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1960s Protest Songs

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Protest music was an effective tool used as a weapon in peaceful protest. Singers and songwriters would express their views through the lyrics of their songs, effectively spreading awareness and informing people about the changes that need to take place, and the ideas of peace over war. Protest music was a major contributor in the escalating support for the peace movements, as well as many other movements, against the horrors of the Vietnam War and increasing acts of sexism, racism and the lack of equality in America in the 1950s and 1960s. Many famous artists took the initiative to write protest songs to spread awareness about the cause, generating a broader impact and having different effects on the many different members of society. Protest …show more content…

The Vietnam War took place during the cold war era, which lasted many years and could be described as the clashing of two conflicting ideologies between the communist eastern countries and the capitalist western countries. The Americans aimed at stopping the spread of communism in Vietnam, based on the their policy of containment, which was set up to stop the spread of communism to any other country in the world. Many American citizens opposed the sending of their own troops to fight in a war that was not even theirs to lose. Many of the soldiers being sent to Vietnam were members of the youth, which led to increasingly rapid protest action amongst students, as well as the parents of the young men being conscripted. These American troops were being placed to fight in unfamiliar and harsh terrain – as the majority of Vietnam was overgrown with forests and dangerous wildlife - which negatively affected the Americans morale and diminishing their possibility of success in the war. Many African Americans were sent to fight in Vietnam, which was ironic due to the fact that they experienced much hardship and racism back in their home country, which they were fighting to protect. These issues led to mass protest against the continuation of involvement in Vietnam – ultimately leading to increased protest action as well as the popularity of protest music. This form of …show more content…

Protest music made it possible to influence the youth in order to create change at a much faster rate, as songs could be repeated and memorized at a easier than a document or notice. This nonviolent method made it a lot easier for the average person to take part in the protest, making the idea of protest more enjoyable, “instead of throwing fists and shooting guns, people could make their voice heard through song”, which emphasizes the idea of peaceful protest rather than resulting to violent methods. This unorthodox method of protest made the need for change seem a lot more crucial, as well as allowing more people to actively join in on the protest. Although protest music was not the main reason for the end of the involvement in the Vietnam War, “ it did raise concern and attention about United States’ involvement in Vietnam”. (Source

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511 Words | 3 Pages

The 1960’s and early 1970’s was a period when America was involved in many conflicts overseas, including the Vietnam War. This began a time when media spread quickly as well as influenced the public heavily and wars were first televised. These conflicts ultimately caused citizens to protest and question the motives of the federal government. A large number of these protestors were students who sought to combat problems through various tactics to get authority figures to remedy the problems they identified. Student protestors sought to combat many immediate and long-term problems involving this time period and the Vietnam War.

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437 Words | 2 Pages

The Vietnam War divided the United States into two separate categories: Hawks and Doves. Supporters of the war were known as Hawks, while pacifists were known as Doves. The Hawks believed the aggression North Vietnam displayed forced the United States into war, whereas Doves felt the civil war in Vietnam was not the United States responsibility and it was causing unnecessary costs and deaths. Not too long before the Vietnam War, a movement called the “Red Scare” flourished throughout America.

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568 Words | 3 Pages

“There is at the outset a very obvious... connection between the war in Vietnam and the struggle I and others have been waging in America,”(Document E: Martin Luther King, Jr.). During the period of the Vietnam War, division struck the United States due to people’s vast opinions, this caused a rift in the country and began protests. Citizens of the USA did have legitimate reasons to protest the Vietnam War, but not all agreed with that. American citizens had many different reasons to protest the Vietnam War, but the biggest reason was that people were realizing how horrific wars truly were.

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891 Words | 4 Pages

Leaders pushed for peaceful opposition but rallies often escalated to violence as government officials were called in to break up protests, similar to the movements of Martin Luther King Jr and Gandhi. Not only were these cases of police brutality, but they furthered the credibility of the cause by showing the unnecessarily violent nature of the government. With famous names such as John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Dylan, world-wide attention was brought to the fight to end the war; the rock and roll youth culture birthed in the 50s proved a force to be reckoned with, creating anti-war music such as “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag” by Country Joe and the Fish in 1965. (Doc 2) Slogans such as “Make love not war” are still with us to this day, while others such as “LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?” forced the issue into the attention of the presidential administration. While it is true many agreed with the president’s decision, they were less vocal compared to the counterculture and peace hippies of the anti-war movement.

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740 Words | 3 Pages

The culture in Northern America during the 1960’s and 1970’s was very controversial. There were several that were happy with it but several that were extremely unhappy with it. There were several causes for the protests that took place in the United States during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Allen Ginsberg was a prominent figure during the time of counterculture. Ginsberg lived from 1926-1997 and he was a very key individual in all these protests.

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891 Words | 4 Pages

Taylor Price Tensions of Vietnam The Vietnam War was one of the most protested and hated wars ever fought by the United States. Though the end of previous wars were celebrated by civilians and soldiers alike, the Vietnam War never came to a victorious resolution. The soldiers of previous wars were loved and thanked for their service, while some Vietnam veterans felt ignored and even hated.

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782 Words | 4 Pages

It helped people let loose of their emotions and forget about the war and their personal lives for a few minutes. One way that they did this was the development of the swing dance. This dance was very popular and fun. In this style of dancing, people do not stop moving. It’s upbeat and very energetic.

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496 Words | 2 Pages

The Vietnam war was preceded by a very turbulent time in our history with problems here in the states such as racism, women’s rights, and a president being shot. But in Vietnam they were going through a civil war, which they had done before, but not to this extent, this time they got the U.S.S.R. involved. It was communist Russia and North Vietnam against South Vietnam. The U.S. started to get

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1504 Words | 7 Pages

The format was different. LPs were used instead of 45s. This meant that longer songs could be played. Many artists were first heard on FM radio, such as Jimi Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane. Another way protest music reached millions across the United States was television.

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Not to mention, “not only has music been a direct means of anti-war protest, but the culture of peace and love, seen especially in the Woodstock festival, has also pervaded the minds of the public” (Hopkins). The controversial Vietnam War affected many people in the United States, but the war caused a socio cultural revolution through the power of

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571 Words | 3 Pages

The reading “Popular music and the civil war” explained the heavy influence that music had leading up to and during the civil war. Music was used to express the way Americans, those in the north or south, were feeling during this time. Through their lyrics, writers and singers were able to convey their feelings on topics such as being separated from loved ones, losing someone, patriotism for the confederates or the union, and anything else that related to war time. Many of these songs appealed to the Americans because they could easily relate to what the lyrics were saying. Therefore, songs were being greatly produced during this time because people were purchasing the music, whether that was by going to see the performance of it, or buying

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957 Words | 4 Pages

These approaches paved a way for African Americans to voice their freedom, and to show that they have rights as well. Many music artists like Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday sang blues, a famous type of music for the black community, to speak of their troubling times. These artists spoke of many casualties like the massive arrests and the mass amount of murders happening at the time. Poets such as W.E.B DuBois and Langston Hughes wrote about similar situations. They mentioned times that they went through in a way way for readers to visualize the tragic times.

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789 Words | 4 Pages

“What’s Going On” I believe protest music is any song that is associated with change or the defiance of a prior principle. It does not matter if the song or genre was written for the purpose of revolution or if the song is a rally cry or only meant to spread awareness, but if the lyrics and the feeling of the song invoke those ideas, it may be considered protest music. Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” was written about the Vietnam War, but people choose to interpret the song as a cry for civil rights. A song does not need to begin as socially aware to be considered a protest song because it’s about how it’s interpreted by others and used.

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1132 Words | 5 Pages

Cultural Impact of Rock and Roll Amidst the 1960’s Jimi Hendrix formerly stated, “Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” A generation which was earnestly devoted to peace, protest, and revolution, the counterculture amongst the 1960’s yearned for change. Rock and roll was far beyond just a genre of music; it influenced lifestyles, protests, and attitudes, thus, kindling an awakening in the youth of American culture. The distinction between parental and youth culture was a persistent root of concern, considering that teens throughout the world found a sense of belonging in this style of music.

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521 Words | 3 Pages

I work at a college radio station currently to get high school credits, and the best way to get your message out in today's society is to have a voice. Whether it be like mine over the FM, or over the Facebook, peaceful protests are what keeps people from becoming outraged, furious and dangerous to those around them. When someone doesn't like something, they won't sit back and do nothing, they will complain, they will act out, and they will protest, and as being American citizens we have the right to do that, but we don't always go to the peaceful routes. Take in Ferguson Missouri for example. While the protests, and acts of rage were not due to that of a law, they were due to the act of hurt and pain for the loss of a community member, they still acted out.

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