Vietnam War Protest MusicChris Barwick

ContextThe 1960s and 1970s were a time of war, social

unrest, and protest

ArgumentThe different rock/folk protest songs throughout

the 1960s and 1970s mirror the changing political climate in the U.S.

Many of the first anti-war songs criticized the overall idea of war and the nation’s imperialistic foreign policy

Anti-war songs over time increasingly attacked the U.S. federal government and more aggressively demanded specific political and social change.

1962The War: A few thousand military advisors

Protests: More general and against U.S. imperialist foreign policy

Protest Song: Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

vWwgrjjIMXA

1965The War: U.S. was now actively engaging in

combat after LBJ sent roughly 180,000 additional troops to Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Protests: As the war began to escalate, the tone of anti-war songs became angrier and reflected many American’s discomfort with the fact that young soldier’s were being killed in an anti-communist proxy war

Protest Song: “Turn! Turn! Turn!” performed by The Byrds in 1965https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pX6SuX0Z6AQ

1965-1969The War: Quick, violent escalation

Protests: Massive protests and America on edge

Protest Song: Jimmy Hendrix’s rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock in 1969 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjzZh6-h9fM

1965 - 1969Joni Mithcell’s “Woodstock”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRjQCvfcXn0

1970 – The Breaking PointThe War: Invasion of Cambodia and expansion

of the draft

Protests: Kent State and other University Protests

Protest Song: Neil Young’s “Ohio”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkg-bzTHeAk

1970Edwin Starr’s “War”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-2pNCZiNk