Rock and Roll During the Vietnam Era

The 1960’s saw a widespread influential era in rock and roll music whose primary aim was to appeal to the alienated counterculture emphasis on spreading peace and love given the popularity and approval rates of the music during the Vietnam War. As the public censured the war, popular music artists took advantage and began recording songs to reflect peace with the sole aim of protesting the war. As one of the most controversial conflicts in history, the war made everyone unhappy as the government actively chose to ignore the concerns and plight of the people (Hopkins, 2012). Violent protests erupted as people struggled to address he government in their involvement of the war. Loved ones would either be lost in the war of injured thereby adding to the already existing anguish of Americans. The devastating effects of the Vietnam War were overwhelming, and people did not understand why their participation was necessary. At a time when public disapproval of the war mounted, artists such as Bob Dylan and his famous song; ‘ the times are A-Changin’ actively and fiercely opposed the war. His songs also rallied the support of the public in understanding the detrimental effects of the war on those who were left behind (Dylan, 1964). In this case, rock and roll music provided a peaceful platform that rallied up support from the public in ending the war. Despite the music being entertaining, the messages conveyed demonstrated efforts in advocacy where peace was preached. The deep meaning of the songs provided console and illustrated the efforts of Americans at the home front in ending the long-lasting war in Vietnam. Like many others before and after him, Bob Dylan and other famous artists’ illustrations of mass confusion, anger, and frustration of people at the home front defined war as momentous defiance of peace and stability of economies. 

Background

Rock and Roll

Rock and Roll began in the 1950’s to represent an ideal way of life for the Americans where the music was popular in a successful era in American history. It first appeared as a fusion of electric blues, country music, and jazz made for the younger generation. Despite its high level of vulgar content in current times, the initial genre communicated values and served as a platform where the public would air out their concerns (Hopkins, 2012). As the artists continued to explore the world around them, the idea of music being sung in successful eras dissipated. Therefore, it grew from being an expression of the body to reveal thoughts in a carefully articulated manner. The music industry at the time sought to sanitize their message by using non-threatening artists and lyrical songs. Over time, the music genre grew from secularity to gospel while incorporating different taste and rhythms that made it more cultured. At a time when rock and roll were thought to have ended following the deaths of pioneers such as Holly and Presley’s induction into the army, transitional songs were created and developed by newer artists such as Phil Specter (Hopkins, 2012). As a result, the sophistication of rock and roll allowed greater freedom and fragmentation into different styles to simply be recognized as a rock. Thoughtful lyrics from Dylan and others began challenging the prominence of people’s thoughts about serious issues in the United States. The quiet but influential musical protests rapidly caused an eruption of numerous followers who are part of the current anti-war movements. The mutual frustrations of both musicians in rock and roll and activists encouraged protests against the Vietnam war (Hopkins, 2012). The transformation of music also brought some sense of unity particularly at a time that was filled with overwhelming commotions and conflicts. The historical significance behind rock and roll music alludes power and meaning of unity and peace amidst conflicts. 

Vietnam War

The commencement of the war already saw people unwilling to participate. They did not understand why the government got involved in the war given that they had already spent nearly 20 years during World War II and the cold wars. At the same time, the war became costly to the government and took a longer time than it was initially expected. Unfortunately, the battle also resulted in more than 58,000 America casualties (Hopkins, 2012). Therefore, saying that people did not want to participate in the Vietnam war would be an understatement. Most individuals were angry with the government given that their loved ones were forced to fight in the war. The surge of protests across the country further called for more civilized oppositions where people would freely express their concerns without violence. 

In this regard, the songs served as an excellent strategy for the soldiers to survive during combat. Conventional themes of military war songs could be found in the rock and roll music that not only created unity and bonding but also brought entertainment and a means of expressing their emotions during hardships. The songs also encompassed praises of great leaders, heroism, a tribute to fallen soldiers, as well as complaints about incompetent leaders. Music has always been a way for people to peacefully protest while also getting their message out to hundreds of thousands of people and will continue to be a means for people to express their dissatisfaction. The music during the Vietnam War is only one small portion of music that was written to share the frustration with political issues, but nonetheless, these seemingly simple rock and roll songs became a powerful way for people to express their anger with the government at the time (Hopkins, 2012). The war eventually ended, and rock and roll moved onto different, up to date topics. The songs provided a platform where they could express their fear and frustrations, grief, and their longing of getting back home. 

Rock and Roll during the Vietnam War

From Bob Dylan to John Lennon from the famous Beatles band, people wanted the war to come to an end where the artists wanted to educate the masses on anti-war efforts of the 1960’s. The concertgoers were encouraged to act against the war as a means of propelling the government to stop its participation. John Lennon’s ‘give peace a chance’ in 1969 that was recorded in a crowd of people demonstrated how music was influential in rallying support from the masses as a means of ending the war (Lennon & McCartney, 1970). While other lyrics appeared controversial and complicated for individuals to understand, most of the messages were simple and forwarded to communicate the intended purpose of the activism. On the hand, the Woodstock concert saw Hendrix among other artists manipulating guitar hums to create gunfire sounds and explosions alongside military taps that is often played in military burials (Hendrix, 1969). Equally important is Edwin’s Motown anthem that was recorded in 1969 to declare protest against the war directly. The beginning verses; ‘ war, huh, yeah/what is it good for/absolutely nothing ’ shows how he directly sang against the war. Despite the concert being attended by hippies, he reminded people about how the conflict robbed people of harmony. After all, the majority of them rejected materialism and experimented with illicit drugs while actively protesting against the war. As an artful protest of war, the unity illustrated when people sang in harmony showed their common ground and standpoint concerning the battle ( Baker, 2015). Indeed, everyone was affected by the war either directly or indirectly. 

“ No place to run,” song was written by Martha, and the Vandellas was among the most popular songs adopted by a majority of the Marines during the Siege of Khel Sanh, as it superficially portrayed their plight at that time. Majority of the marines did not want to be in the war and also did not want to be indifferent from their own peer group back at home. As a result, many marines introduced their taste in music to the war zone ( Clapton & Hammond, 2014) . Additionally, they wore peace symbols and beads on their uniforms. This is because it gave them some sense of sanity and hope at a time when the conditions of life were brutal, and people struggled to survive and get back home. At the same time, the music adapted illustrated sympathy and support for the marines who were at war. Most importantly, it gave them a sense f hope of the war ending and returning home to their loved ones. 

“ Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “Yankee Doodle,” were also some of the songs sung by soldiers that helped in keeping their spirits high. Thanks to technology, Vietnam was the first war in which technology made music widely accessible beside the frontline. Some rock music was also broadcasted through the airwaves by the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) government. Animal’s hit, “ we gotta get outa this place” was one of the most prerecorded songs and was included in the top 40 hits. Tape recorders were the most common and preferred media for music at that time. The tape players were battery operated and portable to carry into the battlefield. More than one-third of them listened to music for more than five hours a day ( Clapton & Hammond, 2014) . After all, they needed to be reminded of hope and how much support they had back at home. Such music would then act as a significant motivation for the soldiers in their efforts to win and perhaps see the battle come to an end. 

The raw vigor, shattering guitars, and tempo of rock music reflected the misunderstanding of war and battles and since it defines an era, rock and roll music aid in defining the Vietnam war. Parts of some music lyrics of well-known songs were sung in the setting of the war. “Rock and roll” was replaced with “lock and load,” in reference to changing weapons to automatic fire or the process for readying their guns for firing. Though not all songs had to be explicitly about Vietnam or carry special meaning, they did remind them of the things they had left behind. “ The letter” by Box Tops and “My Girl” by the Temptations were some of the popular songs. They didn’t portray any meaning, but they did remind them about home ( Clapton & Hammond, 2014) . All these songs also served as a means of entertainment, strategy for survival, a way for articulating emotions and unit bonding. Group songs were sung in memorials, encounters with women or during epic drinking. Also worth noting is that the music was also helpful at the home front where people had to find some comfort in knowing that their loved ones would return home safely from the war. 

Among the famous rock and roll bands during the time were the Beatles. Formed in Liverpool in 1960, the band transformed popular music in a creative highly commercial art to became popular across the globe. Among the songs, the most popular songs were songs like “Hey Jude,” “With A little help from my friend,” “Yesterday,” “come together,” “Norwegian Wood” and “Day tripper.” Band members were John Lennon, McCartney, Starr and Harrison. The song “ Revolution,” was written by Lennon to protest the vicious protests that were happening in response to the Vietnam war. The beetles disapproved the violent protests of college students and people responding to the war and used music as a means to protest peacefully. The lyrics “well, you know, we all want to change the world, but when you talk about destruction, don’t you know you can count me out,” shows the effects of war in the society ( Clapton & Hammond, 2014) . because of the war, a peaceful community had turned violent with shootings and rioting. 

The rolling stones is another famous rock and roll bands in the 1960s. the band was formed in London in 1962 which consisted of Brian Jones who was the guitarist and harmonica, Keith Richards who was both guitarist and backing vocals, Mick Jagger the lead vocalist, Bill Wyman who played drums; Charlie Watts played drums and Ian Steward who was a pianist. They were at the forefront of the British invasion and became popular in the United States and were recognized with the youths and rebellious counterculture in the 60s ( Clapton & Hammond, 2014) . They started out by playing cover songs but later made success by playing their own songs such as “paint it black” and “satisfaction” which became international hits. They later produced albums through the 1970s and 1980s. ‘ Tattoo You’ and ‘some girls’ were among the all-time favorite albums during the war. “ Gimme Shelter” was one of the songs they produced which spoke about the social unrest during the Vietnam war, followed by the song “high wire” which targeted the war ( Clapton & Hammond, 2014). Even though it indirectly referenced the war in Vietnam, it illustrated the frustrations of soldiers at the battle fronts and their longing to find peace and get back home. The title of the song itself was a clear indication of how the military wanted comfort and peace that was lacking from the battlefield. 

Famous American rock bands in the 1970s were the grateful dead. Formed in California in 1965, the group was well identified for their exceptional electric style which combined elements of country, rock, bluegrass, gospel, jazz, modal, space rock, reggae and experimental music for instrumental jams, performance and their fans who identified themselves as “Deadheads.” Founding members of the band were Bob, Garcia, Ron McKernan, Bill, and Lesh. “Casey Jones,” “Sugar Magnolia” and “Scarlet Begonias” were some of their most popular songs they sung as they toured countrywide and performed with other artists. The group was later disbanded in the 1990s. Their significant contribution to the protest showed and reminded the soldiers how life was back at home ( Cohen & Kaufman, 2015) . It provided them with entertainment that developed a nous of encouragement and hopes to return back at home safely. Unlike other popular songs, their music was primarily intended to entertain the soldiers and inform them of life awaiting them from the wars. 

The Monkees song “ last train to Clarksville” written by Bobby Hart and Tommy Boyce was an anti-war song which its meaning was disguised because it would bring a lot of controversies. The song tells a tale about a soldier trying to meet his lover before being sent off to war. The lines “and I don’t know when I’m coming back” contrast the soldier’s disappointment sharply as they go to war and do not know if they will ever see each other again. The song communicated the pain of both people at the home front and soldiers out in war ( Cohen & Kaufman, 2015) . The suffering and torment people went through was unnecessary that required a quick intervention from the government. It was critical for the leaders to understand the plight of its people in order to bring harmony and comfort to them. 

“ We Gotta Get Out of this Place” song sung by the animals, is another popular song about the Vietnam war. Originally written by a prolific husband and wife Mann and Cynthia as an introspective view of one’s life, the song turned out to be a precise call for survival for the troops in Vietnam. It was a Vietnam anthem among the troops which every band who played in the armed forces club had to sing this song ( Cohen & Kaufman, 2015) . Additionally, the fact that the song was sung by a couple revealed the need for families to be united with the soldiers instead of splitting them up and allowing their loved one to fight in the war. The song did not only rally for protest support but also emphasized with the government to end the war and send back home the Americans. 

Marvin Gaye’s song, “What’s going on” was a hit song released during the Vietnam war which spoke about the war, poverty and drug abuse. The album is about the point of view of a Vietnam trouper returning home from war only to find out that his country is engulfed with injustice, hatred and immense suffering ( Cohen & Kaufman, 2015) . The song is a superb plea for peace and tranquility on earth. After all, there was no sense for a soldier to get back from war only to find an intolerable society to live in. 

Eventually, the war ended, and rock and roll music moved to a different level that addresses current issues. At the same time, the popular music genre developed more meaning where most individuals could relate with and find comfort during hard times. Rock and roll songs became powerful ways to protest for peace against the government’s participation in the war and communicating to people against certain evils in society ( Weinstein, 2017) . These anti-war songs will remain in history as songs that enabled people to express themselves. Also, the contribution to activism and peace movements paved the way for a peaceful demonstration when addressing issues instead of embracing violent protests. 

The war in Vietnam is one of the most scandalous was in history. Majority of American citizens were against it, but the government chose to ignore people. the protest broke out countrywide; the protests were very frontward and one way which people expressed their unhappiness with the war through music, specifically rock and roll. America’s first rock-and-roll war was what Americans called the Vietnam conflict because of the prevalence of rock music. A numerous number of soldiers belonged to one generation. About 90 percent of them were under the age of 23 years. These bands addressed their performances as a way to protest peacefully. Most musicians of that time were able to change the way people protested, and as a result, there were fewer deaths and injuries. Additionally, it showed the government that people were willing to work out this issue peacefully, something which had never been done before. The song “For what is worth” was among the songs that allowed people to speak their mind and prompt people to change the world without harming each other. 

Rock and roll, a combination of country, electric blues, jazz, and boogie, first appeared in the 1950s. it was created for the younger generation mostly aged between 19 and 23, and it explored risqué themes for the time transforming it into the rebellious powerful genre now. The song gained a huge wide fan base especially among the youths ( Weinstein, 2017). Additionally, it served as a fantastic medium to communicate thoughts and values to the fans, and the fans could express themselves through the music. Both troops and activists had songs in common though each had somewhat different meaning to these parties. Although less popular than popular television shows and films, the soundtrack was ingrained in our cultural consciousness. Additionally, it was a call for change. 

While many people expressed their unhappiness with the U.S involvement in the Vietnam War, rock and roll music shared in the plight of its people in rallying against conflicts that only brought more harm than good. The music; a fusion of electric blues, country, and jazz that once targeted the younger generation became widely accepted across the world.  Both the old and the young related to the type of music and its message with the intention of protesting against the war. This transformed rock n’ roll into a powerful genre. Its music had such a wide fan base that it was able to serve as a medium to get thoughts and values expressed while enabling people to share their own thoughts and ideologies with others ( Weinstein, 2017) . The music calmed down the surge of violent protests with popular lyrics from Bod Dylan among others encouraging peace. After all, it was important for the government to understand how peace would be like through non-violent protests for to them to end the war that lasted for years. Since two evils cannot solve a problem, peaceful activism would perhaps have softened the perception of the government in stopping the battle (Dylan,1964). As a haven for peace, music became a critical historical link between a nations’ leaders and its people when communicating an intended message. Even though it took several years of appealing to the government to stop the Vietnam war, it is evidently clear that the contribution of rock and roll music during the period was very helpful. 

References 

Baker, L. (2015). The Social and Cultural Changes that Affected the Music of Motown Records From 1959-1972.

Clapton, E., & Hammond, J. (2014). Tribute recordings are sometimes compiled to illustrate songs that motivated or sustained particular dance styles:• Let's Twist (Plymouth, Minnesota: K-tel International, 1994), featuring Chubby Checker, The Isley Brothers, Joey Dee, and The Star.  Rock Music in American Popular Culture III: More Rock'n'Roll Resources , 100.

Cohen, R. D., & Kaufman, W. (2015).  Singing for Peace: Antiwar Songs in American History . Routledge.

Dylan, B. (1964). The Times They Are A-Changin’. Retrieved from http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/times-they-are-changin

Hendrix, J. (1969). Jimi Hendrix-star spangled banner/purple haze at Woodstock. Retrieved from  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSi6RKvQfrw

Hopkins, A., (2012). Rock and Roll during the Vietnam war. Inquiries. Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/713/protest-and-rock-n-roll-during-the-vietnam-war  

Lennon, J. & McCartney, P. (1970). “Give Peace a Chance.” Retrieved from http://www.brownielocks.com/givepeaceachance.html

Weinstein, D. (2017). Rock protest songs: so many and so few. In  The resisting muse: Popular music and social protest (pp. 27-40). Routledge.