Famous 1960s Songs With a Message
Coming of age during the 1960's was a time like no other! People were "tuning in, turning on, and dropping out." The Viet Nam war had many a young man enrolling in college for a student deferment or facing the reality of being drafted.
"I Feel Like I'm, Fixin' To Die" by Counrty Joe and The Fish never made it to the top 40, but it definitely had a catchy rag-time feel to it. The clip is from Woodstock.
"Universal Soldier" written by Buffy Sainte-Marie become popular by the Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist Donovan. The song was released as a single in 1965 and reached #53 on the Billboard charts.
How many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man? .... and the third verse
How many years can a mountain exist
Before its washed to the sea?
Yes, n how many years can some people exist
Before theyre allowed to be free?
Yes, n how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesnt see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind,
The answer is blowin in the wind.
Written by Bob Dylan, but made popular when recorded by Peter, Paul, and Mary, this song was also recorded by Joan Baez, Dolly Parton, and Neil Young.
"Eve of Destruction" is a protest song that was written in 1965 by P. F. Sloan. It was indeed, a warning of the apocalypse to come.
Wikipedia cites:
The song is a grave warning of imminent apocalypse, and considered by some to be the epitome of a protest song. It expressed the frustrations and fears of young people in the age of Vietnam, the nuclear arms race, and the civil rights movement.