An Untitled Protest- Country Joe and The Fish

Obviously a protest song against military action in Vietnam, this song convinced many songwriters and composers that the lyrics did not have to any sense -just as long as you can jazz it up with some studio production and some percussion.
Even though the song is not my favorite, it still has some inventive qualities to it. "The End" by The Doors might have came into being because of this song; and Country Joe's vocal phrasing is very unique. He manages to sing several words at a time in places, and stresses on words such as "eyes", "sky" giving it the feel of an Indian campfire song.
His performance at Woodstock was great and I enjoyed him. Love you Joe :)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Country
• Joe
• and
• The
• Fish
• Vietnam
• Protest

[Boudiicca]

as much as a 30 year old from Australia knows about American fascism in Iraq.... The U.S isn't an isolated island in the middle of nowhere...every action you take affects the whole world. The world's citizens have a right to protest!!!!!

[badtux]

The lyrics make far too much sense if you were actually there.

[1ancienttraveler]

Herodotusthe Elder,

I said just the opposite. If the government would get out of the way there would be job creation. The "Top" is the segment of our country that creates the jobs by investing their money. Without them there is no capital to create jobs, other than over paid actors that is. Government rules and regulations encourage these investors to put their money in 'safe investments' like government bonds that do nothing for the businesses that provide employment.

[HerodotustheElder]

@bugre19 I don't think this passage was a metaphor. I think it was the latter of your "or" statement.

[HerodotustheElder]

@Kostly I am sympathetic to your thoughts, but pray there is an approach in between. Remember how most revolutions turned out. The violence that enabled their original success could not be turned off. I feel the protest music of the Vietnam era was a powerful force for educating, energizing and enabling. We need more of that now.

[HerodotustheElder]

@1ancienttraveler Oh gosh, I try to ignore such delusional thinking, but here goes again. So are you saying people are "entitled" to jobs that the system can no longer create sufficiently. I gyes I would agree with that. You have cause and effect reversed. Most people want to work and lead a respectful life. Especially if they are given the opportunity to do so. How you miss the fact that capital in our society has all gone to the top & no longer create jobs amazes me.

[HerodotustheElder]

@taxisteve929 Eliminating the draft was a good move for the military industrial complex. By not forcing the common people to fight our imperial wars the heat was off and protests were stilled. So you are certainly correct that the heat energy in the culture was absent and had an effect on the art. There have been exceptions. GreenDay being one - American Idiot, Holiday, etc.

[1ancienttraveler]

Kosty, I disagree. What this country needs to do is trash the Secular Socialist government education system. Since FDR was elected the government school system has been teaching people that for some reason they are "entitled" to something for nothing. That government will provide for those who chose not to do so for themselves. We need to get back to what made this country what it was. We need to quit going into combat to defend people who would like nothing better than to see this counrty fail.

[taxisteve929]

I wondered where the great war protest songs were today, A friend pointed out the lack of a draft may be the reason. If you look at singers from the 60's like Tom Paxton, Jimi Hendrix, and Jerry Garcia who served in the Army, and Country Joe with the Navy, they had a deeper understanding than those of us who hadn't served. Most have no problem serving to protect their homes and family but have a problem being sent 10,000 miles away to fight and die because politicians say those people are bad.

[Kostly]

@1ancienttraveler Nothing will change until the people change it. And nothing is changed by "voting the bums out". No one will take you seriously until you punch them in the face.  HARD.

[Kostly]

POWERFUL

[1ancienttraveler]

What the U.S. needs to do is get the hell out of NATO. Kick these ignorant bastards out of New York and turn their buildings into affordable housing. Our youth are dying for people who would stab us in the back whenever they have the chance. We need to quit defending Europeans. Let the Muslim hoards descend once again across Western Europe and enslave it as they have before if the Europeans are unwilling to defend themselves. We played by the U.N. rules in Korea and Vietnam it's time we stopped.