-suited for the spirit of the time.
The champions of young idealists, RFK & MLK had been murdered the previous year. LBJ had tried in vain to create The Great Society as racial & political unrest dominated the headlines. He resigned and Dick "Watergate" Nixon was elected president and commander-in-chief.
And in the midst of all that, we got "3 Days of Peace, Love & Music" in upstate New York at Woodstock. I think Country Joe & the Fish summed up the whole mess in one satirical song, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-A-Fixin-to-Die Rag".
As a Vietnam Veteran in 1969, I think the X-rated biting sarcasm of the song perfectly captured the mood of young Americans that pivotal summer. I'm not allowed to put a YouTube link here in this blog but I'll repeat the lyrics as text only... be advised it is copyrighted by Joe McDonald:
Well, come on all of you, big strong men
Uncle Sam needs your help again
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun
(Chorus) And it's one, two, three
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn
Next stop is Vietnam
And it's five, six, seven
Open up the pearly gates
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die
Well, come on generals, let's move fast
Your big chance has come at last
Now you can go out and get those reds
'Cause the only good commie is the one that's dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come
(Chorus)
Come on Wall Street, don't be slow
Why man, this is war au-go-go
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of trade
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb
They drop it on the Viet Cong
(Chorus)
Come on mothers throughout the land
Pack your boys off to Vietnam
Come on fathers, and don't hesitate
Send your sons off before it's too late
Be the first ones in your block
To have your boy come home in a box
(Chorus)
The champions of young idealists, RFK & MLK had been murdered the previous year. LBJ had tried in vain to create The Great Society as racial & political unrest dominated the headlines. He resigned and Dick "Watergate" Nixon was elected president and commander-in-chief.
And in the midst of all that, we got "3 Days of Peace, Love & Music" in upstate New York at Woodstock. I think Country Joe & the Fish summed up the whole mess in one satirical song, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-A-Fixin-to-Die Rag".
As a Vietnam Veteran in 1969, I think the X-rated biting sarcasm of the song perfectly captured the mood of young Americans that pivotal summer. I'm not allowed to put a YouTube link here in this blog but I'll repeat the lyrics as text only... be advised it is copyrighted by Joe McDonald:
Well, come on all of you, big strong men
Uncle Sam needs your help again
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun
(Chorus) And it's one, two, three
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn
Next stop is Vietnam
And it's five, six, seven
Open up the pearly gates
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die
Well, come on generals, let's move fast
Your big chance has come at last
Now you can go out and get those reds
'Cause the only good commie is the one that's dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come
(Chorus)
Come on Wall Street, don't be slow
Why man, this is war au-go-go
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of trade
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb
They drop it on the Viet Cong
(Chorus)
Come on mothers throughout the land
Pack your boys off to Vietnam
Come on fathers, and don't hesitate
Send your sons off before it's too late
Be the first ones in your block
To have your boy come home in a box
(Chorus)
