Wikipedia

Vietnam War protest music

The protest music that came out of the Vietnam War era was stimulated by the unfairness of the draft, the loss of American lives in Vietnam, and the unsupported expansion of war. The Vietnam War era (1955–1975) was a time of great controversy for the American public. Desperate to stop the spread of communism in South-East Asia, the United States joined the war effort. Although it was a civil war between Southern and Northern Vietnam, a larger war was taking place behind it. The Soviet Union, a communist country, was supporting North Vietnam, leading the United States to support Southern Vietnam in the hope that it adopts a democratic government. Many of the people in Southern Vietnam did not want America's assistance in the war, and many Americans did not want to be involved.

For the first time in history the public was not in support of the war, and the first time they could see its affects in their own living room. The Vietnam War has been known as the first "Television War", as it was the first war to bring the violence and terror into the homes of many Americans. As Americans experienced and viewed the war from across seas regularly, support for the war began to dwindle.[1][2] Musical artists at the time were young people who were being directly impacted by the war, leading them to illustrate their objections through music. Which led creation of new genres and styles of music; rock, folk, soul, and blues. Each artist contributed to the movement by describing their own feelings and experiences with the world through music.[3]

Impacts edit

Youth edit

Throughout American history, social movements have always been associated with the youth. In the 1960s particularly, teenagers and young adults were the main protestors of the war. Men of the age of 18 were enrolled in the draft and expected to fight in Vietnam. The legal age to vote against the war was 21, so these boys agreed that if they were old enough to fight in the war they should be old enough to oppose it. They used music as a way to grow culture and support against what they believed as an unjust system.[4]

The opposition against the war was able to help youth of different groups gather together. In an America still filled with racism, young blacks and young whites were able to agree that the cost of life was too high. The protest created by students at this time has been seen as the most pervasive case of student activism in American history. Even with television giving families a front-row seat into the conflict, it did not have much influence on everyday American life. The constant stages against the draft helped keep people aware of the horrors of the war and is said to be pivotal in dissolving public support.[4]

Soldiers edit

 
Women and Children are guided past the bodies of three dead Viet Cong men

Up to the 1960s, fighting for your country was seen as noble and a great honor. John F. Kennedy made declarations of self sacrifice and service that gave young boys a renewed energy to defend their home and family. While away from there loved ones they began to turn to music to combat their loneliness and remind them of home. However, all songs proved hopeful. Many bands of veterans began to create music of the bitterness of their experiences. Expressing the pain they fought watching not only friends but hundreds of innocent Vietnamese people die every day. As the music on the radio started to drift more into counterculture, so did many soldiers.[5] Songs like "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" resonated with soldiers as it spoke to what they were feeling. They wanted to leave. They wanted to go home, and away from the terror and death they faced daily.[6]

Popular culture edit

The impact and significance of the music of the Vietnam era have been represented in movies and television shows during the war and long after. The lyrics included in many of the most popular songs of the era demonstrate the emotions and feelings of many of the young people in America. During the many years that the United States was involved in the war, the war itself and the true experiences of the young men across the seas were kept from the entertainment as the war continued to bring much controversy among the American public. However, some telecast shows at the time challenged this norm. From the year 1967 to 1969, the telecast show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on CBS discussed controversies surrounding the war routinely. The telecast included many musical performances: "Green, Green Grass of Home" performed by Joan Baez in dedication to her husband and his resistance to the draft; Phil Ochs's "Draft Dodger Rag" performed by George Segal; and "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy" boldly performed by Pete Seeger as the song had been previously censored.[7]

The making of films relating to or representing the Vietnam War was slow to start as the war represented such a dark and tragic time in not only United States history but in the history of Vietnam and of the numerous countries involved. The first of the films to represent the Vietnam War was The Green Berets, a pro-US military film that described the experience of a journalist who is unsure about the war and of the United States involvement, but comes to support it after being among the US troops. The song "Ballad of the Green Berets" debuted in the film, contrasted the songs of the era, and was popular among those who supported the United States' involvement in the war. The film was released in 1968, at the pinnacle of the war, and was condemned by critics as it was in great contrast to the anti-war protests held constantly in the United States.[8][9][10]

After the end of the war, more films have been made relating to the Vietnam War and have used music from the era to help convey to the audience the emotions of the time. Films such as Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Forrest Gump, and Full Metal Jacket, include the songs "Hello, I Love You", "Fortunate Son", "For What It's Worth", "All Along the Watchtower", "Hello Vietnam", and "The End".[11][12] Using the songs from the Vietnam War era in the films helps to transport the viewer to the time and to communicate the struggles and the heartbreak that was felt nationwide. The music from the era carried the protest, especially in the then-developing youth anti-war movement.[9][13][14][15][16][excessive citations]

Musical protest events edit

1969 Woodstock edit

To counter the depressing and saddening effects of the Vietnam War, many Americans turned to hippie-led counterculture. Hippies represented a sense of freedom from the traditional views and ideas of their parent's generation. Their hair, colorful and abstract clothing, and music represented a great deviation from the generation before. Hippies also experimented greatly with numerous drugs, namely LSD and marijuana among other psychedelic drugs.[17][18] From this hippie-led counterculture came the revolution through music. Youth in America were proud of their country but were unable to support the decisions being made. Few young people understood the reason for the United States' involvement in the war and of the necessity for the draft. This uncertainty led to the inspiration of popular songs such as "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag", "Prayer for Peace" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" which were later heard at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in August of 1969.[19][20]

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Bethel, NY on a dairy farm, to witness the musical talents of Joan Baez, the Band, Jefferson Airplane, Ten Years After, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Tim Hardin, the Who, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young among others. Known as one of the most pivotal moments in music history, Woodstock brought the youthful revolution to the center stage as the many songs of protest were played for thousands.[21]

Rock and roll edit

Although the Vietnam war is known as the 'First Television', Billboard magazine reported that other conflicts have yet to influence such a immense amount of music.[2] Rock and roll music was created in the late 1940s, and was known for its battle of authority and regulations.[6] Unlike other forms of music, rock does not require a musical talent and is created through the players attitude. It was not about talking about political party or policies, it was talking about emotion and pain. About the way people and situations made you and all of those affected feel.[6] And for the first time their music could spread to all ears. The invention of the radio made it so people did not have to go to concerts or buy vinyl records to discover new music, it could be found in homes across the country with a twist of a knob. Rock music was able to create a feeling in both the artist and the listeners that everything was possible.[6] It created a hope that with enough protest and emotion, normal citizens could stop the war and the bloodshed it creates.[citation needed]

The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper Lonely Heart Club Band Album is identified as the most significant album to come out of rock.[6] It was a sound specifically made for this counterculture movement. It was music that had meaning behind it, it was not meant to be consumed and forgotten, it was meant to be remembered and used. It cut out any feeling of self-importance that would become a new key stone in rock and roll. [citation needed]

The attitude of rock and roll followed the attitude of the public towards the war. Starting with a lack of support at the beginning, to disgust and angry, to rage, hatred, rebellion and protests, and then a more sublet and quiet opposition until the war ended. It did not lead beliefs it followed them.[6] For once there was a media that could stay with the issues instead of falling behind. Movies, television shows, clothes, and other forms of expressions took a lot of time and effort to create, so it was not uncommon for them to talk about issues that had already loosed the contention and spotlight to a new subject. But the simplicity of rock and the ease of the radio allowed reflection of social obsession's to be much clearer.[citation needed]

Protest songs edit

References edit

  1. ^ Mandelbaum, Michael (1982). "Vietnam: The Television War". Daedalus. 111 (4): 157–169. JSTOR 20024822.
  2. ^ a b Brummer, Justin (25 September 2018). "The Vietnam War: A History in Song". History Today.
  3. ^ Stevens, Jordan (2019). "Runner-up Project: There's Something Happening Here: American Protest Songs of the Vietnam War". 2019 Lynn Haggard Undergraduate Library Research Award.
  4. ^ a b Carrillo, Juan (2014). The Influence Of Protest Songs On The U.s. Public: A Vietnam War Perspective (Thesis).
  5. ^ Bradley, Doug; Werner, Craig (2016). We Gotta Get Out of This Place: The Soundtrack of the Vietnam War. UMass + ORM. ISBN 978-1-61376-426-8.[page needed]
  6. ^ a b c d e f Wiest, Andrew; Barbier, Mary Kathryn; Robins, Glenn (2009). America and the Vietnam War: Re-examining the Culture and History of a Generation. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-18775-0.[page needed]
  7. ^ Weist, Andrew (2009). America and the Vietnam War: Re-Examining the Culture and History of a Generation (1st ed.). Taylor & Francis Group. pp. 231–235. ISBN 9780203862889.
  8. ^ "The Vietnam War in pop culture". ABC News. 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  9. ^ a b "Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler hits #1 with "Ballad of the Green Berets"". HISTORY. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  10. ^ The Green Berets (1968) – Soundtracks – IMDb, retrieved 2023-12-01
  11. ^ "The Vietnam War in pop culture". ABC News. 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  12. ^ Apocalypse Now (1979) – Soundtracks – IMDb, retrieved 2023-12-01
  13. ^ Andersen, Lee (2003). Battle Notes: Music of the Vietnam War (2nd ed.). Superior, WI 54880: SavagePress. pp. 15–19. ISBN 1-886028-60-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  14. ^ Forrest Gump (1994) - Soundtracks - IMDb, retrieved 2023-12-01
  15. ^ Platoon (1986) – Soundtracks – IMDb, retrieved 2023-12-01
  16. ^ Full Metal Jacket (1987) – Soundtracks – IMDb, retrieved 2023-12-01
  17. ^ "Hippies – Museum of Youth Culture". museumofyouthculture.com. 2019-11-29. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  18. ^ Davis, Fred; Munoz, Laura (1968). "Heads and Freaks: Patterns and Meanings of Drug Use Among Hippies". Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 9 (2): 156–164. doi:10.2307/2948334. JSTOR 2948334. PMID 5745772.
  19. ^ Arnold, Ben (1991). "War Music and the American Composer during the Vietnam Era". The Musical Quarterly. 75 (3): 316–335. doi:10.1093/mq/75.3.316. JSTOR 742053.
  20. ^ Evans, Mike; Kingsbury, Paul; Woods, Museum at Bethel (2009). Woodstock: Three Days that Rocked the World. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4027-6623-7.
  21. ^ "About | Woodstock". Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  22. ^ "Protest Music of the Vietnam War". Peace History. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
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