Preview

Popular Music In Vietnam Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
649 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Popular Music In Vietnam Essay
As public approval of the Vietnam War dwindled in the latter half of the 1960s, popular music artists began to record songs that reflected this disapproval and ultimately became a new method of protest. Popular music at the time echoed the opinions of many University Students during and many years after the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War played a significant role in the growth of the music industry as the controversy surrounding Vietnam became the driving force of musicians writing hundreds of songs talking about the war. Rock music bacame another form of popular music in which many artists used as a protesting tool. Protest music began its demise once President Nixon began gradually withdrawing troops out of Vietnam; this led to the traditional messages of romance and courtship back into popular music. Popular songs …show more content…
To attract other people to their cause, the concert promoters use popular musical artists to entertain and educate the masses on the anti-war efforts of the 1960s. Finally, John Lennon, an ex-band member of the popular rock group The Beatles, recorded a song called “Give Peace a Chance” in 1969. The popular song is essentially a live cut, recorded by crowding several people into a Montreal recording studio. Backed only by Lennon’s guitar, a tambourine, and the chants and claps of people, the song asks the listener to ponder the main chorus, “Give Peace a Chance.” While many of the lyrics are controversial in their approach, Lennon alludes to several popular key figures, including the aforementioned Bob Dylan. One verse alludes to the urgency for the United Nations to end the war when Lennon Sings, “regulation, integrations/meditations, United Nations/Congratulations.” The song is an effective and artful protest of the war, since everyone sings in harmony, showing how many people can find a common ground in their protest of the Vietnam War. In essence, the song is perhaps the simplest anthem of the late 1960s, appealing to everyone affected by the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Neil Young's Use Of 'Four Dead In Ohio'
    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Neil Young's Use Of 'Four Dead In Ohio'

    This song is a very simple one with a very clear message against the war in Vietnam, and against President Nixon. It was not surprising to find that because this was an anti-war song, it was banned from many radio…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Why Did Kerry Withdrew From Vietnam
    • 227 Words
    • 1 Page

    Why Did Kerry Withdrew From Vietnam

    The citizens of Vietnam wanted to be left in peace. One artist to pinpoint in connection with the anti-war movement was Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s song “Ohio.”…

    • 227 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Kent State Shooting Research Paper
    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Kent State Shooting Research Paper

    Many Americans believed it was important to prevent South Vietnam from falling to Communism. Others believed the country should not get involved in the region's affairs. In addition, many Americans were opposed to the government's authorization of required enlistment as a way to mobilize troops for the war. By the mid 1960s, public protests against American involvement in Vietnam were becoming more common. Perhaps nowhere was this objection more evident than on U.S. college campuses. Students staged rallies and marches. They penned essays and songs to express their opinions. Many of these protestors expressed their opposition to the war by practicing a strategy of passive…

    • 910 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Jimi Hendrix Support The Anti-War Movement?
    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Did Jimi Hendrix Support The Anti-War Movement?

    The Anti-War movement began its rise in the early 1960s and by the 70s with the increase of the U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, the movement caught fire and with musical artists such as Joan Baez and Bob Dylan joining the protest, the tone of the movement was set. In addition to the opposition of the war, the civil rights movement was also underway. People of all colors were fighting for the peace, harmony and equality. However, African Americans were not as involved in the Anti-War movement as white people but people like Jimi Hendrix and Edwin Starr voiced their support of anti-war messages through their music and, in turn, got their audience to support the movement; but to what extent did the musical influences of African American…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did the Counterculture Movement Change America During the 1960's?
    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did the Counterculture Movement Change America During the 1960's?

    How did the Counterculture movement change America during the 1960 's? The focus of this study is purely on how the Vietnam war changed the culture in America during the 1960 's and how people and their views changed throughout the war. I will evaluate the musical influence that moved this cultured through the 1960 's and would change the world forever. I will analyze the effect that the War had on many people throughout the United States. This was the time that the Counter Culture movement came into full swing, being most known as the decade of “Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll”. As American children begin to mature during this time many of them created their own world. I will analyze this topic and talk about the effect the Vietnam War and Counter Culture movement had on the country.…

    • 905 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did The Vietnam War Affect American Youth?
    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did The Vietnam War Affect American Youth?

    The Vietnam War was the longest and most misunderstood war Americans ever fought (Corry). Nearly all Americans became aware of the fact that the world was in a state of a progressive degeneration phenomenon and something needed to be done about it, otherwise it would persist. The Woodstock attendees found innovative ways to finally capture society’s concern for those being affected by the conflicts of the Vietnam War, racism, and sexism. The 1960s youth activism advanced substantially after Woodstock demonstrated living in peace and harmony in the hopes for leading towards nonviolent affairs and their self-demeanor cannot be questioned. Woodstock demonstrated that the world did have the potential for different cultures to come together peacefully and celebrate diversity.…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Woodstock Changed American Culture
    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Woodstock Changed American Culture

    Jimi Hendrix had a big impact with his performance as well, including an alternative version of "The Star Spangled Banner". The song was somewhat controversial, as the Vietnam War was underway and the sound effects that he generated with his guitar paralleled the sounds of the violent conflict. It was an act of sarcastic rejection of the culture that celebrated order, flags, war, Vietnam, and obedience("Being at Woodstock, The Music of Alienation"). The reason why music was a huge part of delivering the antiwar message is people came to see their favorite bands play. It is obvious that they would listen and follow what their favorite bands had to say. Around this time in the 1960's, rock music was "the thing". Millions of Americans admired rock bands and believed everything they said, did, or felt. Most bands that attended Woodstock were against war and made songs with antiwar messages, some even degraded the president. Some bands that performed at Woodstock were The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Country Joe Macdonald. In 1969, alongside with many other bands, they were the best in the business("Woodstock Festival" 1-4). Many Americans idolized and followed their antiwar beliefs and actions. Some of the songs containing antiwar messages at Woodstock are "Bad Moon Rising" by Credence Clearwater Revival, "Were Not Gonna Take It" by The Who, and "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie("Where Have All The War…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Essay About Vietnamese Culture
    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Essay About Vietnamese Culture

    How is Vietnamese culture any different from American culture? Some people wonder how Vietnamese and Americans are different besides their race. Well, Vietnamese culture is different by their ways of showing affection/greeting, celebrating different holidays, clothing, food, and housing.…

    • 487 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Music During World War 2 Essay
    • 1737 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Music During World War 2 Essay

    Music during World War II The music during World War II was one of the most well-known and popular music eras of all times. Following the Great Depression, the 1930’s era called the “swing era” (Young & Young, 2008), was full of big bands, large dance halls and jitterbug-like beats that kept people on the dance floor. But little did America know that by the early 1940’s, their musical interests and tastes were soon going to change from upbeat tunes, to songs about war and love anthems. This change was brought by the war that Americans wanted to stay isolated from.…

    • 1737 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dissent During The Vietnam War
    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Dissent During The Vietnam War

    Dissent from the American Public: “Give Peace a Chance” A large number of Americans opposed the Vietnam War. This was evidenced by things like a second march on Washington, D.C. in 1969, which drew 500,000 participants. However, the everyday American did not support the publicized leaders of the protest movement. The clean-cut university students that originally led the protest groups had been replaced by “hippies”: outgoing, outspoken, loud protesters who had a very specific culture that included promiscuity, long hair, and casual drug use.…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Baby Boomer Generation Counterculture
    • 1184 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Baby Boomer Generation Counterculture

    The Vietnam War was a big component in helping fuel activism among the youth counterculture. The baby boomer generation expressed theirs ideals on war and opinions regarding the draft. Members apart of the counterculture movement felt an obligation to do something about their friends going to war overseas and the war in general. The largest anti-war movement concerning the Vietnam War was the Vietnam Moratoirium. On October 15, 1969 the anti-war movement had their largest demonstration yet, the Vietnam Moratorium. It was not a centralized event occurring in just one major city, but a powerful effort made all over the country. The idea was to have all participants drop their usual responsibilities and protest the war in the middle of the week. The government did not like the deviance the youth counterculture was displaying in this protest and wanted the counterculture to look useless to the…

    • 1184 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Protest Against The Vietnam War
    • 102 Words
    • 1 Page

    Protest Against The Vietnam War

    Protests against the Vietnam War did not start when America declared open involvement in the war in 1964. Actually most Americans supported abolishing communism. People started protest in 1965 when the increase in involuntary deployment of troops was constant but protests started to pick up when casualty numbers began to rise. Later, in 1968, a Gallup poll was taken, showing that 46% of Americans approved of Johnson’s handling of the war and 50% believed combat against the spread of communism in southeast Asia needed to be increased. The other 4% of Americans were either indifferent (which was rare) or the “vocal minority”.…

    • 102 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Purpose Of The Vietnam War Protest
    • 1211 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Purpose Of The Vietnam War Protest

    The Vietnam War has been one of the most terrifying wars United States was ever a part of. It included bloodshed like any other war but gave rise to a revolution. College students were attracted to this and started organizing marches and other protests. These protests, like the one that was organized by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), attracted a lot of support from around the country “Vietnam War Protest”. The students would have concerts to spread their message of love and peace by music, as it was easy to sell (The Counterculture and Music of 1960s).…

    • 1211 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Rock And Roll Essay
    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Rock And Roll Essay

    Black artists indeed were “robbed” black of their music, credit for their contributions made, and their just due. The main problem was shown through their recordings made by other artists who ended up profiting tremendously. All in all, African Americans contribute a huge influence on rock and roll. One of the greatest contributions that came from the African Americans had to be the blues. It doesn't matter what instrument, from basses to percussions, this music took America by storm. During the 1920s while blue recordings were being made, the “Boogie-woogie”, a piano style of blues formed.…

    • 513 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    John lennon imagine
    • 1265 Words
    • 6 Pages

    John lennon imagine

    The year is 1971. The Vietnam War is still ongoing, as well as the Cold War between the United States and the USSR. In South Asia, a war raged which ended with the creation of the sovereign nation of Bangladesh. Various racial issues in the United States were present. Hot pants and bell-bottomed trousers were the latest fashion trend. Among all of the conflicts and violence (and hideous clothing), one man emerges. John Lennon, former guitarist for the legendary music group, The Beatles, comes out with a song. His song “Imagine” becomes one of the most famous tunes in all of history, both past and present. “Imagine” is the spark that starts a revolution among anti-war movements. Lennon presents a world, free from violence, pain and hatred. While John Lennon’s song “Imagine” has influenced the entire world through its artistry and ethics, it fails to deliver on securing its goals of universal freedom from various aspects of humankind.…

    • 1265 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics