The reflection of the United States’ political climate in popular music during World War II and

the Vietnam War

Freshman Monroe Research Project

Summer 2018

Cassidy Milne

Table of ContentsIntroduction.............................................................................................................3World War II and Music........................................................................................3

Background......................................................................................................................................3Political Climate...............................................................................................................................4Popular Music..................................................................................................................................6

The Vietnam War and Music.................................................................................8Background......................................................................................................................................8Political Climate...............................................................................................................................9Popular Music................................................................................................................................10

Conclusion..............................................................................................................12

2

IntroductionMusic is something that is widely appreciated and understood around the globe, but

many people do not see music as anything more than an enjoyable form of art. To help show

that music has many other purposes beyond listener enjoyment, the purpose of this

investigation will be to illuminate the reflection of the political climate in music. This paper

will specifically investigate the popular music and political climate during two events that

exhibit very different societal approaches to war in America World War II and the Vietnam

War. While World War II was seen as a time of unity with all citizens contributing towards the

American victory on the home front and abroad, the Vietnam War divided society, with many

citizens disapproving the government’s decisions and resenting the acts of American soldiers

abroad. By focusing on the comparison between these two political events and how the music

of the time reflected these differences between unity and division, this investigation will

explore the deep connection between music and politics.

World War II and MusicBackground

World War II was fought from 1939-1945 between the Axis Powers, consisting of

Germany, Italy, and Japan, and the Allies, consisting of Great Britain, France, Canada, and the

United States. This war was fought in two main regions, Europe and the Asian Pacific islands,

but it “involved virtually every part of the world” (Hughes and Smith). There were many causes

of World War II, including leftover hostility from World War I, the global Great Depression in

the 1930s, and the rise of extreme nationalism (Kiprop). However, while these factors made

World War II an arguably inevitable event in Europe and Japan, the United States did not

become involved until two years into the war, in 1941. Before that, the US government had been

3

carrying out isolationist policies to avoid involving themselves in another conflict like World

War I. While they were supporting the Allies behind the scenes with supplies and embargoes on

their enemies, it wasn’t until Japanese troops bombed Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii on

December 7, 1941 that the US officially entered the war on the side of the Allies (Flaum and

Weisberger). In 1945, the war ended in an Allied victory in the European and Pacific theaters,

but at the cost of a total of nearly 50 million casualties throughout the war (Hughes and Smith).

Political ClimateOpinion polls conducted in the United States during World War II show that the

American people were generally in agreement on how they believed the United States should

proceed with the war throughout the different courses of action. In 1940, one year before Pearl

Harbor, only 13% supported going to war (Feffer); however, most of the public opposition to

entering the war involved fighting Germany in the European theater. With regard to Japan and

the Pacific theater, people in the United States generally agreed that it was necessary to prevent

imperial Japanese expansion, with 69% of the population in favor of working to curb Japanese

expansion even if that meant risking war (Saad). After the Pearl Harbor bombings in 1941,

when the US declared war on Japan, a resounding 97% of the US population believed that the

decision to begin actively fighting for the Allies was justifiable and inevitable (Saad).

President Roosevelt's decisions throughout the war stayed on track with popular

opinions, and this made him increasingly popular among the voters in America. As seen in

Figure 1 on the next page, Roosevelt's approval ratings stayed stagnant around 65% until the

war began in September 1939, from which point it steadily increased until peaking around 80%

in 1942, a year after declaring war (Berinsky et al.).

4

As a further symbol of unity and American pride, propaganda signs convincing people

in America to enlist in the military were very prominent during WWII. These signs, as shown

in figures 2 and 3, depicted soldiers and civilians aiding the fight on the home front as heroes.

Winning the war was considered life or death, and not helping was not an option. As Roosevelt

reminded Americans as they first entered the war, “We are all in it, all the way. Every single

man, woman, and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our American

history” (“United We Will Win”).

Figure 1

5

Popular MusicThe political climate during WWII was filled with unity, American pride, and a sense

of responsibility to win the war, and this was reflected greatly in the popular music of the time.

Perhaps the most significant development in music during this time was the emergence of

swing music, which is characterized by its upbeat dance tempo, large amounts of instruments,

simple lyrics, and overall rhythmic freedom (Stowe). The happy and carefree feel this music

created intentionally juxtaposed the violent war being fought abroad. The cheerful music was

used to boost morale among civilians at home and soldiers abroad, to give them some sense of

hope and optimism as they were surrounded by loss and destruction (McClellan). Americans

understood that they played a major role in winning the war, so using music and dancing as a

positive and temporary escape allowed soldiers and civilians to remain strong throughout the

fight for victory.

One song from this genre that has been described as “the song most associated with

everything you might imagine from 1940s wartime America” is "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Benny

Goodman (Allston). This song embodies every aspect of the Swing Era with its upbeat rhythm

Figure 2 Figure 3

6

and powerful instruments that improvise and create a rich, free-flowing sound. With its

seemingly chaotic mixture of musical elements, the song “catches a certain manic mood,

dancing the night away while the orchestra played -- because in another week the women

would be alone and the men might well be storming a beach somewhere halfway across the

world” (Allston). While the song is performed completely instrumentally, there are lyrics that

go along with it, which are simple and repetitive. In one section, songwriter Louis Prima

writes,

Swing swing swing, everybody start to swing.Now your swingin while you sing!When the music goes around, everybody goes to town.Just relax and take it slow. (Prima)

One prominent part of these lyrics is the encouragement for “everybody” to swing, allowing

anyone to listen to this music and feel motivated to get up and dance. Additionally, “when the

music goes around, everybody goes to town” recognizes the unifying factor of the music

bringing people together. And finally, the lyrics encourage listeners to “relax and take it slow”,

to escape their worries while the fast-paced and improvised rhythms and tunes happen in the

background, encouraging the American population to forget its worries in order to retain

optimism and strength while the similarly chaotic war goes on.

While swing music was extremely prevalent during World War II, there were many

popular songs with softer demeanors. "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere"

was a popular song performed by many artists, most notably Elton Britt, which captured the

pride of being an American and fighting for liberty. The music in the song is much subtler than

in “Sing, Sing, Sing” and other swing music, but it cleverly weaves in the tune of “Taps”

throughout which is the song used to memorialize military heroes. The lyrics are simple and

overtly patriotic, with lines like “there’s a star-spangled banner waving somewhere, waving

7

o'er the land of heroes, brave and true” and “God gave me the right to be a free American, and

for that precious right I'd gladly die” (Roberts and Darnell). These lyrics promote the ultimate

respect for the heroic soldiers and civilians helping the fight for freedom, and the fervent

patriotism that many felt to protect their country. Another line in the song discusses the

common enemy, stating “In this war with its mad schemes of destruction of our country fair

and our sweet liberty, by the mad dictators, leaders of corruption” (Roberts and Darnell). This

line highlights the understood necessity among all Americans to defeat the Axis powers in

order to save the free world that they have worked for.

The Vietnam War and MusicBackground

The Vietnam War was a completely different type of conflict from World War II. While

there is no exact start or end date for the war, it is generally said to be 1954-1976, with the

United States officially sending troops starting in 1965 (Broder). This war was fought entirely

in Vietnam between the South Vietnamese backed by the United States, and the North

Vietnamese, or Vietcong, backed by the Soviet Union and China. The Vietnam War was part

of the much bigger Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States over the spread

of communism, with the USSR-backed Vietcong fighting to establish a communist government

in Vietnam, and the American-backed South Vietnamese fighting to establish a democratic

government in Vietnam (Spector). After almost 10 years of ineffective fighting and defeats, the

US withdrew troops in 1973 and signed a cease-fire creating an official political divide

between the north and south of Vietnam until they could peacefully reunite. It wasn’t until

three years later in 1976 that the North Vietnamese communists defeated the South Vietnamese

and established a communist government that is still in effect today (Spector). While there is

8

some uncertainty on the total number of casualties, there were an estimated 2 million civilian

deaths; 1.1 million Viet-Cong, 200,000 South Vietnamese, and 58,000 American (Spector).

Political ClimateWhile the political climate during World War II reflected agreement between the public

and the government, unification towards victory, and heightened American patriotism, the

Vietnam War climate was much more divisive. For example, during the war, in 1971, about

60% of Americans believed the Vietnam War was a mistake. When asked in hindsight in 2000,

only 20% of people in the US believed the government did the right thing regarding the

Vietnam War ("US Involvement in Vietnam") and overall, 75% of the US population

categorized Vietnam as an unjust war (Newport et al.).

Presidential approval ratings during the Vietnam War also reflected a disharmonious

population. Most Americans did not agree with the principles of communism and about 70% of

the population saw it as a fair to great threat throughout the war (Smith). Taking steps to

reduce the effects of communism in Asia seemed understandable to the population at first, but

much of each presidential handling of the Vietnam War included massive amounts of

deception into how far the US government was going to prevent communism (Britannica).

Although American military tactics and interferences in Vietnam were largely ineffective

throughout the war, American contributions of troops and money only got more prevalent as

time went on (Jacobs and Shapiro). Especially during the Johnson presidency, the American

public was deceived into thinking that there was "a light at the end of the tunnel", which made

them extremely surprised and angry when they found out about the Communists' successful

offensive campaign of surprise attacks called the "Tet Offensive" in 1968 (Hall). The

discontent over this deception caused many Americans to become skeptical and mistrustful of

the government and to harbor sentiments of anti-establishment, which led to massive public

9

protests (Hall). This atmosphere created marches, the biggest being the March on the Pentagon

in 1967, and moratoriums like the famous one on October 15, 1969. People gathered in one

place to peacefully express their dissent against the war in Vietnam, and “the movement was

strong enough to alarm the government, creating social conditions that limited policy options

and made stopping the war possible” (Hall).

Displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Popular MusicIn sharp contrast to the uplifting and patriotic music of the WWII era, music was used

as a form of dissent during the Vietnam War era. Soldiers in Vietnam and American civilians

alike listened to these songs of protest, fostering growing disillusion with the War and the

government. Vietnam veteran Doug Bradley discussed how “more than any other American

war, Vietnam had a soundtrack, and you listened to it whether you were marching in the jungle

or in the streets” (Bradley). The messages of the songs were direct and solemn, as “songs that

spoke directly to the war were proof that people were talking about this cataclysmic event, and

a way to safely express the ambivalence that many in the field felt” (Rothman). Rock and Roll

10

music became very prominent during this time period because the genre is characterized by

raw, heartfelt lyrics and powerful music, and can easily be used as an outlet for anger and other

emotions.

One of the most defining moments for music during this time period was the Woodstock

Music Festival in August 1969. During this festival, rock and roll artists from all over and an

audience of nearly half-a-million people dedicated themselves to peacefully assembling to share

their dissent of America’s violent intervention in Vietnam through music. Despite the massive

crowd, the four-day festival remained entirely peaceful, which is why “Time magazine called it

the greatest peaceful man-made event in history” (Nikkah). The festival’s organizer, Artie

Kornfield, described how Woodstock’s “impact was like the war of the worlds, a time of love

and hate. I think it was also the start of the end of the war. It showed that so many people were

against the way people were treating each other" (Nikkhah).

One song performed at Woodstock that was later established as one of the most powerful

and iconic songs from the Vietnam War era, was "I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag", also

known as “The Vietnam Song” by Country Joe and the Fish (Bradley). Vietnam veteran and

author Doug Bradley discussed how the song “placed a veteran’s perspective on Vietnam at the

center of musical protest” by blaming the government and the “establishment”, not the soldiers

who were being unwillingly drafted into the war (Bradley). By using satire and sarcasm, the

lyrics expose the government as more focused on winning a war of ideology than the amount of

innocent lives it will cost to attain the victory. One line in the song that uses these devices and is

particularly hard hitting is, “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” (McDonald). This line satires the government’s forcible actions to do

11

whatever it took to spread democracy, even if that meant killing innocent civilians and losing

many American soldiers. It also sarcastically discusses the idea that peace can only be achieved

when the enemy is dead, which protestors vehemently believed to be false, as peace could much

more easily be achieved if the US completely withdrew from Vietnam (Hall). The chorus begins

with “what are we fighting for?”, words that resonated with many soldiers who were being

drafted into the war, despite denouncing its cause.

Another band that performed at Woodstock was Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, whose

song “Ohio” later became a prominent and powerful song of protest. The song’s lyrics tell the

story of the Kent State University shootings that left four students dead after Ohio National

Guardsmen fired into a crowd of student protestors on May 4, 1970 (Sheehan). The song was

written by band member, Neil Young, only 17 days after the shooting, and in an article from the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it is described as a “brooding lamentation smolder[ing] with

disbelief and rage” (Sheehan). The song begins with the line, “Tin soldiers and Nixon’s coming”

to immediately draw blame on then President Richard Nixon and the government puppeteering

the “tin soldiers” that fired shots into the crowd. Shortly after is a line repeated many times

throughout the song, “four dead in Ohio” which emphasizes the loss of innocent students

practicing free speech under the First Amendment and demonstrating peacefully. One line,

“What if you knew her and found her dead on the ground? How can you run when you know?”,

specifically encouraged further protests to end the injustices by asking people how they could

possibly run from protesting to create change when they knew about this blatant violation of

human rights.

12

ConclusionAs demonstrated throughout this investigation, music strongly parallels the political

climate during wartime; however, there are a variety of ways it is connected to politics, and the

music during World War II and the Vietnam War contrast greatly in this regard. During World

War II, popular music in the United States reflected the strong desire for victory in the war, and

the optimism and patriotism that entailed. Music worked to unite the population, almost as a

form of propaganda, convincing them of the pride that came with fighting for your country.

Music was also used to build morale, promoting carefree behavior after work to distract from the

tension and sadness created by the war. To carry out these goals, music during World War II was

generally more focused on the sound and instruments than the lyrics, which were often simple

and repetitive. By focusing on the sound of the music, artists could create music that pleased

people to promote optimism, and the lyrics were then used to enhance that optimism.

Quite contrastingly, music during the Vietnam War reflected the splintered population’s

dissent of the war, denouncing the actions of the federal government and firmly demanding

peace over victory. Artists during the Vietnam War used their music as a form of political

protest, and the public rallied around these anthems of dissent and disestablishment as a means to

express their disillusionment with the war. Popular songs from the Vietnam War often focused

more heavily on the lyrics, to create an empowering message based on true events and real

people’s feelings, a tactic that resonated greatly among the frustrated American public. The

instruments and sounds were then used to enhance the lyrics, with the rock and roll sound giving

an extra layer of emotion that the public could connect with. Unlike the escape that music

created during World War II, music during the Vietnam War helped the public face their

emotions head on, and channel their frustration and anger towards change and peace.

13

In addition to the different ways in which music reflected the political climate during

WWII and the Vietnam War, there is one remarkable similarity in music during both genres

music during both wars was used as a tool to unite the people. While during WWII it was

unification under patriotism, and during the Vietnam War the unification out of frustration,

artists of both eras recognized the American public’s desire to create change, and created music

accordingly. This connection between music and politics is important because it shows that

music can be used to voice opinions in times of political conflict in a constructive and useful

way, rather than using violence and force to get messages across. With music as a tool of

unification, artists of future generations can give a voice to the public and create empathy

among divided groups of people to promote peace.

14

Works Cited

Allston. “10 Classic Songs from the World War II Era.” PJ Media, PJ Media, 2014,

pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2014/11/14/10-classic-songs-from-the-world-war-ii-era/. 

“Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing Lyrics.” MetroLyrics, www.metrolyrics.com/sing-sing-sing-lyrics-

benny-goodman.html. 

Berinsky, Adam J., et al. “Revisiting Public Opinion in the 1930s and 1940s.” Features, MIT, July 2011,

web.mit.edu/berinsky/www/files/3040.pdf. 

Bradley, Doug. “I Served in Vietnam. Here's My Soundtrack.” The New York Times, The New York

Times, 13 Mar. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/03/13/opinion/vietnam-war-rock-music.html. 

Broder, David S. “Westmoreland Says Protests Encourage Enemy in Vietnam.” The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973): 2. Apr 25 1967. ProQuest. Web. 7 Feb. 2016 .

“CBS News Poll: U.S. Involvement in Vietnam.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 28 Jan. 2018,

www.cbsnews.com/news/cbs-news-poll-u-s-involvement-in-vietnam/. 

“Country Joe and the Fish Lyrics- I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag.” AZ Lyrics, o

https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/countryjoeandthefish/ifeellikeimfixintodierag.html. 

“Creedence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son.” Genius, genius.com/Creedence-clearwater-revival-

fortunate-son-lyrics. 

Feffer, Mary Gertina. “American Attitude Toward World War II During the Period from September 1939,

to December, 1941.” Loyola ECommons, Loyola University Chicago, 1951,

ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/997.

Flaum, Thea K., and Bernard A. Weisberger. “United States and World War II.” Encyclopædia

Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 5 Aug. 2018, www.britannica.com/place/United-

States/World-War-II. 

Gillespie, Mark. “Americans Look Back at Vietnam War.” Gallup, Gallup, 17 Nov. 2000,

news.gallup.com/poll/2299/Americans-Look-Back-Vietnam-War.aspx. 

15

Grow, Kory. “John Fogerty Addresses 'Fortunate Son' Controversy.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 25

June 2018, www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/john-fogerty-addresses-fortunate-son-concert-

for-valor-controversy-168809/#! 

Hall, Mitchell K. “The Vietnam Era Antiwar Movement”. OAH Magazine of History 18.5

“Introduction: The Vietnam Veterans’ National Anthem.” We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, by Doug

Bradley and Craig Hansen Werner, University of Massachusetts Press, 2015. 

Jacobs, Lawrence R., and Robert Y. Shapiro. “Lyndon Johnson, Vietnam, and Public Opinion: Rethinking Realist Theory of Leadership.” Presidential Studies Quarterly 29.3 (1999): 592-616. ProQuest. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.

Kiprop, Joseph. “What Were the Main Causes of World War II?” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 19 July 2017,

www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-were-the-main-causes-of-world-war-ii.html. 

McClellan, Lawrence. The Later Swing Era, 1942 to 1955. Greenwood Press, 2004. 

Newport, Frank, et al. “The Most Important Events of the Century From the Viewpoint of the

People.” Gallup, Gallup, 6 Dec. 1999, news.gallup.com/poll/3427/Most-Important-Events-Century-

From-Viewpoint-People.aspx. 

Nikkhah, Roya. “Woodstock 40 Years on: The Legend, the Legacy.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media

Group, 8 Aug. 2009, www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/5995703/Woodstock-40-years-on-The-

legend-the-legacy.html. 

Rothman, Lily. “The Vietnam War: Why That Conflict Produced Iconic Music.” Time, Time, 27 Sept.

2017, time.com/4949617/music-vietnam-war/. 

Royde-Smith, John Graham, and Thomas A. Hughes. “World War II.” Encyclopædia Britannica,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 11 May 2018, www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II. 

Saad, Lydia. “A Country Unified After Pearl Harbor.” Gallup, Gallup, 5 Dec. 2016,

news.gallup.com/vault/199049/gallup-vault-country-unified-pearl-harbor.aspx. 

16

Smith, Tom W. “The Polls: American Attitudes Toward the Soviet Union and Communism.” The Public

Opinion Quarterly, vol. 47, no. 2, 1983, pp. 277–292. JSTOR, JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/2749027.

Spector, Ronald H. “Vietnam War.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 11 Jan.

2018, www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War. 

Stowe, David W. Swing Changes: Big-Band Jazz in New Deal America. Harvard University Press, 1994. 

“There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere Lyrics.” Lyrics Freak,

www.lyricsfreak.com/e/elton britt/theres a star spangled banner waving somewhere_20310913.html.

17