In 1955, the United States began sending aid to the Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as South Vietnam) in the fight against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (commonly known as North Vietnam) and the guerrilla force known as the Viet Cong, who were believed by Americans to be Communist, though this was not exactly true. Ten years later, the first official American troops made it over, marking the beginning of the United States’ direct involvement in the Vietnam War. This war lost public support due to a multitude of reasons, mainly because nobody knew why the US was fighting. Men were dying for something people did not know about, and protests erupted as a result.
Some great music came out of this era, due to people speaking their minds about what was happening in Vietnam. These songs were great musical works, while also providing a very strong message for people.
“Peace Train” by Cat Stevens
This song came out in 1971, on the album Teaser and the Firecat. “Peace Train” was directly set against the war and promoted unity and peace among people. Cat Stevens wrote this song while on a train, contemplating why the war was going on. The song, which is very easy to sing along to and has a very good beat, provides hope for people in America that peace will come and soldiers will return home. “Peace Train” is not for everybody because it is more of a folk song; it has an uplifting beat that helps provide a feeling of happiness during the bleak Vietnam War. The song was written at a time where US involvement in the war was very high, so this song provided much hope to people. “Peace Train” is a great song and was very popular, reaching number seven on the Billboard Top 100. This song still resonates with peace today.
“What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye was a leading soul artist during the time of the Vietnam War and a strong supporter of the civil rights movement. His song, “What’s Going On,” was both a protest against the war, but also to ask what was going on in the fight for civil rights at this time. This song supports peace for people and is written from the point of view of a soldier returning home from war. At this time, there were many riots, such as the Kent State Massacre, where the National Guard shot four college students. This song promotes love among people, so that there will not be violence at home in the US. This song works to bring people together no matter what they think, so the war can end in peace and all people can work together for what is right. This song has a very soulful feel to it, and Marvin Gaye incorporates scatting into the song as well. While I am a rock-and-roll fan and I do like the song, it is not for everybody, but it does have a strong message for people of all time periods as well as for the people in 1971. This song is one of Marvin Gaye’s most popular songs, coming in at #2 on the Billboard Top 100 when it came out.
“Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones
This is a hard rock song that fans love. The song was released in 1969 as part of the album Let It Bleed. The song again stresses peace during the Vietnam War. The song also shows how violent and brutal the war was, as it warns children or younger people to watch out, because it is coming for them. Vietnam was brutal, and there were a lot of murders and particularly unfortunate deaths among troops at this time. This song warns people, because war is so close by, and it does not take much for violence to erupt. The song also addresses the major amounts of protesting and rage going through the country, as well as the many violent ways that police reacted. The song does end with hope, though, for a state of love among people. “Gimme Shelter” is a classic rock song that is one of the Rolling Stones’ best of all time, reaching #3. People who like rock will like this song, and it is a great song to jam out or just bang your head to.
“Imagine” by John Lennon
“Imagine” came out in 1971, just a year after the Beatles officially broke up. This song ultimately calls for a world without war and a unity between all people. “Imagine” calls on people to see a world where there is no religion, countries or possessions for people to fight over so that war and suffering will end. In this case, he is saying that wars are fought over greed for things like money and land and even over religious beliefs, but he is calling for an end to this. Without any greed for more in life, there would be no suffering, and people would be able to live in peace among each other. This message is far from being achieved, to say the least, but it gives people hope for a better world in which they can love each other, and a world where things like the Vietnam War will no longer occur. “Imagine” is a softer song, and people who love the Beatles might be hurt after all these years that John left the band, but this song is very good. It brings up hope for a better world and has a good beat that allows people to really get into the song. When originally released, this song, reached #6 on the charts, but after Lennon’s death, it reached #1, and it is a very powerful song and worth the time to listen.
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” by The Animals
“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” was released in 1965, right when the US started to get directly involved in combat. This song’s meaning is pretty simple, as it portrayed the Vietnam soldiers and American citizens’ similar view of the war. American people wanted the soldiers back home from a war that they saw no need to fight for, while the soldiers wanted to get home from Vietnam because they did not want to lose their lives. The draft meant that many of these men had to go to war for a cause they did not believe in, and they wanted to come home and make it back alive. This song has become an anthem for the Vietnam War, as it captured exactly how 99% of vets were feeling at the time. The Animals do not explicitly mention war in this song, but it still has a strong message. This song has the signature voice of Eric Burdon and, though it is not very popular, an Animals fan will still love this song, and it has the classic rock feel but the message is the song’s most important aspect.
These are just a few of the songs that came out of this era, but there are many more great songs with a powerful message that all people should have the opportunity to hear.